There’s a new hottest spot in Dublin for brunch and, unfairly, it’s in Ranelagh. Don’t they have enough ‘top’ things already? With Dillinger’s for top notch American style dining, Michie Sushi for the only show in town sushi-wise, Kinara Kitchen for the best casual Indian and Pakistani cooking you’ll find, The Butcher Grill for meat feasts, La Bodega for authentic tapas, Redmond’s for wine and beer, and Pinocchio for Italian wine and grazing at its most laid-back – can’t help feeling a little bitter about this Dublin 6 food haven becoming more haven-ey.
We can console ourselves, at least, that the Luas makes Ranelagh but a mere three stops from town, so non-Ranelaghites may access its bounty with ease. With summer in full bloom now, The Exchequer’s newly minted wine bar makes an ideal destination for weekend brunch – not only for the food and cocktails, but especially for the desert plant-lined, suntrap terrace out the back where both can be enjoyed while soaking up the rays.
It’s exactly what we’ve come to expect from The Exchequer: stylish to a fault, ticking every box for produce, both alcoholic and edible, and dutiful but laid-back service that helps just enough while making you feel at home. Cocktails are ample and not for the uninitiated – I sampled the spicy Bloody Mary with jalapeño vodka and it was meaty, to say the least.
The clincher for hottest new brunch spot though is the food: very, very, very good eggs, done all ways and in combinations involving minute steak, chorizo, smoked salmon, Portobello mushroom, bacon and maple syrup, and moreish sides from avocado pureé to gremolata. The poached eggs on the day of my visit were satisfyingly thick with fat creamy yokes, and everything was fresh, just right, delicious and fuss-free.
The menu offers a smattering of alternative brunch options including Irish and European artisan cheeses and charcuterie, salads, foie gras, and potted mackerel. And of course, it is The Exchequer, they’ll make you a martini or pour you a pint if your whistle so wishes to be wet in that fashion.
Evenings the wine bar offers 25 wines by the glass – in 125ml and 175ml serves, for those who like a choice in their wine serve sizes – and more wines by the bottle, the Exchequer cocktail menu, and a reasonable selection of Irish craft beers (bar one from Scotland which is non-alcoholic). Dinner time dining is wine bar style, with plenty of picking and sharing options including oysters, and some interesting twists on the usual fare with the likes of breaded chorizo 'lollipops' with aioli, and Iberico ham and manchego croquettes.
With five years under their belt now, Ian Tucker and Peter Rock have perfected the art of the stylish gastrobar. The Exchequer in Ranelagh may well be the jewel in their crown.
The Exchequer, 19 Ranelagh, Dublin 6
Ph: +353 (0) 1421 5780
E: winebar@theexchequer.ie
www.theexchequerwinebar.ie
(Mon-Thurs: 5pm-11.30pm; Fri: 5pm-12.30am; Sat: 11am-12.30am; Sun: 11am-11pm)
