The Best Value Restaurants in Dublin

You could easily walk past the entrance to Amy Austin, situated near the ground floor of a multi-storey car park; just look for the brights lights and listen for the craic coming from within. There’s a sense of fun and a feeling of being at home from the moment you walk in the door. Mexican-born chef Victor Lara has created an all-day menu of globetrotting small plates ranging from tamales and tacos to crudos and yakitori. Everything coming at realistic prices allows you to do justice to the cocktail list and wine on tap.

Read more about how Amy Austin typifies the Bib Gourmand award.

The first rule here is to ensure you have a reservation, as space is limited and it’s extremely popular – which in turn makes for a great atmosphere. The authentic Spanish dishes are bursting with the colours and aromas of the country’s cuisine, and sharing is positively encouraged too. Kick things off with a glass of sherry from the extensive list, whilst deciding which of the flavour-packed dishes to order. The sensible pricing makes it a little easier as, if you come with friends, you could work your way through a sizeable chunk of the menu.

There was great anticipation in the suburb of Rathmines surrounding Lottie’s opening, and it certainly hasn’t disappointed. This is the perfect neighbourhood restaurant, the kind of place everyone wishes they had at the end of their street. The food certainly looks the part, but this is no case of style over substance as the hearty dishes, powered by Irish produce, deliver on flavour. The weekday early evening menu is the fastest way to brilliant value, while their upstairs bar and lounge allows you to keep the fun going at weekends.

Francophiles will most certainly feel at home in Pichet, a bright and cheery brasserie de luxe in the heart of the vibrant Temple Bar neighbourhood. Great Irish ingredients blended with classic French technique and the odd Italian influence are the main characteristics of a menu where you’ll find a refreshing absence of both pretence and unnecessary complexity; the focus is purely on seasonal produce treated with skill and respect so that it bursts with flavour. The lunchtime menu offers the best value for money.

There is a rustic and homely feel to this neighbourhood restaurant, which is tremendously busy between the hours of 5:30pm and 6:30pm. This is when the best value is to be had, thanks to a fixed-price early evening menu that shows off the kitchen’s skills. Those skills are largely concentrated on delivering tried-and-tested dishes that show off classic combinations executed with aplomb, resulting in robust, gutsily flavoured dishes. If you’re celebrating, there’s a tasting menu available too.

Spitalfields really has the feel of a ‘proper’ Irish pub, one where you’ll find the locals with a Guinness in hand at the bar and the warmest of welcomes from Declan Maxwell, winner of The MICHELIN Guide’s Service Award in 2023. He and his team run the place with both charm and efficiency, providing wonderful hospitality which is ideally matched by the simple, honest cooking that doesn’t skimp on flavour. There are subtle global influences to be found on the menu, yet it remains Irish at heart.

As its name suggests, Spain is the primary inspiration at Uno Mas, where the mix of small nibbles and larger plates will transport you back to those sun-soaked trips to southern Europe. The usual tapas suspects are available in the para picar section, from croquetas to Padrón peppers, while the main dishes incorporate other Mediterranean influences. Wine is not overlooked either, with bottles from various Spanish regions being the main draw of a passionately curated list.