# Restaurant for vegetarians in Dublin



## rob30 (27 Mar 2007)

I am a out and out carnivore but have a few friends coming over from the UK who are vegetarian and are looking for a good restaurant in Dublin.
I will be going along too, so ideally, a restaurant that does good vegetarian food with a selection of meat would be perfect.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!


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## ClubMan (27 Mar 2007)

The _Hare Krishna _place on _Middle Abbey Street _near _O'Connell Street _maybe? _101 Talbot _caters well for vegetarians too.


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## woods (28 Mar 2007)

http://www.happycow.net/europe/ireland/dublin/index.html?svo=1
This link is to the Dublin page of the Happycow website.
This site will tell you what restaurants are veg in most cities in the world.


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## Cahir (28 Mar 2007)

Any Indian restaurant.


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## Dunners (28 Mar 2007)

Cafe Fresh at the top of the Powerscourt centre is really gorgeous for lunch, and maybe try Govindas for dinner.


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## EvilDoctorK (28 Mar 2007)

Juice on George's Street (over the road from Cafe Bar Deli) is (or at least was) purely vegetarian / vegan and pretty good.


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## HotdogsFolks (28 Mar 2007)

I frequent Govindas (Hari Krishna) on Georges Street a few times a week. I've found you either love it or hate it... 

Cornicopia on Wicklow Street is excellent.


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## Cahir (28 Mar 2007)

EvilDoctorK said:


> Juice on George's Street (over the road from Cafe Bar Deli) is (or at least was) purely vegetarian / vegan and pretty good.



Have to disagree.  As a long time vegetarian I found the food at Juice to be extremely bland and boring.


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## JP1234 (28 Mar 2007)

Any Italian or Indian places are usually more than adequate for Vegetarians and Meat Eaters.  Theres's a very good Indian a few doors up from Juice and a good Italian across the road.

Personally I would avoid Juice at all costs. Food is so-so depending who is cooking, service is slow and sloppy, they frequently don't have the ingredients in and after the manager refusing to sell my other half some "on the menu" vegan ice-cream because it would have meant opening a fresh tub of the product late in the day! we have never been back.


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## EvilDoctorK (28 Mar 2007)

Cahir said:


> Have to disagree.  As a long time vegetarian I found the food at Juice to be extremely bland and boring.



Interesting - it's quite a few years since I've been there I have to say ... and I did think it was fine at the time (I think they particularly did a good brunch).... however with  your comments and JP1234's I don't think I'll be going back in a hurry!


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## HotdogsFolks (28 Mar 2007)

This might sound crazy, but if your friends are homophobes, I would avoid Juice. I live on Georges Street, and in my experience Juice appears to be mostly filled with lesbians. I have no problem with that, but I could imagine some might!

^--- not a joke


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## mct1 (28 Mar 2007)

HotdogsFolks said:


> This might sound crazy, but if your friends are homophobes, I would avoid Juice. I live on Georges Street, and in my experience Juice appears to be mostly filled with lesbians. I have no problem with that, but I could imagine some might!
> 
> ^--- not a joke


 
Just wondering why the sexual preferences of nearby diners would bother anyone at all. (In case you're jumping to conclusions I'm utterly hetero)


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## HotdogsFolks (28 Mar 2007)

mct1 said:


> Just wondering why the sexual preferences of nearby diners would bother anyone at all. (In case you're jumping to conclusions I'm utterly hetero)


 
Well, I would imagine if you were prejudiced against gays/lesbians, eating in a restaurant full of them could be annoying! Also, if his friends are very conservative (or whatever) perhaps they might find it weird if he brings them to a lesbianish restaurant.

Maybe? Ha! I dunno.

Anyway, just pointing out my experience of the place!


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## rob30 (28 Mar 2007)

HotdogsFolks said:


> This might sound crazy, but if your friends are homophobes, I would avoid Juice. I live on Georges Street, and in my experience Juice appears to be mostly filled with lesbians. I have no problem with that, but I could imagine some might!
> 
> ^--- not a joke


 
Perfect for my veggie lesbian friends then!


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## gillarosa (29 Mar 2007)

Rhodes D7 caters for both, I think there are at least 2 veggie options for each course, food is good and quite reasonably priced.


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## woods (29 Mar 2007)

People are posting names of restaurants that serve veg dishes. I would assume that all restaurants in the country are capable of doing that so you may as well just say "look up the golden pages for a list of Restaurants".
As a long term vegetarian I can say that I am not happy to (and will not)eat my food in a restaurant that also prepares meat and fish dishes. You will have your stir fry cooked in a pan that they have just cooked meat in and as a former restaurantaur I can say that there is no way that they can get it clean enough in between (if they will even bother to try). 
Cross contamination is unavoidable.


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## ClubMan (29 Mar 2007)

woods said:


> I would assume that all restaurants in the country are capable of doing that so you may as well just say "look up the golden pages for a list of Restaurants".


Unfortunately many eateries still don't make much of an effort to prepare decent non meat/fowl/fish dishes.


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## Cahir (29 Mar 2007)

woods said:


> As a long term vegetarian I can say that I am not happy to (and will not)eat my food in a restaurant that also prepares meat and fish dishes. You will have your stir fry cooked in a pan that they have just cooked meat in and as a former restaurantaur I can say that there is no way that they can get it clean enough in between (if they will even bother to try).
> Cross contamination is unavoidable.



I thought you were a raw foodist?  Surely it's difficult for you to get anything except salad in a restaurant?


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## ClubMan (29 Mar 2007)

Maybe he could just go to_ Moore Street _and dig in?


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## paddi22 (29 Mar 2007)

i'd recommend Jaipur.. or if I was paying a lot Pearl Brasserie, L'ecrivain both have a seperate veggie menu which is really good but pricey..new place saba thai has a good selection as well and so does diep le shaker


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## greenfield (29 Mar 2007)

Darwins on Aungier street has a good vegetarian menu (http://www.ireland-guide.com/establishment/darwins.4583.html)


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## woods (29 Mar 2007)

Cahir said:


> I thought you were a raw foodist? Surely it's difficult for you to get anything except salad in a restaurant?


Are you cross checking my posts.
Yes I am a raw foodist but prior to that I was veg for 30 years so have plenty of experience in this area.
These days if I go to a restaurant or to a wedding or function I prepare my food at home and take it with me. Salad was never one of my favourite foods.


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## ClubMan (29 Mar 2007)

woods said:


> These days if I go to a restaurant ... I prepare my food at home and take it with me.


Do you get kicked out of many restaurants for that sort of carry on? Can't imagine too many places welcoming people who bring their own food.


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## Cahir (29 Mar 2007)

woods said:


> Are you cross checking my posts.
> Yes I am a raw foodist but prior to that I was veg for 30 years so have plenty of experience in this area.
> These days if I go to a restaurant or to a wedding or function I prepare my food at home and take it with me. Salad was never one of my favourite foods.



You posted somewhere else about raw foodism and I thought it was interesting so looked into it.  However, I was completely turned off it by the mental angry woman running the raw food stall at the tastefest in the RDS a couple of weeks ago.

As for the person who mentioned Jaipur - nice restaurant but not the best veggie Indian selection as the veggie dishes are just big side dishes and quite boring.  It's very expensive too.  Saba has a good selection.  I was hungry when I left L'ecrivain!


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## woods (29 Mar 2007)

Cahir said:


> You posted somewhere else about raw foodism and I thought it was interesting so looked into it. However, I was completely turned off it by the mental angry woman running the raw food stall at the tastefest in the RDS a couple of weeks ago.


Don't confuse the message with the messager. If you want any info send me an email.
Raw leads to a calming and softening of the personality. I havn't hit anyone for ages. Can not tell what was up with her. Have you any idea who she was.


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## woods (29 Mar 2007)

ClubMan said:


> Do you get kicked out of many restaurants for that sort of carry on? Can't imagine too many places welcoming people who bring their own food.


It is a small town and I have connections with a number of restaurants here so they tolerate me.
I would normally be in a group and the take from the table would be significant enough to make up for it.


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## Cahir (29 Mar 2007)

woods said:


> Don't confuse the message with the messager. If you want any info send me an email.
> Raw leads to a calming and softening of the personality. I havn't hit anyone for ages. Can not tell what was up with her. Have you any idea who she was.



She definitely wasn't calm!  She had frizzy curly hair and bit the head off anyone (me included) who dared ask questions about the food.  Most of it looked lovely too and I was on the verge of buying a few things.


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## woods (29 Mar 2007)

Cahir said:


> She definitely wasn't calm! She had frizzy curly hair and bit the head off anyone (me included) who dared ask questions about the food. Most of it looked lovely too and I was on the verge of buying a few things.


I googled that but they have not posted a list of exibitors. 
Next year I will go and do the raw stand there and I promise to be nice to you and give you lots of free samples to make up for your bad experience and to show you that raw foodists can be nice.


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## Cahir (29 Mar 2007)

woods said:


> I googled that but they have not posted a list of exibitors.
> Next year I will go and do the raw stand there and I promise to be nice to you and give you lots of free samples to make up for your bad experience and to show you that raw foodists can be nice.




I'll hold you to that!

I have the list of stands at home but I don't think it included all stands.  I'll have a check tonight.

As for the original question, I have a few more suggestions:

El Bahia (Morroccan)
Ho Sin (Vietnamese - only about 3 vegetarian main dishes but they're lovely)
Sinners (Lebanese)
Acapulco (Mexican - can be hit or miss)
Cafe Bar Deli (very casual)


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## Purple (29 Mar 2007)

woods said:


> Are you cross checking my posts.
> Yes I am a raw foodist but prior to that I was veg for 30 years so have plenty of experience in this area.
> These days if I go to a restaurant or to a wedding or function I prepare my food at home and take it with me. Salad was never one of my favourite foods.


I’m with Gordon Ramsey on Vegetarians. When doing his kitchen nightmares series on TV a chef asked about the vegetarian options, Ramsey replied, “F them, they’ve no f’ing pallet!”  Other than on religious grounds I see no moral reason to become a vegetarian and regard it as an affectation which afflicts people in their mid teens but which most of them grow out of.  
Having said all that I agree that eastern ethnic cooking offers the best non-meat dishes.


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## Cahir (29 Mar 2007)

Purple said:


> I see no moral reason to become a vegetarian



Most vegetarians see no reason to munch on a cow!


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## Purple (29 Mar 2007)

Cahir said:


> Most vegetarians see no reason to munch on a cow!


100'000 years of evolution that lead us to the top of the food chain and enabled us to develop our higher brain function is my reason to eat meat. Read Robert Winston's "Human Evolution" or other books on the subject for more details. From a moral point of view there is no better way to ensure the survival of a species than to farm it. Bison numbers in the USA are higher than at any time in the last 100 years because people eat them.


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## HotdogsFolks (29 Mar 2007)

Purple said:


> 100'000 years of evolution


 
Evolution?! Don't you know humans were playing frisbee with the dinosaurs?


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## ClubMan (29 Mar 2007)

Purple said:


> Other than on religious grounds I see no moral reason to become a vegetarian and regard it as an affectation which afflicts people in their mid teens but which most of them grow out of.


Prioritising "religious grounds" over other grounds for doing something is a bit of an affectation that afflicts some people in my opinion. Unfortunately many people don't grow out of this one.



Purple said:


> 100'000 years of evolution that lead us to the top of the food chain


Did we only start evolving 100,000 years ago? 



HotdogsFolks said:


> Evolution?! Don't you know humans were playing frisbee with the dinosaurs?


_Den Tots_ yesterday morning would have you believe that! Down with _Emma_ and _Sockie_...


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## Purple (29 Mar 2007)

_
Evolution?! Don't you know humans were playing frisbee with the dinosaurs?_


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## Purple (29 Mar 2007)

ClubMan said:


> Prioritising "religious grounds" over other grounds for doing something is a bit of an affectation that afflicts some people in my opinion. Unfortunately many people don't grow out of this one.


 Same here but I didn't want to draw the thread into that area. There's no reasoning with faith...


ClubMan said:


> Did we only start evolving 100,000 years ago?


 No, modern man is 200'000 years old so I suppose it's reasonable to suggest that our social structures are older. There is a strong link between the time we started to eat meat and the increase in our brain size. This can be seen by looking at the size of our brain cavity and the shape of out teeth. This happened much earlier in our evolution


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## dereko1969 (29 Mar 2007)

going fairly off topic here people, surprised at you clubman!
if only denis cotter would open up a cafe paradiso in dublin we'd be in hog-free heaven, that's the best veggie restaurant in the country. i'd second the view that juice is useless. i think ethnic is the way to go, monty's of kathmandu, sinners, most italian restaurants and cafebardeli are the places i'd chose as a veggie.


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## ClubMan (29 Mar 2007)

Purple said:


> No, modern man is 200'000 years old so I suppose it's reasonable to suggest that our social structures are older.


My point was just that* we *(and every other living thing) have been evolving since the first primitive lifeform developed on _Earth_.


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## rob30 (29 Mar 2007)

Yes, Cafe paradiso opening up in Dublin would solve my dilemma.

My friends are New Zealander vegetarian lesbians, you just cannot get more specialised and evolved than that! Well over 100,000 years in evolution.

I feel positively Neanderthal in comparison.


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## woods (30 Mar 2007)

Purple said:


> I see no moral reason to become a vegetarian quote]
> In my life diet is not in any way related to morals. It is related to my body maintenance and my health.
> In fact it could be argued that I have no morals.


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## Purple (30 Mar 2007)

ClubMan said:


> My point was just that* we *(and every other living thing) have been evolving since the first primitive lifeform developed on _Earth_.


 Rubbish, read the book of Genesis.  
There's something about mud and a rib and a tree and an orange (or an apple) and a lizard (or a snake) or something like that. God found them eating the orange (or apple) and that's where it all kicked off. Good job he didn't find them having sex or he would have really gone to town on them!



woods said:


> In fact it could be argued that I have no morals.


 My wife says the same thing about me


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## ragazza (30 Mar 2007)

Any Italian restaurant offers a great vegetarian selection.
Osteria Romana on Crow Street is very nice, and has a fun athmosphere.

It drives me mad when I go to a 'normal' (non-veg) restaurant, and they have the 'vegetarian option'. Where there is only one, its not an option - its obligatory! I dont know why they dont call it the 'vegetarian obligatory', since you are stuck with ordering it whether you want it or not.


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## Purple (30 Mar 2007)

ragazza said:


> It drives me mad when I go to a 'normal' (non-veg) restaurant, and they have the 'vegetarian option'. Where there is only one, its not an option - its obligatory! I dont know why they dont call it the 'vegetarian obligatory', since you are stuck with ordering it whether you want it or not.


It's an option if you choose not to eat meat therefore it's not obligatory. Do you think that restaurants should have loads of options for the tiny proportion of people who don't eat meat?


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## paddi22 (30 Mar 2007)

Purple said:


> It's an option if you choose not to eat meat therefore it's not obligatory. Do you think that restaurants should have loads of options for the tiny proportion of people who don't eat meat?



 Vegetarianism is gaining popularity every year, even among my own friends there are several that have converted in the last two years for various reasons, some converted because of the cruelty to animals, some beacause of food scares like BSE, a sports fanatic friend converted because he believes a vegetarian diet is better for his body and energy levels, and also a eco-friendly eater who believes that the vegetarian option is better for the planet as large scale cattle ranches are eco-unfriendly. i think its a choice that will only grow in the coming years

I'm not vegetarian myself but i believe there is no reason for meat free dishes to be confined to a certain area of a menu. 

Cafe Paradiso in Cork is one of the best restaurant I have been to in Ireland - vegetarian or otherwise. i think it can only be a positive thing if traditionally non-vegetarian restaurants became more imaginative with the dishes they produce. Not ever dish needs to include meat, its not lacking in something just cause its vegetable based. It would be brilliant if more restaurants used a wider variety of seasonal veg instead of trotting out the usual suspects that seem to appear on every irish menu.


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