●●●○○

I had only ordered pizza on Deliveroo from this up and coming establishment based in Stoneybatter, so I was eager to discover what it was like to sit-in. Lunch was my meal of choice and frankly, I wish I hadn’t ruined my high opinion of this cafe/restaurant spot.

The interior is typical of a post-2010 cafe. Trying too hard to be clean-cut and fresh, the result is unimaginative, with its bland decor. My options on the menu were limited due to dietary restrictions, so I decided upon the Lebanese flatbread bulgar wheat salad with figs, and an Americano. The presentation of the salad was simply gorgeous. It was a large pick-n-mix portion of pomegranate seeds, figs, red pepper, tomato, lettuce, cucumber, poppy seeds, hummus and sour cream all served on a large flatbread – very colourful and a delight to look at.

Unfortunately the flavour of the dish was quite basic. The pomegranate seeds were a nice treat, when one happened to come across one, but the other ingredients were nothing to rave about. The flatbread wasn’t very fresh, despite the fact that we were the first to order from the lunch menu. It was refreshing and light, as a salad should be, but it didn’t deliver on flavour and I found myself leaving half of it behind.

The coffee was good, answerable to the fact that it was Cloud Picker. Overall, it was good value for money. The meal came to €8.40 – a decent price for a reasonably average experience. Cotto do wood fired pizza very well, but I wouldn’t hop on the next 39a to Stoneybatter for a salad that Chopped would probably do better.