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Dublin's restaurant scene doesn't really do quiet. But even by its own standards, the past twelve months have been something. New chefs, new concepts, new neighbourhoods stepping up - the city is genuinely exciting to eat in right now, and summer 2026 is when the newest wave of openings comes fully into its own.
We've done the research (the delicious, delicious research) so you don't have to. Here are the 10 new Dublin restaurants generating the most noise right now - the ones worth rearranging your diary for, booking ahead on, and telling everyone you know about.
The Ones Everyone Is Talking About
Achara
Achara: Aston Quay, Dublin 2
Northern Thai BBQ · Great for groups · Exceptional value
Northern Thai BBQ lands in Dublin and it is everything the city's food scene needed. Achara - from the same team behind Crudo in Sandymount and Hera in Drumcondra - takes bold Thai BBQ technique and applies it to outstanding Irish produce: think Donegal squid, Leinster lamb ribs, premium cocktails. It is impeccable value for money, built for groups, and the kind of place you stay far longer than planned.
"Great Irish produce, Thai technique, and a wine list that makes a second bottle feel inevitable. One of the most exciting openings of the year."
Allta na Farraige
Allta na Farraige·: Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 2
Seafood & Cocktail Bar · Critics' darling · Book ahead
Allta's tasting menu restaurant needs no introduction - but their new seafood and cocktail bar at Grand Canal Dock is something different entirely. Allta na Farraige has already been described by Irish Times critics as "equally original and thrilling" and "the best food I've eaten in Dublin in a while." That is the kind of early word that fills tables for months. Lobster and prawn oil in a margarita. Summer on a plate and in a glass.
If you have one 'new opening' booking to make this season, this is a very strong contender.
Amai by Viktor
Amai by Viktor·: Harry Street, Dublin 2
Few Dublin restaurants have ascended as fast as Amai by Viktor. Opening above The Corkscrew last summer, they earned a Michelin Guide listing just 55 days later. The food has been getting better with every visit - creative, precise, and unmistakably the work of a kitchen with something to prove. Critics widely expect a Michelin star is only a matter of time. The summer menu is the best time to experience what all the fuss is about.
Early Table tip: This is the kind of restaurant where getting in early - before the star arrives - means a smarter booking and better availability.
Bold Flavours, New Concepts
Hawker
Hawker · Rathgar Road, Dublin 6
Modern Chinese Street Food · From the Hang Dai team · Sharing plates
The team behind Hang Dai - one of Dublin's most beloved Chinese restaurants - have opened their second act in Rathmines, and it is every bit as considered as its older sibling. Hawker channels the energy of Hong Kong street food into a menu of shareable plates: cheeseburger spring rolls with Sichuan ketchup, cumin-spiced Xinjiang lamb skewers, Grandma's red-braised short ribs. The interior is all curved ceilings, bamboo, and a gold birdcage logo. Go in a group. Order everything.
Kaldero
Kaldero · South King Street, Dublin 2
Irish-Filipino · First of its kind in Dublin · Open-fire cooking
Dublin's first Irish-Filipino restaurant is as exciting as it sounds. Chef Richie Castillo and food writer Alex O'Neill - the team behind the acclaimed Bahay pop-up - have opened a permanent home on South King Street, blending regional Filipino flavours with Irish ingredients over open fire. Sizzling sisig with soy-cured egg yolk. Lamb ribs glazed in humba. Grilled chicken in banana ketchup and 7Up. The drinks list features calamansi, pandan, and muscovado. Nothing else in the city quite like it.
China
China Hunan · Ranelagh, Dublin 6
Hunan, Sichuan & Cantonese · Pre-order the Peking duck · Top-end Chinese
From the team behind China Tang in Monkstown and Hakkahan in Stoneybatter comes their most ambitious project yet: China Hunan in Ranelagh. One of Dublin's finest Chinese restaurants, covering Hunan, Sichuan and Cantonese cooking with the kind of care that makes this genuinely top-end dining. The headline act? The whole lacquered Peking duck, carved tableside with full ceremony - but you must pre-order at least two days in advance. Four people, one duck, one of the best meals you'll have all year.
Hera
Hera · Dorset Street Lower, Drumcondra
Modern Irish-Mediterranean · Beautiful restored 200-year-old building · From the Achara team
A beautifully restored 200-year-old building on Dorset Street Lower, reimagined as a modern gastropub with genuine ambition in the kitchen. Led by Joe Smith (formerly of Bastible), Hera's menu leans Irish with a Mediterranean warmth: Carlingford oysters torched tableside with smoked butter, chorizo Scotch eggs, a rich pumpkin and Toonsbridge scamorza lasagna. The room - olive leather banquettes, walnut wood, eclectic artwork - is exactly where you want to spend a summer evening.
The Libertine
The Libertine · Dublin 8
Gastropub & Cocktail Lounge · Short menu, serious cooking · Great for sharing
Dublin 8 has been piling into The Libertine since it opened, and it's easy to see why. This traditional bar has been remodelled into a gastropub and cocktail lounge, with chef Lee Meyler producing a short, focused menu of grilled and fried plates built for sharing. The neighbourhood has spoken: The Libertine is the kind of place a community actually needs, and the food is far better than the casual setting might suggest.
Comet
Comet · Joshua Lane, Dublin 2
Seasonal Modern Irish · Nordic-influenced · Dawson Street area
Kevin O'Donnell - who trained at Bastible before heading to Copenhagen's acclaimed Kadeau - has opened his own restaurant on Joshua Lane, just off Dawson Street, and the early response has been outstanding. A produce-first, seasonal philosophy with evident Nordic influence: bright summer plates built around what's best right now. The roast quail on toast is already one of the most whispered-about dishes in the city. This is the kind of restaurant that gets better every season.
The Ivy Asia
The Ivy Asia · Dawson Street, Dublin 2
Pan-Asian · The Ivy Group's first international opening · Grand occasion dining
The Ivy Group's first international opening arrived on Dawson Street, and it did not arrive quietly. Opulent interiors, dramatic design, and a pan-Asian menu that spans delicate sashimi, inventive rolls, lobster rendang, char siu pork belly, and Kingsbury Irish wagyu sirloin. Whether you're celebrating something or just want an evening that feels like an event, The Ivy Asia delivers on atmosphere and ambition in equal measure.
