Ristorante Romano offers Dublin’s best value lunch
This week my friend William was free to meet up with me again. And I wanted to go to his neck of the woods. Namely the Capel Street area, as it is turning into Northern foodie quarter. Lots of different restaurants offering all sorts of cuisine reside here, leaving you spoilt for choice. A couple of great restaurants here have been reviewed on this blog. I am of course talking about the NOLA inspired Krewe and the Moroccan Marrakesh by Mindo.
This week’s restaurant is?
Well, this week I decided to go to a restaurant that in its present form has been in Capel Street since the 1980’s. A restaurant that used to be an Italian café and chipper. Which became a proper Italian restaurant when the previous owners son took over. That restaurant is Ristorante Romano and the main reason why I wanted to come here is because it offers the best value lunch in Dublin. For €9.95 you can get a starter and main course which you can see below.
Named after the current owner Ristorante Romano offers authentic cuisine. There is nothing better than freshly made pasta and this done daily onsite, and whilst the menu is not regional it is delightful. Tom Doorley claims it has some of the best pasta that you will find in Ireland. Who am I to disagree? One thing you notice in the restaurant is Romano’s love for cycling and I don’t mean Dublin Bike cycling. Think more Giro d’italia as seen in the bike chassis which is part of the furniture, and the cycling jersey menu.
We came here the day before Capel Street became pedestrianised and had the option of indoor or outdoor dining. Which you can see below.
Sitting inside was our preferred option, because eating as traffic goes by is something I don’t like.
What did I order?
The two course lunch special had me thinking what would I order. The Melon Prosciutto was going to be my starter until I was informed the soup of the day was Minestrone. William went with that as well. For my main course after looking at the Bruschetta and one of the pasta dishes, one dish stood out. That was the 9 “ Margherita pizza with a choice of Mushroom or homemade Ham topping. Naturally not been a fan of Mushroom I went with the homemade Ham. William decided to have a main course from the main menu and went with Lasagne.
How was my meal?
My Minestrone soup was absolutely delicious and wholesome as you can see below.
It came with buttered brown bread which you can see below.
The brown bread was not eaten as this fussy eater is not a brown bread fan. As for my Pizza it was just the way I like it, thin and crispy.
The Ham was homemade. Not the usual Parma/Prosciutto and there was also some rocket leaves on top.
The pizza tasted lovely and the crispy crunch crust was divine. William really enjoyed his Lasagne which looked stunning. It was piping hot which meant waiting a few minutes as it cooled down.
Ristorante Romano is a restaurant that you must visit to try the best value lunch in Dublin and possibly Ireland. We were also well looked after as the service was very attentive.
What did my meal cost?
Well, my 2 courses of Minestrone soup and Margherita pizza cost a wallet pleasing €9.95.
Ristorante Romano, 12 Capel Street, Dublin .1
See more reviews here.