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BITESIZE WORDS Martina Murray ISLAND X COPPINGER
One night, three standout chefs, and a food experience the city will be talking about for months to come. Mark your diary for Sunday January 25th as Coppinger hosts a seriously special one-night collaboration with Island, the London surf-and-turf concept from chefs Tom Brown, Brad Carter and Paddy Maher. For Maher, formerly Head Chef at Row, the night is a sort of homecoming as the talented émigré returns to Dublin with a menu that’s all about land and sea, fire and flavour. Featuring a selection of bold, generous plates with provenance at their core, lucky ticket holders can look forward to enjoying the best in Irish produce through Island’s lens, with Coppinger’s Mediterranean touch setting the tone. €85pp gets you a welcome cocktail, a limited-edition tasting menu, and the buzziest night out in one of the city’s most engaging restaurants. Sun Jan 25, €85pp. @coppingerdublin DUBLIN’S NEWEST SMALL-BATCH OBSESSION In a fusion of East meets West, Dublin’s tea mavericks OMMA have teamed up with the award-winning Bon Chocolatiers to launch Ireland’s first-ever off-the-shelf Matcha and Hōjicha chocolate bars. A limited trial batch launched online just before Christmas and comes beautifully packaged in a lovely retro design. Speaking about the new range, founder Nastya Kharytonova said, “We’ve seen the growing fascination with matcha and its benefits, and we wanted to create something Ireland hasn’t seen before. This is more than chocolate with matcha - it’s a celebration of high-grade Japanese tea fused with the exceptional craftsmanship of Irish chocolatiers.” The unique artisan collaboration saw 2025 Blas na hÉireann Supreme Champion Bon Chocolatiers working closely with OMMA to develop a recipe that put their ceremonialgrade specialty matcha from a family farm in Japan firmly front and centre. The resulting bar boasts a rich matcha depth, while its roasted sibling, the Hōjicha bar, leans into cosy, smoky, winter-evening energy, with a flavour Nastya describes as “one of the most unique you’ll ever experience.” Having sampled the new range, we can confirm that they’re as gorgeous as they sound, and Dublin has itself a new small-batch obsession. A welcome treat in the midst of January. RRP €12. omma.world CAFFE NERO X TOO GOOD TO GO Caffè Nero has been quietly pulling off a bit of sustainability magic since linking up with social impact app Too Good To Go back in 2021. The years since have seen the coffeehouse rescuing 21,000+ meals across the country, including pastries and sandwiches that would otherwise have ended their days in the bin. The added bonus is the climate win, which has seen 57 tonnes of CO₂ emissions avoided just by picking up a Surprise Bag on the way home. Reflecting on the success of the initiative, Caffè Nero’s Head of Operations, Martin Groundwater, says, “It’s inspiring to see how such a simple partnership can create real impact. Every bag rescued means good food enjoyed instead of wasted, and that’s something we’re proud of.” For those who haven’t yet clicked into it, the Good To Go app helps reduce waste by connecting consumers with businesses that have surplus food. Towards the end of the day, participating cafés and shops post last call ‘Surprise Bags’ filled with perfectly good leftovers. Swoop in, pay a fraction of the usual price, and boom! Rescued food, and an end to sad croissants in the bin. A win-win that’s literally too good to go. @caffenero @toogoodtogo 30 STEW KINGS Before the city’s Autumn-Winter menus make way for the joys of aromatic spring garlic and the darlings buds of May, there’s still time to enjoy a hearty helping of good old fashioned stew. It’s fair to say that Dublin boasts more than its fair share of tasty variations on this comforting theme, but we reckon that the hero winter dish might well be at its very best at Nutbutter, which now has three locations across the city. Bowls of their delicious Irish Beef Stew, which comes crammed with SlowCooked Grass-Fed Brisket, rich Bone Broth, Baby Potatoes, Rainbow Carrots, and a twist of Sesame Chilli Salt can be enjoyed at their restaurants in Grand Canal Dock, Smithfield, and in their Dundrum outlet which opened for business last month. Grab a spoon and dig in for some serious nourishment. nutbutter.ie