Showing posts with label lunch deals Dublin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lunch deals Dublin. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Make Your Own at MYO IFSC!


Ever wasted an entire lunch break standing in line to buy a soggy sandwich made with too much butter, not enough fillings, with ingredients you don’t like, and then paying a bomb for it? Well, we're avid lunch eaters too, and we certainly have!
In fact, one of the main reasons the site came into being was we were fed up with the choice and value on offer in our area, and wanted to put some time and effort into researching what really good lunch options were available out there! Hey, we all eat it every day, why not make it better?!


Well, MYO IFSC (that's Make Your Own by the way!) had the same thoughts, and they too decided to do something about it! From an initial Australian concept (obviously those Aussies had the same problems as us!), MYO has grown into revolutionary sandwich and salad bar gives its customers the
power to create their own lunch, exactly the way they like it! Simple eh? Simple but effective! Oh, and by the way, they've crackin coffee too!

The M.Y.O. concept is incredibly simple but  ingenious. On entering the store (as I say, one of the perks of the job is we're a lunch eater too!) we grabbed a tray, chose from loads of freshly baked bread and began assembling our sandwich from the 75 fresh gourmet sandwich fillings, including deli-style meats and cheeses, as we worked our way around.
It's soooo easy, soooo simple, and takes away the effort of having to explain that you want no freakin mayo to some scowling deli maiden!

MYO promises no queues, value for money, an easy to use system and most importantly, choice!
For how many of us out there is the good old chicken fillet roll the default option? Grey lettuce, some watered down mayo, a slab of butter big enough
to give an elephant a heart attack, lukewarm chicken and perhaps a little bit
of water dripping tomato. Come on now, raise your hand.

Well, a slap on the wrists for you sir/madam, we've far more than that in Dublin's dining scene, for far better value, and MYO IFSC is the epitome of
that!
Healthy food, high quality filling, detailed nutritional info if you want it, and
most of all, fast efficient service (as long as you're a fast and efficient
person!). It's all too easy!

Give it a go if you're IFSC lunch centered and haven't nipped in yet. We give it the official mylunch.ie seal of approval!

Plus, you can also get 2 for 1 on any of their delicious pies with our exclusive offer!






Related Tags: IFSC Lunch, IFSC, IFSC Restaurants, IFSC Lunch deals, Dublin 1 lunch
lunch
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Friday, March 11, 2011

 The Bulletin
(Date:03 March 2011)

Breast Milk Ice Cream
Originally posted on The Lunchbox





The second of our posts on the best of the lunch related news we've found on the web this week!
When we're not securing lunch deals, we tend to surf around quite a lot and always find interesting tidbits, so we're passing them on to you!

Breast Milk Ice Cream goes on sale in London
Picture the scene, it's a hot Spring day, you're having a long lazy lunch in the tourist paradise that is London's Covent Garden, and suddenly, you get a craving for something sweet, yet cooling. Ah, a perfect time for an ice cream eh?
Well, just be careful...
The fact a serving cost 14 quid, and is called "Baby Gaga", makes it even more weird!
I wonder does it vary from person to person?

Cupcakes rampage in Cardiff
As we posted on the old Facebook, a woman with a serious sweet tooth has gone on the rampage in Cardiff, and caused around £400 worth of damage to a cupcake shop, after they sold out of her favourite. Sugarswirlz Cake Shop is relatively new to the dangerous Cardiff cupcake scene, and the woman, who was looking for a "Sweet Toothfairy Cupcake" is still on the loose, presumed armed and ravenous. Watch out Lolly and Cooks!
Now we know some of us like something sweet post lunch, but that's a bit far!

Sweet site!
Speaking of Lolly and Cooks, have you seen their new site? It's a beauty! If only that mother had used their delivery option eh?

Pizza and books- A great combo?
In Madrid, a new store has opened combining the two! Called La Pizzateca, the store offers a wide range of artisanal pizzas and calzones, but is also a book store! Offers available include a slice of pizza and a book for just a fiver, a bargain for all you hungry book worms out there. I wonder do they sell cheesy novels? (Oh, that was awful!)
If you have any recommendations for stories we should feature, other than our own random web finds, then do get in touch!

Related Tags:
lunch, lunch in Dublin, lunch Dublin, lunch menus, restaurant deals, restaurant offers, lunch options Dublin, lunch deals, lunch offers, lunch deals Dublin, lunch offers Dublin, cheap lunch, lunch value Dublin, lunch value Cork, lunch Cork, lunch in Cork, lunch deals Cork, lunch offers Cork, coeliac lunch, coeliac lunch options,

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

French Flair and flash restaurants


French Flair and flash restaurants
(Date:01 February 2011)






Hello lunchies, and welcome to the first "Lunchbox" post of Spring!
As we posted on Twitter this morning, we love Spring! Daffodils will be blooming, lambs will soon be leaping Valentines Day will be looming (or "Being Single Celebration Day" if you're unattached!) and of course we'll be bringing you lots more lunch value!
Just today, we've added some Spring French flair to the site, with two new exclusive offers from retailers who would not look out of place in the shadow of the "La Tour Eiffel"
Firstly, La Croissanterie in Stephens Green S.C. now offer you users a free coffee/tea or soft drink, with any sandwich, panini or savoury item! See here for the deal!

Along with that, we've added to our holy grail of deals, the 2 for 1 area! New French flavoured Georges St restaurant Le Cafe Des Irlandais is now offering an exclusive mylunch 2 for 1! From Tue to Fri each week, you can get a 2 for 1 on any of their lunch mains! If you haven't tried it already, please do, because it's trés bien!

Oh and finally, just to let any of you foodies know, our comp to win two free passes to Clonakilty by Candlelight will end today at 3 p.m., with the winner announced just after! If you want to put your name in the hat for the first ever flash restaurant in Dublin, simply mail candlelight@mylunch.ie with all your details! As a famous meerkat says: "Simples"!


Related Tags: lunch, lunch in Dublin, lunch Dublin, lunch menus, restaurant deals, restaurant offers, lunch options Dublin, lunch deals, lunch offers, lunch deals Dublin, lunch offers Dublin, cheap lunch, lunch value Dublin, lunch value Cork, lunch Cork, lunch in Cork, lunch deals Cork, lunch offers Cork, coeliac lunch, coeliac lunch options, La Croissanterie Le Café Des Irlandais

Monday, January 31, 2011


Something (healthy) for the weekend?


Something healthy for the weekend
(Date:28 January 2011)






Something (healty) for the weekend seems to have taken on cult status amongst all you health mongers, recipe lovers and general foodies out there, so we're going to be continuing it for the forseeable future! If there are any recipes you'd like to see, then please get in touch through hungry@mylunch.ie!

This week, we've got an online exclusive, and a delicious easy and healthy dish to round off January, from the lovely Domini Kemp's recent cookbook.

An Itsa co-founder with her sister Peaches, (check their new offer if you want more healthy goodness!), Domini is a respected food writer and chef, and through all that, still finds time to appear each week on RTE's Four Live!

Now, you may be thinking that there's something fishy about this blog post, and there is, cos this week, we're doing super-healthy salmon and tuna fishcakes! Perfect for a main (serves two) or starter (serves four), this recipe is sure to be a hit if you're entertaining this weekend, or even if you've someone special to impress. Ah heck , who are we kidding, why not just make a batch for yourself!


Anyway, here goes, I'll let Domini take over from here!

"Don’t stress out if you cant get lime leaves or anything else off the list.  Just add more of everything else.  Also, if you ever do come across lime leaves, buy a bunch of them, wrap them up well in cling film and freeze them.  The same goes for the lemongrass – its not idea, but it works OK as they can be hard to find when you need them.

You wil need
2 red onions, diced, 2 red chillies, deseeded and diced, 2 lime leaves, 1 stalk lemongrass, Juice of 2 limes, 1 small bunch coriander, 1 small bunch basil, a knob of ginger, peeled, 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce, 1 tsp fish sauce, a splash of sesame oil, 200g fresh salmon fillet, skin removed and roughly chopped, 200g fresh tuna fillet, skin removed and roughly chopped, a handful of sesame seeds, sweet chilli sauce to serve

How to prepare:

1.      Preheat the oven to 200c. Line a baking tray with parchment paper
2.      Whizz all the ingredients except the fish and sesame seeds together in a food processor until smooth.  Add the fish and pulse so that it’s processed and not mushy baby food.  Shape the fish into balls and place on the baking tray.  If you can, chill for 10 minutes.
3.      Sprinkle with sesame seeds, then bake for 10 to 12 minutes.  If you can, gently turn them over halfway through so they can brown on both sides.  They do cook quite quickly, and you may like to serve them a bit rare inside.  Let them settle for a minute before removing from the paper (they are quite delicate, as there is no egg to bind them), then serve with sweet chilli sauce.

Sounds very tasty and zesty eh? Have fun making them, and be sure to let us know on Twitter or Facebook how you got on!

Related Tags:
lunch, lunch in Dublin, lunch Dublin, lunch menus, restaurant deals, restaurant offers, lunch options Dublin, lunch deals, lunch offers, lunch deals Dublin, lunch offers Dublin, cheap lunch, lunch value Dublin, lunch value Cork, lunch Cork, lunch in Cork, lunch deals Cork, lunch offers Cork, coeliac lunch, coeliac lunch options, Itsa, Itsa Bagels, Itsa Bagel,

Eat Magazine


Eat Magazine
(Date:31 January 2011)






There's a new kid on the blog! EatMagazine, an Irish based food focused new zine has been launched, and 20,000 print copies are currently available around Dublin! The mag focuses on all things foodie, with restaurant reviews, guest columnists, recipes and lots lots more!

Eat concentrates on local restaurants, chefs, food producers and designers, a positive look at eating and dining out, and also celebrates the good things to be found in our wonderful Dublin city. Founded in response to both consumer and industry demand for a reliable local publication that focuses on the local culinary scene, readers can expect a features section that gives home to some of Irelands most passionate food and wine writers, and regular columns to keep you informed about new products, as well as info on food and drink events!

Produced by Phonic (so you know it's good!) there's also an online version if you want to have a look.
See here for stockists if you prefer the smell of ink and having a print version in your hand!

You can also follow Eat on Twitter here, for food related tweets!


Oh, and by the way, mylunch (and mygoodself specifically) will be featured in February's issue two, along with loads and loads of other cool stuff, so it's even more of a reason to pick up a copy!


Related Tags: lunch, lunch in Dublin, lunch Dublin, lunch menus, restaurant deals, restaurant offers, lunch options Dublin, lunch deals, lunch offers, lunch deals Dublin, lunch offers Dublin, cheap lunch, lunch value Dublin, lunch value Cork, lunch Cork, lunch in Cork, lunch deals Cork, lunch offers Cork, coeliac lunch, coeliac lunch options, Eat Magazine

Wednesday, January 26, 2011


Clonakilty by Candlelight


Clonakilty by Candlelight
(Date:25 January 2011)


 



Here at mylunch, we love anything different, cool or unusual! I guess you could say we're hipster lunch lovers!

Some of you may remember the mylunch supported Tefal Greaseless Spoon project, which brought free healthy lunch, to Dublin last November, or the again mylunch supported Streetfeast project which held a flash feast in front of City Hall last Summer.

Well, flash dining is back in Dublin with a bang this February! Clonakilty Blackpudding, Ireland's famous leading pudding purveyor (which is presumeably being sent all over the world currently to homesick es-pats!) is about to launch Ireland's first ever "flash restaurant", "Clonakilty by Candlelight" in Dublin city centre from 3rd-12th Feb.

Around since 1800, the Clonakilty brand is one which is steeped in Irish heritage, (check the full story here) and now they are giving you a chance to get together with your pals for an evening of chats, delish food and something a little bit different, but intriguingly, like the Clonakilty recipe, the location is a secret!

"Clonakilty By Candlelight", will open for six special nights only, and deliver a fabulous food feast with an intimate dinner party vibe. Guests will be served culinary delights made from the full Clonakilty Blackpudding Co.’s range of delicious products, with Bridgestone recommended Ted Berner of Wildside catering in the kitchen.

If you want to attend, you can check out all the info on the Facebook page here, and spaces are filling up very fast, so get in this evening or tomorrow if you'd like to go!
Dinner will be served on Feb 3rd, 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th and 12th, and there will be a distinct theatrical theme, so a fun night is guaranteed! How often are you guaranteed a fun, free dinner out??





Related Tags: lunch, lunch deals, lunch vouchers, lunch offers, lunch deals Dublin, lunch deals Cork, lunch value Dublin, lunch value Cork, lunch offers, flash dining, flash restaurant, Clonakilty by Candlelight,

Itsa...kind of magic


Itsa kind of magic
(Date:26 January 2011)


Itsa is the bagel store with more! Since 1999 when they established their first bagel bar in Dublin City centre they've  been serving freshly made bagels, coffees & goodies everyday to our customers for lunch!

But Itsa's menu is not your ordinary! If you've ever been in, or indeed been to any of the numerous Itsa eateries around Dublin, you'll have seen it's perfectly tailored to give our customers healthier choices including low fat, vegetarian & coeliac friendly options.   

The stated mission to help customers enjoy their food but also enable them to make healthier choices is most welcome, and when choosing any of the signature bagels you can opt to ask for no butter, lighter sauce or substitute for low fat cream cheese. Itsa also have a huge coeliac offering, with a selectionn of bagels, treats and ingredients, all gluten friendly, and all prepared seperately.

One of the directors is well know cookbook author & chef, Domini Kemp, who is 100% behind the campaign to get people eating more healthily. In fact, she is currently appearing on 4Live (RTE 1 4pm) each Wednesday afternoon in the coming weeks to share her tips on how to include 3 portions out of your daily 5 veg & fruit requirements each week, so watch out for that!

If you're looking to continue your January health boost, Itsa's smoothies contain yoghurt, honey & plenty of fruit to go towards your 5 a day, while you can ncrease your intake of vegetables by trying one of their deliciously wholesome soups.  All are made in house by Itsa's own chefswith top quality Marigold Vegan stock and no un-necessary additives, and you can add a low GI bagel for a really healthy tasty lunch.

Even their goodies are better for you and baked daily in Itsa's own production kitchen!

You can enter our competition this week for a "Power Lunch" for two here, or simply drop into the Fitz Lane store to get your Power Lunch pack for only €8, or a delicious healthy bagel!
Thnk about it, greasy mayo full chicken roll for a fiver, or a tasty, healthy bagel and a hot drink for only €6?!





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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Meateasy
(Date:25 January 2011)


For years, the streets of London have been home to street food traders. From Afro Carribbean chicken, to Indian spice, the old city has always had a certain flavour about her, and that has not been lost.
Dreamt up by 35 year old half Greek half Londoner Yiannis Papoutsis, "The Meatwagon" was a legendary burger van, which popped up in various locations in South East London, and is said to have warranted fabled hour long queues, impromptu street parties, and much much foodie love for it's delicious burgers. Yiannis makes regular visits to the states to bring back daring and delicious recipes.
However, all was not well in Burger Heaven. Back in early December, the legendary Meat Wagon, which had been chased far and wide by burger loving folks across the UK for so long, was stolen.
Having heard about the commotion, and the ensuing Twitter bid to find the truck, Capital Pub Group decided to give Yiannis a space above a pub on New Cross Road in the SE London area, and thus, #MEATEASY was born!
An eating experience like no other, #MEATEASY is so called "guerilla dining". It's located "out the back" of the pub, and ordering is kept at bay by providing each guest with a numbered peg that allows them, once their number is called to order 4 items from the menu – which is written in chalk on the wall! Queues are said to be 2 hours long on big nights, and Yianni and his 10-strong team work "insane 22-hour shifts" with everything cooked everything from scratch.
Menu choices for the three-month project start at £6 and include the famous juicy cheeseburger, the slightly spicier chilli cheeseburger, hot dogs and buffalo wings as well as the Dead Hippy, "basically a take on a Big Mac inspired by the Californian Double-Double (double meat/double cheese) from In-N-Out and with a slight homage to the big Mac too" and all are revered!
Cash only is taken, and no bookings are allowed, except for one table, which is reserved for #MEATEASY volunteers!
For more, see this review in The London Evening Standard the Meateasy website, the supposed street eating authority of Britain's website, this Timeout review or alternatiely simply search Twitter which is ablaze with news on the project.
So the big question is, would this work in Ireland, and who has the cojones to take it on?!


Watercooler Moments
(Date:24 January 2011)


After a brief hiatus last week, your favourite smalltalk blog post of the week is back! You need not fear for small talk this week, as we've got the stories of the weekend wrapped up into a neat little package!
This week we've got blatant sexism, a destroyed country, and Trinners on the piste!
Sexy Rugby and Sexist Analysts!
The final weekend of rygby's Heineken Cup was played out over the weekend, and with most group winners already decided, it was simply a matter of who would play who in the quarter finals. With things going to plan for all three Irish provinces (including Munster who still had a Challenge Cup spot to play for), all three won with a four try bonus point, and got favourable draws for their respective quarter finals.
Ulster will now play Northampton away, Leinster will be at home in the Aviva to Leicester, and Munster will travel to France to play Brive in their Amlin Challenge Cup Quarter Final. The draw for the semis was also made, and again the draw was a good un' for the Irish provinces, who will all be at home.
Meanwhile, there was controversy in a different code over the weekend, when Sky Sports analysts Andy Gray and Richard Keys had a bit of an off air moment, while still very much on air! The two decided to slate female lineswomen, and females in general, while also making light of sexist issues in football. The full audio can be hear here, but be warned, this may not be safe for work. (unless you have headphones of course!)

A broken country?
I'm sure you're sick of it at this stage, but this weekend was a momentous one for Irish politics!At Saturday lunchtime, you had the resignation of the esteemed leader from his party leader position, but not from the country leader position.
Nominations were made puclic for the Fianna Fail leadership battle, which are set to close this afternoon, and of course amid all of this, the Green Party quietly made their way out of government, (perhaps never to be seen again?)

They probably couldn't afford cigarette papers, what's the big deal?
Finally, with the country going to hell in a handbasket, the Indo over the weekend carried the charming, if possibly fabricated story of Trinity college students causing mayhem on a French ski trip earlier this month.
According to sources from the respective colleges, students "burned and smoked €50 notes" in and outside one of the town's Alpine nightclubs to demonstrate their wealth. and "painted swastikas on to walls of the accommodation ensured the gendarmes were called".
As a former Apprentice contestant  famously said, "Daddy can't buy you cop on in Trinity college", but it seems he can afford his "credit card being used to buy massive rounds of drinks".
In an unlikely  twist to the story this morning, ocal cigarette paper manufacturers denied that their product was overtly expensive...

So there you have it, the three big stories making the news in your office this morning! We would advise that before you raise them, you check if the resident sexist Fianna Fail supporter and Trinity graduate is in today!

Monday Deals Overload
(Date:24 January 2011)

Burritos and Blues

We know you mylunchies are an all consuming lunch bunch, always wanting more deals, more exclusive offers and more value for money, and frankly, that's why we love you!
Well, to get the week off to a great start, we've news of two new deals ongoing on the site at the moment.
First of all, the much loved Burritos and Blues on Wexford St. have a brand spanking newbie:
A burrito bowl is a burrito without the shell basically, and it is deeeelicious, but as well as that, you get scrumptious cheese fries for FREE!
*Homer Simpson drooling moment*
This is an exclusive mylunch deal which you won't find anywhere else on the web. Stick with us kid, we'll look after ya!
Also this week, for all those Dublin 8ers out there, Just Off Francis have another great new offer. From 2-3pm every day, you can get two lunch mains for only €10. Now that's not €10 each, that's in total!
Click here for their menu. That's a prefect deal if you want to treat a friend, or even if you're simply famished!
Oh and I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but we've possibly got a deadly new 2 for 1 coming on next week. Think religious and Dublin 1, but keep on the QT....

Friday, January 21, 2011


Savvy Lunch Spending


Savvy Lunch Spending
(Date:21 January 2011)






mylunch is becoming quite the celeb in recent days, and we've also got a lovely mention from Sale Savvy!
Sale Savvy is a deadly value blog for the savvy spender, and has news on deals from fashion to beauty to entertainment and everything in between, including lunch.


They seem to have taken a shine to our Salon Des Saveurs blog, and why not, it's quite a deal!
To have a look at what they had to say about us, click here.

Oh, and Happy Friday!!

Related Tags: lunch, lunch in Dublin, lunch in Cork, lunch value, lunch deals, lunch offers, lunch specials, lunch deals Dublin, lunch deals Cork, mylunch.ie Sale Savvy

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Lolly and Cooks New Salad Bar
(Date:21 January 2011)






What fantastic timing!
The gang at Lolly + Cooks have gone and made Healthy Eating Month a lot, lot easier for you lunch lovers!
Famed for their delicious cupcakes and gourmet stews, as well as a merry band of cheery staff, the stall, located at the back of George's Street Arcade, is now home to a lovely new gourmet salad bar since yesterday! 

With the whole site (and the whole office!) in healthy eating mode, this is a very welcome turn of events!
The new delicious range is made fresh each day, and can be purchased as salad boxes or as part of new meal deals.

For a medium poriton (16oz) you pay only €4.50, while if you really want to catch up on your greens, go for the large, which is €6 and will really satisfy any salad lover!


Oh, and by the way, don't tell em that we told you, but we've heard on the grapevine that if you become a member of the Lolly + Cooks group on Facebook, and mention that you are a member when ordering, you can and get a medium salad box for only €3 until Special offer for until 22nd Jan!
And of course eating salad for your main course means that you can devour one of their cupcakes for dessert guilt free! (Not that the healthy eating regieme in the mylunch office allows for that ;)


Related Tags: lunch, lunch in Dublin, lunch in Cork, lunch value, lunch deals, lunch offers, lunch specials, lunch deals Dublin, lunch deals Cork, mylunch.ie

and you thought there was no such thing...
(Date:20 January 2011)

Free Lunch mylunch.ie





Feck that dinner for two malarky!
We know what you want and we've listened to your feedback, which is why, from this week on, Ireland's best (and only!) lunch offers website is givivng you the chance to win FREE LUNCH (it needs caps lock!) every freakin day!

You can enter every day, and as many times as you want (just not too many, our servers are overworked as it is!) and each evening, the mylunch random number machine will choose one of the days entrants at random to be our winner.

So set your alarm, stick a post-it on your computer screen, get your secretary to remind you daily, or even hire a secretary to remind you daily, but for God's sake, remember to enter that comp!

This weeks competition is sponsored by Urban Picnic, and you have the chance to win a three course (soup, main and one of there patented desserts) for two people. So that's two FREE LUNCHES you can win! (did I mention it deserves caps lock?)

Oh, and if you want to, you can go here to bookmark the competition page.


Related Tags: lunch, lunch in Dublin, lunch in Cork, lunch value, lunch deals, lunch offers, lunch specials, lunch deals Dublin, lunch deals Cork, mylunch.ie

We're now Eddie Hobbs approved
(Date:20 January 2011)

Eddie Hobbs





The maestro of money in Ireland has given us his seal of approval!

Check out this link on Eddie Hobbs' "You and Your Money" site, giving Ireland's best lunch site the seal of approval!





Related Tags: lunch, lunch in Dublin, lunch in Cork, lunch value, lunch deals, lunch offers, lunch specials, lunch deals Dublin, lunch deals Cork, mylunch.ie

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Deals Deals Deals
(Date:19 January 2011)

Euro mylunch.ie





On Monday, our first ever weekly deals email was sent to you lovely users! We reckon that you by using the site every say, you can save on average €5.13 on your daily lunch spend, and we'd like to prove that! So here's your lunch week sorted!
If you're not yet reg'd, then what you waitin for? Click here, and simply wait for four lunch bulletin to arrive in your inbox...
Here's a shneaky peak at the newsletter as a taster!
 
Deals of the Week on mylunch.ie
 mylunch.ie logo
Hi Subscriber,

It being supposedly the bluest day of the year (Blue Monday), we thought you might need a little bit of cheering up today, so here are our best deals of the week, all exclusive to mylunch.ie...



 

 
Monday 17th Jan
2 for 1 on any main at Bloom Brasserie (order before 12.30)
2 for 1 on any main at The Beacon Hotel
 
Tuesday 18th Jan
Soup and any main for €15 (usually €20) at Bang

2 for 1 on all mains at The Baggot Inn (order before 12.30)
 
Wednesday 19th Jan
Buy one lunch main, get a second for €5 at Brasserie Sixty6

2 for 1 on all mains from the Cafe Carlo lunch menu
 
Thursday 20th Jan
Free Soup with any Sandwich at The Wooden Spoon
2 for 1 on all coffees from West Coast Coffee
 
Friday 21st Jan
2 for 1 on all lunch mains at Camden Court Hotel (order before 12.30)
Host goes free for groups of 4 or more at Bleu Bistro
 
 
And remember, there are loads more lunch deals available on site, with more added almost every day! You can see them all here. 
 
No offers in your area?? 
Then tell a friend about us! The more users we get in an area, the more deals we can get!
Alternatively, if there are loads of deals you like on the site, we'd be delira if you could spread the word about them!
To tell a friend, you can...
Oh, and to say thanks for being such a swell person, we've a brand new
Urban Picnic competition
, through which you can win a three course lunch for two people, every day this week!
That's a FREE LUNCH for two every day!
 
 
 
 
 

Tuesday, January 18, 2011


Feck Blue Monday...


Feck Blue Monday...
(Date:17 January 2011)

Happy Horse





The third Monday in January is supposedly the most depressing day of the year, but as a great man once said: Don't worry, be happy!
There's lots of good news emanating from the mylunch camp, and it's a beautiful crisp January day, so what's to be blue about?

Firstly, we've changed our competition format. Instead of having one winner per week, we're now going to give away 5 FREE LUNCHES every week on the site! That's a chance for you to win FREE LUNCH every day! (Oh, by the way did we mention FREE LUNCH?!)

Be sure to enter daily on the comp page, and check our Facebook every eve for details of the winner. As the saying goes, It could be you!

This week's comp is kindly sponsored by Urban Picnic, who have given us an amazing daily prize of a three course lunch for two people!

Having been mentioned in the Irish Times before Christmas as one of the best desert  purveyors in the city, we thought we'd let you off the Healthy Eating leash a little bit, but remember, their lunch menu is also choc full of healthy eating choices too! If you haven't sampled yet, do pop in to Vinny and the team and their lovely premises, just inside the George's Street entrance of the George's Street Arcade.

We also launched our weekly deals email this morning, which is kept short and sweet, and gives you a day by day rundown of all best deals!

We've got your full week sorted, so check your inbox now, and if you haven't signed up, well, are you mad?! It may save you over €5.13 per day, and we've done the maths...

Oh and by the way, Watercooler Moments will return next week, our regular nosy newsperson had a busy morning, so forgive us if you got stuck for conversation this lunchtime!
Stand by for another week of fun, frolics and feckin' great lunch deals!

Related Tags: lunch, lunch deals, Watercooler Moments, lunch offers, lunch value, Urban Picnic, FREE LUNCH, , lunch competition, lunch in Cork, lunch in Dublin, lunch deals Dublin, lunch in Cork.

Fair or Fowl?

There was a time when this was acceptable. When people were eating foie gras for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and nothing was thought of it when a diner dropped €1,000 on a bottle of wine.
There was a time when we expected to be paying what's now seen as stratospheric prices for a good meal, and when city centre landlords knew their tenants were raking it in, and shur, weren't all renters almost expecting their rent to go up in these times?

Those times are long gone.


With the closure of the much loved "Mermaid" restaurant on Dame Street, and the almost cult cafe "Gruel", which adjoined it (it's said their roast rolls were a thing of beauty!) came both a public outcry, but also a gushing of anger and almost resigned frustration that one has become accustomed to with modern Ireland.
You see, it has since came to light that these two premises, on the periphery of Dublin city centre's shopping district, much loved small Irish businesses, had been situated in a building whose rent was valued at €190,000 per annum.

As the Irish Times states, "The award-winning Mermaid and its more casual sister restaurant Gruel ceased trading on December 23rd, having managed to secure only a “tiny” reduction in rent from its landlady. The company behind them is now in liquidation, with the loss of 30 jobs. Mr Harrell (a former owner) said “part of the fabric of Temple Bar” was now gone."

This corner of Dublin, the axis of South George's Street and Dame Street, which should be one of the chicest jewels in the urban crown of our fair city, is now home to, by my estimation, at least 10 unmanned stores.

With economic turmoil, adverse weather, water shortages, unseasonably poor trading conditions, margin cuts and threat from large multinational chains, this is by no means an isolated incident. In fact, respected RAI chief Adrian Cummins said last year that one restaurant per day is closing in this country.
Due to high input costs, high excise costs, high wages and of course high rent, are we looking at the generification of our restaurant  industry, which employs 64,000 people (1 in 4 in the tourism industry) and contributes €2 billion to the economy each year?

Granted, some might say that the industry is behind the times, and some within it running out dated Celtic Tiger business models, with old fashioned ideals, but there is no doubt that indies like Gruel and Mermaid deserve to be applauded for their attempts to be forward thinking, and be aided in this battle to keep jobs, tax revenue and above all creativity alive.

One thing's for sure, if restaurants continue to be bombarded with tax and rent hikes, that one closure per day will soon be higher, until, akin to Grafton St. and it's countless mobile phone shops and convenience stores, all that's left is the faceless big guy.

The following poignant line from the Times piece about the closure is sure to stick in the craw of many within the industry, and indeed anyone who has ever enjoyed a meal in either of the two premises in question:

"The combined rent on the two restaurants at 68 and 69 Dame Street was €190,000. When Mr Harrell and Mr Gorman opened the Mermaid, at number 69, in 1996, the rent was £15,000."

Note: Neither Gruel or Mermaid were or have ever been listed on, or involved with mylunch.ie.


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