And the winners are...

Originally Posted: http://www.mylunch.ie/layout/Content_Details.cfm/ck/58/ctk/35/k/1582

And so the time has come!

We’ve had begging, cajoling and even threatening. There’s been tears, drama, sob stories and tugging at heart strings, and we’ve been overloaded with emails asking for information.

But enough about the mylunch Xmas party, we've also had hundreds of entries in a bid to win a bundle of four tickets to 7UP Christmas on Ice this week!

There’s been Blades of Glory jokes, bad puns, descriptions of special ice skating moves and no shortage of memories of childhood skates, and Dad trying to fit into that spandex suit one last time (these ones have been passed on the our resident psychologist!)

For the past 2-3 weeks, you’ve been practising and practising, skating around on the natural ice, and now that the thaw has hit us, all of that practice is about to come to fruition on artificial ice!

The winners of bundles of four tickets for 7UP Christmas on Ice are...


RDS : Hilary Weldon, Karen Hill, Laura Elliot, Ciaran O Farrell, Sheenagh Rogers

Arnotts: Aaron Chalke, Andrew Comerford, Claire Young, Denise Moakler, Belinda Meaghan



The tickets can be used any time from now unitl 9th of January, and the winners will be contacted by email early on Monday.

Congrats to all who were lucky enough to come out of the hat!



For those who were unlucky enough not to be picked by the resident office database monkey, don’t worry, we’ve a brand new competition every week, and some of our lunch deals feel like you’ve won the lotto anyway, so console yourself with those!

Oh and if you had you’re heart set on doing an old 180 twist on the ice, well you can still book on the 7UP site, for both the RDS and Arnotts (and it is a magical experience!)

Happy weekend and check back on Monday for even more lunch deals!

Feck off Budget!!

Though we’re solely apolitical here in the mylunch office (yeah right!), on days like today, we like to crusade for the plight of the common lunch eater.

So to tell Cowen and Lenihan where to go, and beat the “Budget Blues” today, the ever cheery Hugo at Cafe Azteca has given us the offer of “Buy any burrito, and you can sign up for our cookery classes FOR FREE!"
The classes run weekly, and will start again in January, so why not make it your New Years resolution to learn to cook the Mexican way, and spice up your life. (I dare you to click that link!)

You can check out the happy faces from previous cookery classes on the Azteca Facebook, and take it from me, Hugo will have you cooking with a smile!

Ingredients (which Hugo purchases for you) are generally around €15, depending on what is being cooked, and you will be left with a fantastic dish, which you can be very proud of.
See the Azteca page for the voucher, and check their menus out too!

On a more immediate Budget bashing note, Munchies Baggot St. and Munchies Drumcondra are both offering 2 for 1 on all coffees, all day today (Tuesday).

The Drumcondra branch has also promised free hugs to all who avail of the offer, in a bid to cheer us up, so be sure to ask for yours!

Oh and of course, we have a great 2 for 1 on West Coast Coffee on site too.

Now put that in your Current Account Deficit and smoke it Fianna Fail!

Our Beautiful New Baby!!

As you will have probably noticed by now (cos you’re here!), our shiny new site is now live. So, like proud mothers, we thought we might as well show off our new baby!

There’s a whole host of new features on the new improved mylunch, and throughout this week and next, we’ll be talking you through some of them.


Search
The main feature we’ve improved with our re-incarnation, and the first thing you will see when you hit our homepage, is our search function. You can now find what you’re looking for really easily, by searching for keyword (eg Burger for Gourmet Burger Kitchen), by County (Louth, Cork, Dublin 1 etc.), by Area (South King Street, Dublin 16 etc.) or by category. Choose as many, or as little of these options as you want, to quickly and easily find the perfect lunch, or choose your area, and then hit Random to leave your fate up to our simian controlled database!

Recommend a Retailer
Apart from the inexplicable inability of one of our team to spell recommend (*cough* Shane *cough*), the new recommend a retailer process was a no brainer for us! We strive to bring you the best lunch deals and lunch specials we can, and users telling us what they want on site makes our job a whole lot easier! But the big clincher is; if you recommend us somewhere you love to lunch, and they come on site as a result of that, we’ll give you free lunch in this premises! Tis win, win, so get recommending, because we’ve enrolled Shane in a spelling class, and might as well get our money’s worth!


Ssssssslider!
Finally for this post, is our new slider. A magic flash box full of wonderful offers, comps and other juicy stuff, this can be changed with the arrows on either side, and is clickable, so if you see something you fancy, give it a click!
(OK so the slider process didn’t take much explaining, but just thought we’d mention it!)

So you’re homework for our next lesson is to revise these new features, and familiarise yourself with them. Watch out, there may be a pop quiz!
If you’ve any queries or suggestions about anything on the new site please use the magic of electronic mail or talk to us on Facebook and Twitter.

Oh, and you can also share this post on your chosen social medium using the thingys in the top right corner! Gwan, let your friends know how bad a speller our Shane is!

Free Lunch! There is such a thing!

A phrase we often like to use is: “There may be no such thing as free lunch, but we’ve got the next best alternative”.

However, no more shall this old chestnut be in play, because we can indeed promise you a free lunch this week!
The Tefal Greaseless Spoon Cafe (great name huh?!) pops up this week at 39 South William Street, and is offering FREE LUNCH AND BREAKFAST for three days only (2nd-4th December)
Serving up dishes such as a traditional Irish fry up (with 70% less fat!), chilli con carne and spicy chicken wings, Tefal wants to show you that you can still enjoy all your favourite meals but can cook them in a much healthier way. And isn’t that what we all want? The holy trinity of convenient, healthy and tasty food is now a possibility!

By using Tefal innovations such as the revolutionary Actifry, a fryer unlike no other (1 spoonful of oil is enough for 1 kg of delicious homemade chips) and the Vita Cuisine, which has three steaming compartments to allow healthy steamed meals full of flavour be made all in one go, the Tefal chefs will whip up lunch or breakfast for you!
Having already run very successfully in London (how would free healthy food not be successful?!), The Greaseless Spoon is now open for bookings!

All you have to do is send an email to greaselessspoondublin@gmail.com including your preferred date, time and the number of people in your party, and if it’s available, hey presto! But get in early because space is filling up very, very quickly.

Oh and be sure to become a fan of their Facebook and Twitter pages for all the info and some cool comps over the coming week!

We shall have two free lunch sittings for four to give away on our Facebook during the week, along with another huge Tefal prize in our newsletter on Wednesday.

Now don’t ever say those awful words again, because there is such a thing as a free lunch with mylunch.ie and The Tefal Greaseless Spoon Cafe this week!

Grinches Beware!!

Oh come all ye mylunch faithful and let us guide you through the maze of Christmas party bookings!

We know that many of you guys, our lovely lunch users, are currently looking to book a place for your Christmas party. 

We know that the social pressure associated with making the right choice is huge.

We know that there isn’t the same budget there for the annual office shindig that there was in years gone by.

And we know that the thoughts of eating luke warm turkey while wearing a shiny hat and listening to an Abba cover band being drowned out by that guy from Accountings drunken ramblings is enough to ruin anyone’s Christmas!

So let us come to your rescue this year, because though we are the lunch in Dublin kingpins, a lot of you are asking about our retailers Christmas offerings, and who are we to refuse you information eh?!

We’ve been beavering away collecting all the info on party packages and here is the fruits of our labour in all it’s glory, behold:

http://www.mylunch.ie/documents-and-resources/pdfMenus/Mylunchie-Christmas-Party-Brochure

Oh by the way we’ve also secured discounts for anyone mentioning mylunch when booking from lots of these guys, including Cafe en Seine and The Beacon Hotel for example.

You can also check our new tab on Facebook which gives you a direct link to the Christmas Brochure.

There’s something for everyone, from cocktails and Asian in KOH, to dancing in Dandelion, and you can even get free transport from Roganstown House and Country Club if you so wish.

So have a look, mention us while booking and let mylunch and our retailers take the stress out of Christmas office planning! Now all you’ve got to do is sort out the seating plan...!

Enticing aromas, Sardinian Chefs, Wooden Spoons and Itsa...voucher!

It’s been very busy here at mylunch HQ here for the past week or two. As you may know, we’re looking at some exciting new projects in the near future, so apologies for the lack of posts!
So a news post is long overdue, and boy is there a lot of it!

Newbies on the site are coming thick and fast, and we’re giving you more and more options for great value lunch in Dublin!

Just Off Francis, a neighbourhood gem located, yep you’ve guessed it, just off Francis Street, is now up for those in the Dublin 8 area. With an extensive lunch, dinner and weekend brunch menu, JOF is one you should try out, and also offers a take away option if you’re looking for lunch on the run!

I walk to work (well scouring the city for the best lunch deals isn’t really work!) via Parliment Street in Temple Bar, and each and every morning I get drawn to a certain side of the road an the enticing breakfast aroma! The Larder must drag in lots of customers with it’s fantastic smells, and it’s with great pleasure that we welcome them to the site! A great-value city-centre oasis located on the street across from City Hall, The Larder serves quality homemade food to have in or take away throughout the day. Try out the Halloumi Wrap if you are looking for a delicious lunch, or sample the selection of herbal teas on offer if you want to relax and unwind.

Other new cards in the mylunch deck include the Citron Restaurant @ The Fitzwilliam Hotel. Voted the “Best Business Hotel in Dublin 2010”, and overlooking St Stephens Green, Citron is characterised by its colour palate; zesty lime and lemons off set against the chalky white terrazzo and woven white bar front, and this lends to the character of the space, which is also perfect for casual lunch in Dublin.

While if you are located in the north of our fair county, Roganstown Hotel and Country Club is perfect for a lunchtime treat in the countryside! Try their new pizza menu which has been developed with a distinct Italian flavour by Sardinian Head Chef Max Usai.

In terms of special lunch deals, there are many of these cropping up daily too!
Sinnotts Bar (which recently played host to Manic Street Preachers!) now offer a Free Soft Drink with your Lunch Main Course from Mon-Wed.
Green Bistro on Pearse St. (check this place out if you haven’t already!) offer a free Americano or tea on purchase of a main carvery course.
Itsa... on Fitzwilliam Lane (across from Govt. Buildings) offer their Bright Brekkie deal for only €2.50 with our voucher.
While finally, The Wooden Spoon (see the current comp on site to win free lunch here!) have a delectable new lunch voucher of free soup with every sandwich or wrap purchased! Nyom Nyom!

That’s all the news I can squeeze into one blog post, but there is much more going on, and also much much (emphasis on double much!) more going on behind the scenes, so keep your eyes peeled for a new improved mylunch!

Pint of Plain for Mylunch please.

Whether you think Arthur’s Day is a cynical marketing ploy, or a great excuse to toast an Irish hero, one thing is for sure, it’s an enjoyable event, and mylunch and our retailers really got in to the spirit of things this year!

First of all we gave one lucky user five free tickets to see Fight Like Apes play a storming set in Sinnotts Bar. Big congrats to Linda Berrigan and her 4 friends who by all accounts had a great night, and even got a surprise performance from Manic Street Preachers into the bargain! (By the way, check out Sinnotts new lunch voucher, which gives you a free soft drink with your lunch main, and no you can’t exchange it for a pint of the black stuff!)

They say you can’t beat a good hearty lunch for a bit of soakage, and in memorial of Mr Guinness, many of the menus which we got in yesterday also had a twist of the black stuff! JL’s Cafe on Abbey Street had a special quick lunch of a Beef and Guinness Pie for only €6 (this lunch deal runs daily with a different dish too!), while on the other side of town, The Barge did the same.

Lagoona Bar in the IFSC kindly offered mylunch users a pint and a beef and Guinness stew for only 10 quid, (see their page for another voucher!) and Q Bar were enticing a lunch tipple with €3 pints all day!

Burritos and Blues put a Mexican twist on the old Irish drink with it’s delicious Steak and Guinness burrito for only €7, which was very tasty we can tell you, as is everything their menu! Pacinos on Suffolk Street provided the dessert for the party with specially made Guinness Ice Cream for the day, and staying on sweet things, that lovely cupcake and tasty lunch purveyor Lolly and Cooks crowned the mylunch office’s week with a special delivery of Guinness inspired cupcakes, which also flew out the door of Georges Street Arcade all day! These were so popular, and scoffed so quick that we didn’t have time to even take a picture! (See how much we really love food!)
However, we will be sure to take one the next time... (hint hint! :))

And so the big mans 251st came to pass, with rain not dampening revellers spirits, and all we can say is

To Martha Arthur!! To Mylunch!


(Oh and we will still be craving those cupcakes until next year!)

Viva la independencia!!

2010 is the year of the Bicentennial Celebrations in Mexico, celebrating 200 years of independence from Spanish rule, with the Bicentenario taking part in two celebrations: the Bicentennial of two hundred years since Independence (1810) and the second, no less important Centennial of 100 years since Mexican Revolution of 1910.

The uprising pitted the poor indigenous Indians and mixed mestizo groups against the priviledged classes of Spanish descent, pushing them into a violent and bloody battle for freedom from Spain, and on 16th September the entire country celebrates the day in 1810, when Mexico proved victorious with food and drink all being a big part of the celebration of course!

But if you can’t make it to Mexico City, Tijuana or Guadalajara for the celebrations, and you are looking for a Mexican flavoured lunch in Dublin, then we have a treat for you!

All next week from 13th-19th September, Hugo and the gang at Cafe Azteca on Lord Edward Street (Christchurch) have a special Mexican Food Festival ongoing!

Owned by an enthusiastic Mexican-Irish couple, the aim at Azteca is to transmit knowledge of the Mexican culinary art dating back to the Aztec empire and bring you right up to date, giving a taste of today's Mexican culture. You can be transported to Latin America for lunch if you so wish!

Certain foods are considered representative of Independence Day, and the team at Azteca has put together a special lunch menu, which will change daily for the week of 13th-19th September.
One favorite is pozole, a soup made of cacahuazintle corn, pork or chicken, while other like “chiles en nogada” and the famous “pico de gallo” have the colors of the Mexican flag; And it just wouldn't be a party without plenty of tequila!

Check out the full lunch menu here, and the specials here, and be sure to drop down for plenty of Mexican hospitality, Latino heat, and some of the best burritos this side of the Atlantic!

Some Mexican phrases if you do decide to pop down:

Waiter/Waitress- Mesero/Mesera
How hot is this Burrito?- Lo caliente que es este burrito?
Two tequila please!- Dos tequila por favor!
Best lunch ever! - Mejor comer cada vez!

Also, check out Azteca’s burrito offer, and special lunch voucher too!
VIVA MEXICO!!

1.6 litre diesel or 2 for 1 burger?

I was renewing my car insurance recently. Nothing odd about that, the usual ritual of spending ages trawling numerous comparison and quote sites, searching for the best quote, calling here, there and everywhere to try and bargain, and, being a young male, failing miserably in most cases!

It’s long been a part of Irish society to try and get a few bob off here and there, and this “cute hooreism” is even more important nowadays, with the dreaded r word still upon us! Anyway, between grappling with engine sizes and no claims bonuses, I spent hours upon hours researching, for a reward of €50 less than I was currently paying. A great result some might say, and I was rightly delighted!

Until, that is, I thought about the time spent and money off that I gained and compared it to something else, something many people do at least four, if not five days per week, and put a lot less though into – eating out! (Of course it would come back to food for someone so entwined in mylunch.ie , but that’s no bad thing is it?!)

Anyway, I put my thinking cap on. If I ate out only four times per week for the year, spending on average €8.50 a pop, this would come to a grand total of €1,598 (based on a 47 week working year). My car insurance, from quite a reputable Irish insurer came in at no less than 1,100 euro, down from 1,150.

Would it not make much more sense then, to spend a similar amount of man hours on my lunchtime experience?!

It’s quite easy to see how spending even 5 minutes per day on our site could save you literally hundreds of euro per year. A 2 for 1 deal here, a €2 off deal there, free dessert perhaps, or even just searching the site for daily lunch specials.

The reason we set up mylunch.ie was that we wanted to publicise the amount of great lunch deals which were available out there, and all of these small savings add up very quickly. We’re very passionate about all things lunch as you can see!

And also, isn’t it much more enjoyable browsing for lunch options than it is entering your engine size and age into an insurance site?!

Anyway, I just wanted to relate our site to something which we all have to do yearly, and which we all try to save money on.

Stay hungry!

Shane from mylunch.ie

Dun Laoghaire, Aztec Cuisine, Picnics and Fish and Chips!

First of all sorry for the lack of updates, we’ve been very busy trying to get you the best specials lunch deals, vouchers and comps that we can. As our devoted followers know, we own lunch, so come and have a look!

The upside to this is that we’ve got lots of news for you! There have been numerous new additions to mylunch.ie in recently, and we have some very exciting newbies coming online in the next while.

Out in Dun Laoghaire, the FOWC may be over for the year, but there is some good news for you seasiders! There are two new retailers on site from your neck of the woods, and by all accounts, two popular ones. The Royal Marine Hotel, which once played host to Laurel and Hardy for 33 long days and nights (especially the nights!) is now live. The historic hotel overlooking the Pier has an excellent menu, and warm atmosphere, with the Hardy’s Club Sandwich (only €10 with sides) a favourite of ours. The Royal Marine also offers a special 2 for 1 to mylunch users, so grab a friend and go for lunch by the sea.

Back up in the town, Harrys Cafe Bar is a neighbourhood fave. The funky and relaxed diner is open 7 days a week, and their lunch specials are not to be missed. Try a cheeseburger & fries for only €8.50 plus a FREE mineral/tea/coffee. Check the full menu here.

From the seaside, to Dublin’s best loved fish and chipper (see that for a smooth link eh?). Beshoffs on O Connell Street has come on board. So we all love a healthy salad for lunch, but hey, lets not kid ourselves, there’s nothing more tasty than vinegar soaked fresh cut chips and flaky battered cod. With a wide selection of fish dishes starting from €4.95 and a special mylunch offer of Smoked Cod & Chips or Sausage, Beans & Chips for only €5, Beshoffs is not to be missed.

With Mexican fever taking over Dublin it seems, Cafe Azteca is the daddy of the scene. Based on Lord Edward Street near Christchurch, Azteca is ideal , whether it be a quick bite, lunch meeting or special occasion venue you are looking for. So who wants to try the footlong burrito then?
Check out the Azteca voucher too!

Finally, in Georges Street Arcade, where the gorgeous Lolly and Cooks is also housed, Urban Picnic is now on board the mylunch train! High quality, fresh hand-made food, with a unique atmosphere and decor, Urban Picnic has a huge P.M. lunch menu, which includes Roasted Salmon Fillet with Cous Cous & Steamed Greens Teriyaki Reduction € 8.95. Sounds good!

Just a couple of other things to wrap up, we would love your feedback on how we can improve, so be sure to fill out our 60 sec survey if you get a chance. Also if there’s a lunch place that you simply love, and must have on site, please let us know!

Oh and by the way, stay tuned for two very special announcements in the coming weeks, which will change the face of lunch in Dublin as we know it, and soon (*strokes cat while laughing manically*) the whole country...!

Return to the Southside: Aviva Aviva Ándale Ándale!*

The brand spanking new Aviva Stadium (Lansdowne Rd. to the traditionalists out there) opened it’s doors for the first time last Saturday week. With a space age structure forming what will now surely be seen as one of Europe’s finest stadiums (the less said about the miniscule North Stand the better), the spiritual home of Irish rugby and soccer is back! Along with this, a 50,000 capacity stadium is sure to bring it’s fair share of hungry people to the area, and more about that later.

First of all a closer look at the raw data behind the stadium, which is set to hold its first competitive fixture on Wednesday night (Airtricity X1 1 Man Utd 7  is not competitive!), with our boys in green hosting Leo Messi’s Argentina. In engineering terms, the project was a massive feat, with the area occupied nearing 64,000 sq m, and a need for a low North Stand, to preserve sunlight into the adjoining houses. 5,000 tonnes of structural steel was used in construction, with 4,000,000 man hours involved!

As per the Aviva site, enhanced press facilities mean space for up to 200 journalists (increasing to 400 for certain events). There are 10,000 seats at premium level and a further 1,300 at box level many of which have already been sold for years in advance, while it is estimated that 70,000 pints of stout and lager, 3,000 hot whiskeys, 2,000 portions of fish and chips, 4,000 speciality ‘Aviva’ gourmet burgers and 5,000 hot beef sandwiches will be served on any given matchday (of course the hot whiskey sales will go up dramatically on a cold 6 Nations rugby weekend!).  This will be supplemented by 900 catering staff, and 48 chefs (who presumably will be worked off their feet!)

Impressive eh? Plus with both the soccer and rugby boys enjoying a period of good success, the stadium will be full on many occasions in the coming years.
But with the hiatus to Croker, have you forgotten where to eat in the area? Ireland’s best lunch deals site can help here! We’ve got lots of options to feed hungry match goers.

The aptly named Lansdowne Hotel on Pembroke Road offers a daily chef’s special which today for example  is Lasagne for €7.00, as well as a full selection of delicious paninis and wraps from €5.50, and a full lunch menu.

The traditional watering route from the city centre, down Baggot St., has a number of options. The Baggot Inn (Homemade Baggot Burger €10.00), The 51 on Haddington Road (Chicken Curry €9.90) and Millers  (Oaked Irish Smoked Salmon €7.50) are all great options for great value lunch in Dublin.

Maia  on Shelbourne Road (Pasta of the Day + Glass of Wine €12) and Ocean Bar  on Grand Canal Dock (Chefs Daily Pasta €9.50) are also great lunch options in the area, while for an Asian inspired meal, try Kanum, where you can avail of free prawn crackers when you mention mylunch.ie.

So now you are armed with all the information on both the stadium and surrounding lunch deals, all that’s needed is Brian O Driscoll scoring a few tries or Robbie Keane netting a cracker from 25 yards to cap off a great day!

Of course these lunch specials are available throughout the week also, and many are updated daily on www.mylunch.ie

*So who got the Speedy Gonzales reference in the title then?!

Sources: www.avivastadium.ie www.irishtimes.ie

Newcomers to the site!

We’re constantly adding new and exciting retailers to our site, and so we thought we’d keep you up to date with some of our recent newcomers! It’s been a very exciting week for mylunch.ie with a whole range of newbies coming on board, so keep reading for more info on these, and how they to offer you the best value, and crucially best quality lunch menus on our fair isle!

First up we have Lansdowne Hotel. With the brand spanking new Aviva open, the focus is set to shift back to the Southside of the city, and paces from the new stadium, at 27 Pembroke Road, you will find one of Dublin's finest drinking emporiums "The Den Bar". Home to the biggest rugby tie collection in the world (yes you heard me!), you can almost smell the history in this place! The Den Bar serves both carvery lunch daily, and for the late weekend risers, brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Along with the carvery, lunch options range from a bowl of hearty soup for €3, to the chef’s daily special, and also a selection of wraps and paninis.

Staying on the south side of the river, and this time moving out towards the sea, we have the Royal Marine Hotel, and also Harry’s Cafein picturesque Dun Laoghaire. Harry’s is located at Upper Georges Street, Dun Laoghaire, and is a great little funky diner. With the aim of providing homemade lunch options in a casual and relaxed environment, Harry’s is the perfect choice whether you are looking for coffee, breakfast, lunch , sandwiches and snacks, weekend brunch or dinner. A real local favourite, and a great addition to the site!

The landmark Royal Marine Hotel meanwhile has long been a favourite for lunch in Dublin . Hardy’s Bar, named after Laurel & Hardy, who stayed in the hotel for 33 days in 1953, is the main Hotel Bar. With an excellent food menu, and live music on most nights, this welcoming watering hole has a great atmosphere. Why not soak it up with a great value lunch if you’re in the area?

We’ve also had a really exciting addition on the North side in the form of Brams. Situated in Dublin 3, Brams is a friendly environment in which to enjoy an all day breakfast, a coffee and scone, a light lunch or even a home cooked dinner. With a daily updated special, often consisting of a mouth watering meal plus dessert for under a tenner, take the time to explore this somewhat hidden gem (though not to the locals!) and treat yourself to lunch.

So there you have it, four of many recent newcomers to the site, which I would advise you to check out! If your favourite local food place isn’t on the site yet, why not drop us an email at hungry@mylunch.ie or recommend a retailer. Be sure to check the site, and to bookmark this blog for more mylunch related news!

Shane