If you've ever wondered about the point at which our collective belly happiness reaches its apex here at Lovin Dublin, it's somewhere between mouthful one and two of a stack of big, fat, fluffy, f*ck-off pancakes. And as the greatest annual excuse to carb and sugar-load (morning, noon and night) is finally upon us, we figured, in the absence of an IHOP, it's our duty to consider 7 Dublin establishments getting this right, so that you too can experience a pancake-induced euphoria/coma come tomorrow.
FYI, with the crepe V American style debate still dividing nations, we've included a selection of both here to avoid an all out war; we're nice like that.
If you're hankering for a fat stack whilst loitering around South William St but are a bit short on bobs, Metro Cafe will do the job. The beauty of these pancakes served with maple syrup is that you can order them any time of day, any day of the week (a rarity in Dublin, you'll find). The staff are particularly friendly in here too, which always adds to the enjoyment. Order yours with a Chai Tea Latte and allow the warm fuzzy feelings to unfold. These guys are a little old school and therefore too cool for social media but get down down there and you'll soon see why it's always chockers full.
Now it's unlikely you'll find yourself in here of an average Tuesday afternoon but on Pancake Tuesday we all deserve a little luxury. These bad boys might burn a small hole in your pocket but the happiness experienced by eating the fluffiest of foods in such beautiful surroundings, served with only the finest of china will be well worth it. Stick around for afternoon tea and you'll never touch a plastic fork again.
Well this pic says it all really, and yes, I'm still on the luxurious buzz. Little bit crispy on the edges and you know once you bite into the middle you'll be transported off on a pancake cloud, swimming in a river of maple syrup, bouncing off heavenly strawberries and sugar-dusted blubes....
... Apologies, had to grab a tissue to mop the drool off the oul bib there.
Combining our love of floppy, fluffy pancakes with our love for rugby (COME ON THE LADS), there's only one call; The Bath Pub on Bath Avenue. Head for a stack of these tasty feckers and stick around for the match. These pancakes come with quite the dribble-worthy description: Ricotta hot cakes with honey comb butter, sour cherry compote and fresh orange segments. If that doesn't whet your appetite for something a little more inspiring than the bog standard sugar and lemon, I'm not sure what will.
Tucked away in the heart of Dublin 9, you'll find the go-to pancake house of the North Side. With an all-day menu catering to both your sweet and savoury persuasions, you can expect a queue around the corner of this place come Pancake Tuesday. Whether you're after the standard lemon and sugar crepe or something a bit more creative, Andersons will hit the spot. I'm particularly fond of the stewed apple, cinnamon and vanilla ice cream option. No American-style pancakes here though.
A sure-fire favourite among Dubliners, Lemon wins runner up here for its incredibly varied and mouth-watering menu, slick branding and sound staff, and the fact that you can walk around, crepe in hand, completely oblivious to the fact that you've got Nutella all over your face. I don't really have a favourite here, just all of them, in my belly, now. Thanks. They do gluten-free too which is always a bonus. What's more, just last year they introduced the fat stacks too; you literally couldn't want for anything more (well, in the pancake department at least).
The Grand Prix prize here goes to my personal favourite (and Jamie Heaslip's too), Lennox Cafe, which funnily enough, you'll find on Lennox Street. You know the American-style pancakes are fan-bloody-tastic when you're so full from your full Irish and gallons of tea but still make room to fit these bad boys in. It's many a waistline that's been tested here. They're light, fluffy and always cooked to perfection. As for the serving? Maple syrup and a sneaky knob of butter. Excellent. Add to that berries AND bacon? Oh momma. You'll have to wait 'til the weekend for this particular stack but fear not, they're worth the wait.
Alternatively, if you're short on dollah bills or just fancy getting into your jammies, laying out all your toppings options in a row (don't forget the bacon) and trying, well, all of them, you could just make your own at home. Not sure what recipe to follow? Fear not, Niall's got his own batch whipped up, the recipe for which he will be sharing later on tonight. To whet your appetite, it's the pancakes at the top of this feature that he'll be making.
Happy Pancake Tuesday, folks!
When you're done celebrating that, you can go back to sampling the best cocktails that Dublin has to offer, that never gets old.
