I'm a creature of habit - Most evenings I come home from work, I have 99 things to do but I find myself tucked up in a blanket sitting on my couch trawling through Instagram, planning my next destination for a meal out...
Yes, I'm that obsessed with the Dublin food scene.
One evening recently during my daily stalk of the hot foodie spots, I came across Little Frieda's. Now let me tell you, it's a rare occasion that a café in Dublin opens without me noticing. To my surprise, this spot has been opened since late January - I made it my mission to get down there as soon as I could.
Little Frieda's is a darling neighbourhood café located in Dun Laoghaire Industrial Estate that serves up seasonal food and speciality coffee.
After stalking the café on Instagram for a week or so, I knew that this lil' spot would be right up my street.
What's the vibe?
For a place that's only been open a few months, it really has a homely feel to it. The staff were having banter with other customers and it was clear to see this had become their new local.
There's ample seating, ideal for groups of friends big or small.
I was dining alone on this particular occasion, so I grabbed a seat at one of the larger, sharing tables. It was a really comfortable environment to do so and there was a loads of space for me to set up my laptop and get some work done while I waited for my food. There's also seating outdoors for sunny lunch days.
The café itself boasts pretty simple but trendy decor. Tiled floors, white bricked walls and wooden chairs give it that old fashioned feel but there's also brightly coloured cushions, miniature flower jars and wall art, giving it a contemporary vibe also.
One of my favourite features was the green wall to the left of the entrance, that had rows of polaroids taken in the café. The polaroids showed off the staff, customers and best doggo - It really added a personal touch to the experience.
The café as a whole is warm, welcoming, comfortable and chilled.
I could definitely see myself going back there for a solo meal again if I needed to get a good bit of work done or with a group of friends for a long catch up - It works both ways, which is ideal.
What's the menu like?
The burning question...
The café has a breakfast menu, an all-day breakfast option, a lunch menu and brunch on the weekend along with sweet treats and specialty beverages.
The breakfast menu includes stunning homemade granola bowls, toasted sourdough slices and gourmet eggs and beans. A little bit of everything for what ever kind of start to the day you're looking for.
The lunch menu is small but mighty, serving one meat filled sandwich, one veggie, one soup and then a few egg dishes. I visited for lunch and opted for the Saucy Eggs with chorizo.
The dish had so much flavour and nothing gets me going like a gooey egg, so I was completely entranced from the first cut into the colourful mound of food that sat in front of me.
Made from Le Levian sourdough, Wicklow eggs, almond nori chilli crumble and labneh, this dish had the perfect mix of flavours. Between the crunch of the bread, the sweetness of the labneh and the kick from the chilli, my mouth was on cloud nine as I munched my way through.
I also tried the veggie sushi, which was beyond delish and super filling for someone looking to fuel up for the day.
There's also a deadly drinks menu on offer. I washed my meal down with a tasty homemade kombucha, made from black tea, white tea and rooibos. It was the exact kick I needed.
When I met with the manager Mike, he insisted instead of a latte that I tried his Espresso Tonic. I have seen these online quite a bit as of late so I was really interested to try it.
Little Frieda's have created there very own version, which is a combination of espresso, tonic, apple juice and a sprig of mint.
The bitterness from the black coffee and the tonic blend so well together but it's definitely not a taste I can imagine someone with a sweet tooth would enjoy. It's very different but I thought it was fab.
I also loved how passionate Mike was about it too, I could tell he had tried lots of flavours and was sure this was the best of the best.
If your a herbal tea lover like me, you'll only buzz of the hot bevies on offer here - Sencha, Rooibus, Mint and Iron Mero are to name but a few of the exotic flavours to try.
What's the damage?
The menu is pretty reasonably priced.
A sambo will cost you €7 and it's around €3 for a coffee, so you could have a deadly lunch for a tenner.
Can't argue with that tbh.
Little Frieda's brings a little something new and exciting to Dun Laoghaire Industrial Estate and Deansgrange in general. The café will dare you to try something different with the interesting flavour combinations on the menu and the refreshing drinks options.
It's the ideal spot to nurse a coffee and have a chill afternoon indulging in some of the tastiest grub.
I know where I'll be heading for brunch next weekend!READ MORE: Bach 16 On The Quay Does a Gorgeous Cheeseboard With a View of The Liffey
