Scorpio season was a great month for eating out.

  November is always a good food month for me, mostly because I'm a Scorpio and my birthday falls on the 14th. There tends to be a lot of birthday dinners, lunches, and nights away, and I was thoroughly spoiled this year as I made the transition from 26 to 27 years old. Of course there were also some fun activities and nice drinks too, meaning I have a lot to look back on fondly as I prepare for Christmas.

Arty Baker

Location: Dalkey  I have been meaning to try Arty Baker for a hot minute, and finally a quiet Sunday in November announced itself as the perfect time. We arrived at the somewhat late time of 11:15am, which was rogue to be sure, but there were still lots of pastries left, including the below, which was a chocolate and almond croissant. Honestly one of the nicest pastries I've had in Dublin for a while.

Little Pyg

Location: South William Street I was lucky enough to get invited to dine at Little Pyg last month and having never eaten there before, I was really excited to try the Michelin guide pizza. I ordered the Spicy Little Pyg which came with San Marzano tomato sauce, hand cut fior de latte mozzarella, 'friggitello' Italian peppers sauteed in garlic, chilli, parsley, pecorino cheese, chilli flakes, basil, and virgin oil. I'm very picky about my pizza but it was really light yet hugely flavoursome, plus I got a very hefty garlic mayo for dipping. I'd also highly recommend the Flat White Martini - it was slightly less bitter than an espresso martini (which I'm also a huge fan of) and even my non-coffee drinking friend enjoyed hers.

Featherblade

Location: Dawson Street  My birthday meal was spent at Featherblade, my favourite steakhouse in all of Dublin and what happens to be the least expensive one too. As always I went for the Featherblade cut of steak, medium, with grilled prawns on top, accompanied by truffle mac n cheese (which was DIVINE) and roast broccoli. If you call yourself a steak fan but haven't tried Featherblade yet, get yourself booked in.

Meltdown

Location: Montague Street  For my birthday lunch I decided to treat myself to something cheesy, and where better to go than Meltdown? I hadn't experienced one for a couple of years and decided my birthday was the best day to get reacquainted, so I ordered myself a Hey Presto. This toastie (which contains a half serving of cheese, believe it or not) is comprised of succulent Irish chicken, homemade basil pesto, mature white cheddar, tomato, red onions, garlic mayo on sourdough bread and it was nothing short of sensational.

Beauty and the Beast

Location: Bord Gáis Energy Theatre  You can read my whole glowing review of the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre's Christmas offering, which is Beauty and the Beast, HERE. I have said, and stand by, that it is currently the best show I've seen at the Grand Canal Square theatre, and I highly recommend going if you get the opportunity to.

And two outside of Dublin

NINE

Location: Bray  A few weeks back I went to NINE for lunch and chose the below Philly Cheesesteak. It was such a treat, covered in sautéed onions, mustard, ketchup, and a load of cheese. I paired mine with spice bag chips which were also seriously delicious. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cfgb0z9smTR/

Barberstown Castle

Location: Straffan  Okay, so this one isn't from Dublin, but it's not too far outside of it, and the meal I had was incredible. To start I got wild game ravioli, followed by turbot with cheesy potato gratin and seasonal vegetables. Dessert was an apple crumble unlike anything I've ever seen - it was an icing apple with vanilla mousse and brambley apples inside, surrounded by crumble. This meal was followed by watching the Toy Show, so all in all a great evening.

READ ON: Everything you need to know about the Save the Hellfire petition