Etto

Etto is a restaurant and wine bar on Merrion Row, just off St Stephen's Green, with a short menu and a separate wine list. The name is Italian, and the cooking draws on Italian and broader European traditions while making the most of Irish produce.

The menu changes a little each day, so treat any list of dishes as a guide. A recent sample menu included starters of mussels with nduja cream and green garlic, ox tongue with Caesar dressing and rocket, and seabream crudo with kohlrabi and a raspberry aguachile. Mains included cavatelli with courgette alla scapece and ricotta, Salter's pork with French bean salad and apricot mustard, and a catch of the day. For two people, a Hannan's delmonico steak comes with brown butter béarnaise, triple-cooked chips and a cos lettuce salad. Desserts such as red wine prunes with vanilla mascarpone, or Taleggio ice cream with burnt peach, show the kitchen's playful side.

There is a minimum order of two dishes per person at lunch, including a main, and three per person at dinner, including a main, so come hungry. Etto suits couples and small groups of food-loving friends more than large parties or families with young children.

Dinner is served from Monday to Saturday and lunch from Thursday to Saturday. The restaurant is closed on Sundays and bank holidays. Booking is strongly advised; use the reservations page on the website or call +353 1 678 8872. Allow about two hours for dinner.

Merrion Row runs from the north-east corner of St Stephen's Green towards Merrion Street, so Etto is a few steps from the Shelbourne Hotel, the Iveagh Gardens and the National Museum of Archaeology.

For first-time visitors, the best approach is to ask what has just come onto the menu that day and build the meal around it, ordering a starter, a main and something to share. Lunch from Thursday to Saturday is a good way to enjoy the cooking in daylight and leave the evening free, and an early dinner slot is often easier to secure than a prime-time table. If you are travelling with someone who has allergies, mention them when booking so the kitchen can plan around the daily dishes.