The DL Bar & Restaurant

Where Ireland and Italy meet for an unexpected culinary triumph, The DL Bar and Restaurant is a dark horse in Dublin's celebrated Temple Bar.

Modern, swanky and with a touch of Art Deco pizzazz, DL is out to impress with its setup, creating a buzzy dining area around the glistening bar and a more intimate, secluded option towards the back. Each area is oozing with style. Powder-blue and cream furnishings are paired with glossy leather booths, solid oak tables and eye-catching wallpaper that wouldn't be out of place in the Orient Express. Coupled with perfectly preserved features, it's the perfect fusion of two very different cultures.

Leave it to the Italians to sort out the food. Start your evening with the likes of smoked salmon bruschetta, pancetta and cheese arancini, and freshly baked focaccia. Enjoyed alongside a fine glass of Italian red, you already know that you're onto a winner. The mains pay homage to the Italian cuisine and Ireland's exemplary produce from the land and sea. They're making homemade gnocchi with Irish potatoes and serving it with a hearty squash puree, whipping up a smoked salmon tagliatelle with fruits from the Irish seas and have recreated an Italian beef brisket sandwich with fine Irish beef.

What's more, they're inventing new dishes that diners can't get enough of! After all, who can resist an Italian-style beef burger with buffalo mozzarella, rocket and caramelised onions, or a stunning buttermilk chicken focaccia? It's an unlikely match made in heaven!