I don’t really go in for giving my dining companions nicknames in reviews. But there are some dining companions whose names are too easily nicknamified that it would be at a damn shame to let the opportunity pass by. The Greek is one such moniker that I just can’t resist using.
The Greek is a Dublin resident of yore and was visiting his old stomping ground after a few years overseas. A bloody great cook, he is the quintessential review buddy as he has an opinion on everything. We hit The Damson Diner early on a Friday evening for some pre-gig sustenance and were seated upstairs in the mezzanine level due to the heaving nature of downstairs.
“The music’s too loud and it’s too hot,” grumbled The Greek. “Well, I think they’re kind of going for that dancy-dancy pre-nightclub let’s-‘av-ya vibe, you see. And it’s really cold outside.” I’m not sure if it was my description or his perusal of the menu that brought him round, but by the arrival of his Man Hat (€10) cocktail made up of Jameson, Lillet Rouge, fresh mandarin juice and orange bitters, he had stopped grumbling entirely.
In the interest of full disclosure and fairness, I have to point out that The Partner & Potions Master of Damson Diner is my friend and colleague Oisin Davis. And, yes, that is his official title. Having managed The Sugar Club for over a decade, he has teamed up with Marc and Conor Bereen of Coppinger Row in this latest venture. “We all wanted to do a mix of American Diner & Asian classics with a strong cocktail offering to the whole experience,” Oisin explains. “When we considered that the wild damson fruit is originally from The East but can be found here in Ireland, it seemed like a great idea to put that into our name, especially when you bear in mind how nice damson-infused vodka and gin is. That will be ready to serve in January!”
My cocktail was the smashing Celerious (€11), a cucumber-rich gin highball cocktail that was just what the doctor ordered after a mental week. “You can tell that guy loves his booze. In a good way, obviously,” commented The Greek as our bartender enthused over the different options of cocktails and what would suit us best. I played it safe with a gin spritzer (€5) to accompany our food while The Greek indulged in the Life In Venice (€10). “Hey, my ancestors were from Venice so…it’s appropriate,” he shrugged as he downed the beautifully bitter, sparkling and orange flavoured delight.
The crisp and flavoursome Fennel Bhajis (€7) were divided somewhat evenly between us to start, and came accompanied with a strong sesame oil asian slaw that almost stole the show. The Siam Duck (€11) arrived in three crisp lettuce leaves, with the shredded and succulent meat that packed a perfectly pitched punch. For our mains, I went for the bowl of Chilli con Carne (€13.50) made up of slow roasted beef and pork which came covered in melty cheese and a dollop of soured cream, all atop fluffy short-grain brown rice that also included some crunchy greens. Which I wasn’t sure about. The peas and finely sliced green beans, lovely in themselves, were at odds with the dish and added nothing more than texture to a dish that didn’t need their addition. The Greek, meanwhile, was getting the sweats over his stunning Damson Diner steak (€25) with a whopping great Portobello mushroom and roasted tomato on the side alongside the outrageously good NY Sauce. “Having lived in New York,” said The Greek between mouthfuls, “NY Sauce sounded kind of scary. And a bit dangerous. But I love it.” We even used it to dunk the divine breaded courgettes (€3.50) into, as well as the steaks and the chips. It turns out that the vinegar used as a base for the NY Sauce is the Damson Diner’s own spiced vinegar, made using leftover fruits and spices that go into their spiced vodka, gin and rum. So that tells you a little something about the sauces depth, but also about the attention to detail and commitment to flavour going on in Damson Diner.
We shared a Boozy Sorbet to end our meal, a martini glass with scoops of sharp raspberry and lemon sorbet doused in a splosh of Prosecco. That brought our bill to a hefty €104.50. Those outrageously exquisite cocktails are most certainly a hazard to one’s wallet and should be approached with caution.
The service was fast, friendly and fun. The Damson Diner will cater for large parties or small groups (they only take bookings for groups over 6 so it’s just a walk-in policy otherwise) but if you just fancy a cocktail and a plate of fennel bhajis, you can do so at their counter bar downstairs. This place gets the thumbs up from me but, in this case, it’s really The Greek’s opinion that matters. And his final verdict was ‘arete’.
The Damson Diner
52 South William Street
Dublin 2
Website, bookings and reservations
