It's absolutely freezing and the season for soup is well and truly upon us.
At IMAGE HQ, we are extremely partial to the warming comfort offered only by a big bowl of hearty soup. Now that the possibility of snow shutting us down every day is in full swing, it’s hard to think of anything more appealing than mealtime spent with your hands curled around a soup bowl, warming the cockles of your heart.
Enjoyed with a toasted sambo or a slice of homemade soda bread heaped with butter, a good bowl of soup nourishes the soul and will leave your belly feeling utterly content. If you’re looking for some lunchtime inspiration, here are some of our top picks…
Honey Truffle on Pearse Street, Dublin
For anyone who hasn’t yet been to Honey Truffle on Pearse Street get yourself there pronto. Owned by former Avoca head chef and Pink Ginger cookery school guru Eimer Rainsford, this little daytime café/deli gem is one of the best casual eating spots in Dublin in my opinion. Eimer is forensic when it comes to ingredient sourcing and employs absolutely no shortcuts in the kitchen, so the chicken is roasted on site, spices are home-blended and the flavour combinations are off the charts. The soup pot changes daily and is always a wholesome meal in a bowl, served with a homemade wholewheat scone – Italian bean is one of my favourites. Honey Truffle is also located just down the road from Bread 41 too so you can double up and get your sourdough fix while you’re at it. — Lizzie Gore-Grimes, Editor-in-Chief
L’Gueuleton on Fade Street, Dublin
L’Gueuleton’s French onion soup is famously Dublin’s best and a notorious menu staple with a loyal following – how good does a soup have to be to have a loyal following? I mean, look at it. You have to fight through a wall of melted cheesey bread to get to the caramelized onion soupy hug. It’s the only thing worth going to the office for in this weather, it will warm you from top to toe and fill you for the day, it’s the best French onion soup you’ll ever have. I start looking forward to going there for lunch all winter in like, July. I don’t even really like onions. — Holly O’Neill, Beauty Editor and Digital Editor, IMAGE.ie
Ramen Co in Rathmines, Dublin and Davitt’s in Kenmare, Kerry
If you love authentic ramen, look no further than this hole-in-the-wall in Rathmines. Small but mighty, they serve up a delicious range, including pork tonkotsu ramen (my favourite), chicken, spicy beef, dumpling and vegetarian tofu ramen. A great shout for a rainy day. I took a road trip last winter, and I still dream about the seafood chowder at Davitt’s in Kenmare. I wouldn’t usually opt for it but this creamy bowl of soup was one of the best I’ve tasted. The salmon fell apart like butter and the flavouring perfectly balanced the medley of fish. Tasted like heaven with a bit of brown bread dipped in too. — Shayna Sappington, Branded Content & Staff Writer, IMAGE Magazine
The Tavern Bar + Restaurant in Westport, Mayo and The Pepper Pot, South William Street, Dublin
If you’re a fan of chowder, The Tavern Bar + Restaurant in Westport has some of the country’s best. My family and I stopped off here after a quick (*read slow and very painful) spin up Croagh Patrick, and it was one of the tastiest meals I’ve ever had… though that was partly because I was just happy to be on level ground again. In Dublin, it’s a toss-up between The Pepper Pot‘s mushroom soup and l’Gueuleton‘s French onion soup – both are absolutely delish and worthy of the gold.— Sarah Finnan, Deputy Digital Editor, IMAGE.ie
Urban Grind and Taaffes Bar, Galway
In and around Galway, there are seemingly infinite delicious soup spots to choose from, but I tend to gravitate towards Urban Grind down the West End. Their offering changes daily, and at this point, I don’t even really need to know the flavour — it has never disappointed! On the other hand, a soup and sambo by the fireside in Taaffes Bar is a comfort that I simply cannot quantify in words. Time it perfectly and there’ll be a trad session happening at a table nearby and you’ll feel the weight of the world lift off your shoulders. — Sarah Gill, Staff Writer, IMAGE.ie
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