Some of the best weekends are the ones that have no plan.
There’s no stress of travelling anywhere, no one you need to meet up with, no errands you have to run. It seems as the weeks run along that these kind of weekends are a sublime rarity.
When one does come around, embrace the break and enjoy every second.
This weekend I’m doing exactly that. The only thing I have planned is that I’m heading back to a café I visited recently for our brand new series
Early Doors.
Early Doors is the definitive guide to new openings in Dublin. We’ll be the very first to give you the inside scoop to the hottest places to eat in the city and every detail you need to know about them.
You'll find Alma on South Circular Road.
Brunch has become a little exhausted in Dublin as of late but this brings something new and unique with its signature Argentinian twist. Classic brunch dishes like eggs and avo feature intriguing flavours like peanut rayu and homemade salsa; there are also some interesting dishes on the menu like steak and eggs with chimichurri, passed down from a family recipe.
What's the vibe?
The venue is pretty compact with only a handful of tables so I can only imagine how difficult it might be to get a seat at peak brunch hour during the weekends.
It's a lovely bright space, very chilled out and the staff are full of chatter.
The restaurant is run by an Argentinian lady whose parents and siblings have also moved over since it opened to lend a hand. There are four sisters in the family, which gives Alma its name - each letter representing a sister.
There are a few stools perched up at the front window, where you can pull open your laptop and work away while the world in front goes by.
It's ideal for lone eaters or couples, but maybe not a big group of friends as space is limited.
What's on the menu?
The menu is definitely where Alma's strengths lie.
Everything is made from fresh and seasonal products and premium Irish traders like Wall & Keogh, Two Fifty Square Speciality Coffee, Koyu Matcha, Tartine Organic Bakery, Bear Lemon, Normas Organic Bakery and Simply Wild.
They serve hot bevvys, breakie, lunch, small plates and brunch.
To start, I got a flat white; it was strong but that’s how I like it so I was happy out from the first sip.
We tried a range of dishes, each appearing more colourful than the last, sprinkled with bright pink pickled onions and orange chilli oil.
The star of the show for me was the pancakes with dulce de leche. It was nice to try something completely out of the ordinary - I've only ever ordered pancakes that were covered in Nutella and strawberries. This was simply sweet, citrus, fresh and bursting with unique flavour.
Price range:
Most dishes are just over a tenner which is pretty standard.
Great service, happy, smiling and polite staff and gorge food – sure look, you can’t go wrong.
The café is open from 8am-4pm Tuesday-Friday and then from 9am-4pm on Saturday and Sunday.
There’s so many lovely cafés opening as of late but this has been one of my favourites.
