Itsa

Excellent. Great atmosphere. Sorry to see the weekend staff change recently but they new people are lovely. Consistently great food, service and atmosphere. Much more than you would expect. Never had a bad meal there.

Popped in here recently to read my book and have a coffee. It’s a pleasant little café beside the park in Sandymount. There weren’t many people there when I visited but I’m sure it can get quite busy and full of chat. The coffee I had was awful, but I did have decaf, so I’ve only myself to blame…

Met a few mates in Sandymount a few weeks ago, i had never been in a itsa before and I have to say the coffee was good and the bagel sambos were very tasty, although in fairness it’s hard to f&*k up a bagel sandwich!
Good enough value, nice and chilled with an attentive friendly staff.

I really had no expectations when I went to this place with some friends the other night. Sure I saw the brightly colored patio chairs outside of the place, and I thought this could be the kind of place that does not take itself too seriously and could be kind of quirky inside. Shows you what I know. The neon chairs indicate nothing more then bad taste. Fortunately, that was where the bad taste ended (not counting the interior décor which was more no taste then bad taste — a hearty helping of bland). Dinner was really good. I started with chargrilled quail skewers in an asian spiced salad — so good. I followed that up with a special of sauteed john dory over a bed of mash with spring onions with a painted strip of red wine sauce (perhaps they take themselves a little too seriously) — okay the painted sauce made for nice appearance, but did not really add much to the dish. My wife had the salmon which she really liked as well. The service was fine as well. IMHO if you go out to dinner and have a good meal — and the wait service has been adequate or better — that is a huge success. Itsa huge success! I look forward to going back — though next time I might bring blinders.

Its a Bagle is a popular bagle chain in Dublin, the off-​spring of the chain is a restraunt on Sandymount green called Itsa4, and (falling into my dodgy Italian accent) «itsa notta bada little place!».
They cater for children which is a plus, the wine menu is healthy and they do this thing with potato skins which must be about 10,000 calories a bite… really, anything that tastes that great can’t be good for you!
If you come as a foursome or there are just two of you and you are feeling brave ask for the table that looks on to the kitchen, its great to see the chefs working away as you swill the vino!
You can book on-​line if the phone is out of reach:
Sample menu (nicked from their site!)
MAIN COURSES
Organic burger, Swiss, bacon, beetroot marmalade, hand-​cut fries
Irish free range chicken ‘paillard’, organic mash, rocket
Home-​made lamb sausages with Lyonnaise potatoes, red wine jus
Baked salmon fillet with sauteed Asian greens, soy & toasted sesame seeds
«Steak frites» with bearnaise sauceBlack pepper tuna, nicoise vinaigrette, mixed leaves
Grilled leg of lamb, marinated with garlic, mint & lemon, caponata, cucumber & mint yoghurt (GF)GF
Olive oil and honey roasted Silverhill duck breast, bok choy, pineapple & chili salsa, jasmine rice

I am a fan of anywhere that uses the best organic sources for its ingredients and lets their customers know exactly where their food is coming from and what is in the food they are eating. The food is from many wonderful artisan suppliers and they have detailed description of all the dishes on the menu so it is great for special diets like gluten free and veggie/​vegan. And after all that the food is really tasty too!

Itsa4 always annoys me slightly. It’s so full of promise and delicious options, but somebody always orders that one dish that’s invariably on the menu that just shouldn’t be ordered. You know, the one that’s either a bit of a measly portion, or just not as nice as that other one you were dithering over, and only realise you made the wrong choice after you’re served?! Every menu has one or two of these, and Itsa4 is no different. It’s not that they’re bad (a chicken special and a itty bitty salad, which we had been assured would suffice as a lunch in and of itself — it didn’t), but I’ve never had a great experience here. It’s grand, nice surroundings and that. The last waitress we had was a bit crazy though. And not necessarily in a fun way. Meh