‘The Cocktail Garden at Roe & Co Distillery is the perfect place for collaboration to come to life, with a fusion of modern Irish food and cocktails. Roe & Co whiskey is the ideal meal accompaniment, offering various ways to explore whiskey alongside exciting cuisine’.

Outdoor dining with a difference launches at the Roe & Co distillery in Dublin 8 this summer. This run of food pop ups is a collaboration between the distillery and five Dublin restaurants that will explore flavours from around the world, with dishes from each restaurant paired with whiskey cocktails. It’s also a great opportunity to get a sneak peek inside the working Roe & Co Distillery and its tranquil garden in the heart of Dublin 8. If you haven’t already been for their amazing whiskey experience. 

As the nights get lighter and temperatures rise, we crave lazy days outdoors in the sun. And whether it’s a romantic candlelit dinner for two or a celebratory soiree, there’s something about eating in the open feels special. As the Italians say, outdoor dining, or dining, ‘al fresco’ is an experience all its own.

You might be amused to learn that al fresco is said to be old Italian slang for spending time in prison. But we all know, al fresco dining is far from confining. Eating in the open air is a practice that can be traced back to medieval times. It is our little prison break and harkens back to eating abroad. On sunny days you can even feel like you’re in the Rivera when you’re in Roe & Co’s Cocktail Garden. Eating and drinking in the sun make us feel more relaxed, especially if the weather is good.

An Irish summer is meant for beer gardens, or more accurately, cocktail gardens. So the Roe & Co Distillery is swinging in action, serving up cocktails you can’t get anywhere else. And the food you’d usually have to travel to get.

2022 is their summer of flavour, so they’re kicking it off with beautiful food stylings. First is Niall Sabongi’s Salty Buoy, then Big Fan, AA Caribbean, La Cocina Cuevas, and Vietnom. These are the perfect pop-ups for a summery alfresco experience.

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Salty Buoy 

Fishmonger and chef Niall Sabongi’s Salty Buoy kicks off the summer of flavour in Roe & Co Distillery. On a warm May evening, there are few better things more appropriate than eating some fresh, well-presented seafood. Add to that well-made drinks, and it becomes a dining event that lives up to the hyperbole.

Island crab, Grilled Lobster and proper chips. Niall’s latest creation, ‘Keogh  Loco’, Keogh’s new Guinness & Oyster crisps topped with South Coast Turbot Ceviche. You can splash out and add Kavairi Caviar if you’re feeling your oats. What could be more summertime sooirée than caviar and lobster in a cocktail garden with a whiskey? Now that’s al fresco on expert mode. Book a table here.

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Big Fan

Big Fan is a much loved Chinese Irish restaurant. When it opened, it cut through the noise with its buzzy atmosphere and big flavours making it a top ticket. Originally from Dalian (大连) in Northern China, head chef Alex Zhang studied at Dalian Cooking Technical College for Chinese Professional Cookery before arriving in Ireland in 2002.

He then studied at DIT and has gone on to work in many kitchens around Dublin. At Big Fan, he deftly combines Chinese craftsmanship with Irish produce for fun and inventive dishes. Living the al fresco dream with Roe & Co, the Big Fan menu promises to be a hot ticket. This will be their debut tasting menu with perfectly paired Roe & Co cocktails. Book a table here.

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AA’s Caribbean

Nothing could be more perfect al fresco than Carribian food! For flavour seekers, AA’s Caribbean has been one of Dublin’s most sought-after pop-up food experiences. Eamon de Freitas grew up in Trinidad before moving to Toronto and Ireland. When the pandemic hit, he pivoted from tech to cooking and selling food from the window of his home in the Liberties, Dublin 8. Dublin fell hard for his Caribbean cuisine, which he says will “kick you in your face with flavours”. The apt name AA’s fortuitously sounds like the Trinidadian ‘ay ay’, an expression of surprise or excitement.

These days he’s busy dishing out a taste of Trinidad at markets and pop-ups around Dublin. His food embraces the flavours and aromas of the Caribbean. AA’s Caribbean has already garnered plenty of rave reviews from the gatekeepers of Irish cuisine. For his Roe & Co menu, he will serve crispy pork belly snacks, grilled prawns with pineapple chow,  oxtail on cassava puree and coconut ice cream. Diners will experience exquisite Caribbean flavours that will pair wonderfully with curated Roe & Co cocktails. Book a table here.

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La Cocina Cuevas  

Tacos cooked with actual authentic Mexican knowledge Irish grown ingredients are always a feast for the senses, but La Cocina Cuevas are on another level. The OG La Cocina Cuevas was opened by Grandma Cuevas at the centre of Lodi, California in 1974. She passed her secrets down to her grandson Jeremy Cuevas, who, along with his partner Laura Duffy has brought these to life again in Dublin. After almost a decade of working in London’s top restaurants, he decided to bring his Mexican culture and love of food to Ireland.

They’re switching up their tasting menu to include lots of seasonal, summery Irish ingredients this summer. They said, ‘This time we’re going to be dealing with lots more summer fruits, really ripe tomatoes and all those lovely things coming into season. So any Irish ingredients we can get in there, we will. All the tomatoes we use will be Irish. In fact, I’m growing most of them myself. All our meat is, of course, Irish, Irish cheese. As much as I can source locally, I will.’ Perfect for a summer al fresco. Book a table here.

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Vietnom

If you’ve been searching for ‘Asian fusion with touches of Mexican’, this will be right up your street. Milly Murphy and Alex Gurnee combined their experiences in Vietnam and California to start Vietnom in Dublin.

At Vietnom, they make Vietnamese inspired dishes that put Irish produce at the forefront for a colourful menu of Banh Mi, rice bowls, small plates and bar snacks. Local suppliers they use include McNally’s organic vegetables, Metcalfe’s organic beef, Ring Farm chicken, and Salters organic pork.

Each dish is bursting with flavour and vitality, and the tastes are so clean and fresh that you feel as nourished as a newborn after eating it. They also grow some of their own produce and forage locally. For the Roe & Co menu, expect summer rolls, homemade pho, and seasonal McNally’s vegetables. Book a table here.

Drinks

Whiskey cocktail pairings that work alongside these modern Irish dishes include a Stranach. The Stranach is made with Roe & Co cask strength single grain, strawberry camomile, and manzanilla sherry. This whiskey cocktail was inspired by the tastes of the Irish coast and has been curated by the Roe & Co Distillery’s bartenders. 

Roe & Co offers diners the chance to experience a full tasting menu for €40 pp, with opt-in drinks pairing for €30 pp. The best value in the city. The Cocktail Garden is open Thursday – Sunday, check out Open Table for availability.

Click here to book a table for Roe & Co Distillery’s Cocktail Garden, and keep an eye on their Instagram for all their latest news.

Please drink Roe & Co responsibly.

Visit drinkaware.ie for more info.

Roe & Co has announced their D-8TE ‘Summer Sessions’ lineup featuring Big Fan Bao, Vietnom, AA’s Caribbean and more. Book a table for current resident Salty Buoy at D-8TE at Roe & Co Distillery’s Power House Garden. And keep an eye on their Instagram for the latest news on all things D-8TE. Please drink Roe & Co responsibly. Visit drinkaware.ie for more information