Uno Mas
Aungier Street, Dublin
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
€ € € €
Hidden in plain sight on Aungier Street, Uno Mas is one of (if not the) finest Spanish restaurants in Dublin. It’s unassuming and humble from the outside; you wouldn’t even notice it if you weren’t looking for it. Step inside however, and your olfactory senses get a blast like you’ve never experienced. From the moment you enter, you know it’s going to be a meal to remember.
From the dinner menu, I highly advise you to try several small ‘para picar’ plates. These are essentially tapas which you eat before your starter. The Lomo Iberico, Padrón peppers and olives are fantastic, though I have no doubt the other options are equally as tasty.
For starters, we shared a tortilla, which was by far the most succulent I’ve ever had; so simple, yet so satisfying, I would go back purely just for this.
Moving on to the mains, I was surprisingly still hungry. I opted for a plate of mixed fried mushrooms, with a creamy sauce and an egg yolk. Sounds odd (kind of was), but the taste was simply next-level. Anyone with a fungi fetish will adore this. My guest sampled the octopus ‘a la plancha’, a traditional Spanish recipe. It was cooked to perfection, and the accompaniments (potatoes, fried kale and violet garlic) complemented it sublimely.
Dessert consisted of a ‘flan de queso’ and the ‘coffee milhojas’. The former was the star in my opinion, though I’d happily eat both again!
Be warned; you need to book in advance. We sat on stools at the bar, in front of the kitchen and, to be honest, they were probably the best seats in the house. You can peak at the chefs working their magic, and the waiter behind the bar is there to answer any questions you may have about your food. For the price you pay, I struggle to think of a better value for money. Uno Mas is an authentic taste of Spain right on our doorstep. I’m not one for revisiting restaurants unless they are truly exceptional, and Uno Mas breezes into that classification.
Alex Lohier – Deputy Editor
