Dunne and Crescenzi

Wow, these guys really are everywhere, aren’t they?
This branch in the über-​cool fashion emporium that is the Arnotts Project, is the latest addition to the Dunne and Crescenzin food empire in Dublin.
In my humble opinion this is half a step too far. Yes they are successful, yes their produce is excellent and their coffee almost impossible to beat here in Dublin, but the appeal of the original restaurants was their resemblance to real Italian trattorias, which this latest joint could not be further from.

A fancy little Italian job incongruously situated opposite the Warehouse concession in Arnotts. As well as good-​sized bowls of pasta, it also does snacky little antipasti dishes, including pita toast points with various vegetarian «pâtés» — virtuous but doesn’t taste like it.
When we went in, we were the only customers but we didn’t feel overly self conscious — the wait staff don’t hover and are too pretty not to be starring in their own soap opera over by the bar.