Restaurant review: Newly reopened Coppinger is back with good cocktails and creative food
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It is back! There was much weeping and gnashing of teeth on social media when the Bereen brothers announced the closure of Coppinger Row for landlord refurbishments in late 2022, but 30 months later it is back open.
Coppinger Row had a loyal following and was a bit of a party restaurant so its loss was keenly felt. The Bereen’s Row Wine Bar which opened next door could never quite replace the old Coppinger Row (and nor was it intended to), and I think the two venues should compliment each other very nicely.
We had to begin with cocktails, a crucial part of Coppinger Row’s appeal. The ‘Roselle’ (€14) containing tequila, hibiscus, passion fruit and orange blossom was a sort of creative margarita, with a nice balance of sweetness and citrus. My Coconut Fig Leaf negroni (€15) used Campari, gin and sweet vermouth but the addition of coconut oil elevated it very nicely adding nutty complexity. A great start.
Coppinger was open less than a week when I visited and the menu was still evolving we were told. In the kitchen is the talented Dan Hannigan who has been poached from Orwell Road in Rathgar (also Bereen owned), and I recognised some of his signature notes on the menu, a good thing.
Ballymakenny crisps (€5) sounded essential and they were even better than I could have expected. Large perfectly seasoned proper crisps which we dipped into Syrian roasted pepper muhammara sauce (€6.50). We ran out of crisps in the end so I ate it with my finger it was so good, helped by some candied walnuts. The muhammara is I think designed for the focaccia bread but we had skipped bread in a vain attempt to reduce our calorie intake.
Garlic and chilli gambas (€16) with crusty sourdough were as juicy and tasty as you would hope, and were the better of the two starters. My lamb flat bread (€16) was more fluffy than flat and I had hoped for sweet crisp meat rather than the slow roasted (blander) pulled version sitting on top. Perhaps a dome crisp sweet lamb belly shards on the side or mixed in would make this work better.
Neither of us were feeling the Andarl pork chop or the roast cod and our tummies couldn’t cope with a shared roast turbot or côte de boeuf so we both went veggie. Pan fried gnocchi (€26) was the best of the two, richly textured and satisfying with bonus maitake mushroom, sweet fresh peas, and lots of Hegarty’s cheddar grated on top. The vegan dish of barbecued courgette (€24) had fat tasty slices of grilled courgette on a correctly cooked tomato based paella, but the vegan restrictions made it suffer a little we felt.
COPPINGER’s wine list contains around 50 wines in total, creative choices are there but it is a little more conservative than the one in Row Wines next door. If funky natural wine is your thing you might choose there instead (or be very cheeky and ask could someone nip next door for you!). Prices start at €35 for a Spanish Macabeo or Tempranillo and there are some solid choices under €50 including a Mencía at €38, a Baden Riesling at €40 and a decent Bourgogne Aligoté at €50.
I opted for a bottle of Zenato Bardolino (€43), the classic light red of the Veneto, and was delighted to discover that it was available chilled or at room temperature. Given the bright juicy fruits and low tannins this worked very well chilled with all our dishes and was a refreshing treat on a muggy evening.
For dessert the Engineer chose a cherry sorbet which was a bit of a bargain at just €6. The quenelle of sorbet was a deep dark pink colour with proper cherry flavours and was crucially not over sweetened. Fresh cherries and a tasty crumble underneath made this a more substantial dessert than its price suggested.
My ‘strawberry and elderflower cruller’ (€12) was a nicely executed deep fried ‘doughnut-cake’ pastry sitting in a strawberry coulis and topped with strawberries and a nigh-on perfect elderflower ice cream. The fluffy pastry proved a good foil for the creamy, herbal ice-cream and the sweeter strawberry elements.
So Coppinger is fun, a nice room, great staff and service, good cocktails and creative food that I suspect will get better and better in Dan’s capable hands. Welcome back, we missed you!
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Dinner for two including two cocktails, snacks, starters, mains, desserts and a bottle of wine cost a perfectly fair €178.50
Coppinger Row, Dublin 2, D02 Y973
: @coppingerdublin
- Mon: Closed
- Tues: 5-10pm
- Wed-Sat: 12-3pm & 5-10pm
- Sun: 1-9pm