A true Italian escape in the heart of Dublin

Rosa Madre manages to hit that sweet spot between formality and casualness

Rosa Madre in Temple Bar, Dublin 2: hitting the sweet spot between formality and casualness Pic: Fergal Phillips

Rosa Madre

7 Crow Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2

01-5511203, rosamadre.ie

Chef: Francesco Mambelli

I feel underdressed. Seriously underdressed. We are in Rosa Madre, an Italian seafood restaurant that I’ve been meaning to try for ages. It’s in Temple Bar, but its location at the far end of Crow Street means it’s a bit removed from the worst excesses of the area. And it’s obvious from the minute we step inside that this ...