La Palma on the Mall

Where Espresso on Parnell Street is the punky sister, and Azzurro in Dunmore East is the cosmopolitan brother, of the Cavaliere family’s trio of restaurants, La Palma feels more like the paternal uncle of the trio. The setting, in one of the city's beautiful townhouses, is handsome, classic and quietly formal, but the restaurant has a winning lack of pretention, something shared by the cooking, which mixes Italian staples with Irish favourites – veal parmigiana; duck with mostarda fruits; fillet of Irish beef with tiger prawns; sirloin with sautéed potatoes and garlic butter.

Early menus offer superb value for money, and service is gracious and well-informed.