Update: Sprout & Co has moved to Exchequer Street
When I was training in Ballymaloe cookery school last year, Darina Allen mentioned Jack Kirwan, an alumni student and co-owner of Sprout & Co Kitchen. When I came back to Dublin I saw their cold pressed juices in Avoca. I tried them and even though I'm not the healthiest eater on earth I really loved them (especial when I'm hungover I must admit).
Sprout & Co Kitchen opened on
Dawson Street last year and I've passed by it many times. The queues put me off
at lunchtime but in the last month I've visited twice on Saturday afternoons,
just after finishing my food tours.
The cafe is very bright and modern, there are some potted herbs on the shelves, white tiles and writing on the walls that remind you the ethos of the place, it's all about "healthy, seasonal food and local when possible".
The breakfast menu includes
granola, chia seed porridge, poached egg pot, smashed avocado on
toast or 'morning power salad' with prices ranging from €3.95 to €7.95. Lunch
is all about soups (€4.25-€5.75), diverse salads (€7.25-€8.50) and protein
grain bowls. The drinks menu features cold pressed juices, smoothies, coffee
and teas. They also sell diverse raw treats made in Limerick by NutShed:
power balls, caramel squares, beetroot brownies, carrot cake...
You order at the till and if you decide to eat in your food will be brought to you. On both of my visits I opted for protein grain bowls (€7.95) where you basically pick a protein, a grain, a green, two salads and a dressing. It's great to be able to customise your own salad but maybe not the best for the indecisive eater.
On my latest visit, my friend Ms. E was my lunch companion and ordered the falafel salad (€7.25) which consists of falafels served with pickled beetroot, hummus, grated Irish carrot, beetroot tatziki and seasonal leaves.
Salads come in a large bowl on a wooden board and they're very substantial, definitely not the kind of salad that would leave you hungry or make you feel like you're eating rabbit food. The ingredients are very fresh and you can tell it's quality, not stodgy cheap food you get at regular deli counters. Even though I was full after my salad I gave in to the temptation of an orange and cacao ball, which was rather delicious and quite filling.
The food in Sprout & Co Kitchen is healthy food done well and while it isn't cheap, you get what you pay for. My only complaint would be the seating arrangement at the communal tables, it's very cramped when it's busy and can be difficult to get to your seat without disturbing other customers.
The best seats are the ones facing the windows,
where you can watch the people passing by. That said, you can always buy food
to take away too.
Sprout & Co Kitchen
63 Dawson Street
Dublin 2
Sprout & Co Kitchen's website
This is an independent review, I paid for my meal.
63 Dawson Street
Dublin 2
Sprout & Co Kitchen's website
This is an independent review, I paid for my meal.
