First stop on my Dublin dining tour: Bunsen for a beauteous belly buster of a burger.
I arrived in Dublin just in time for lunch, checked into my Fleet Street hotel and ambled over to Bunsen for a burger.
Before my trip I’d done some preliminary Googling for “best restaurants” in town and in the area where I was staying (Temple Bar). Bunsen kept coming up. I certainly wasn’t against having a good burger and couldn’t argue with it being just a couple of minutes away from my room.
Bunsen’s Temple Bar outlet was a pared down and laidback setting where I was warmly greeted and immediately seated upon entry. The menu, no bigger than a standard business card was a straight up and basic affair, featuring a choice of hamburger or cheeseburger (or double of either), a selection of hand cut, shoestring or sweet potato fries along with sodas, milkshakes and beer. Burger toppings included pickles, onion, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard and mayo.
I went with a double cheeseburger (€9.45), foregoing fries for extra meat. The beef (two 150g patties of Black Aberdeen Angus reared in Ireland and supplied by local butcher FX Buckley) was cooked medium rare, stacked high, and smothered in a gooey blend of melt Comte and Jack set between two halves of a classic American style bun – served with all the toppings. I was satisfied mightily.
En route to a full(and full on) afternoon of work, I passed on having a beer (but wasn’t put off by the crafty brews available such as White Hag Irish IPA and Brooklyn Summer Ale.
Service was friendly and swift; I was actually startled when my burger arrived so soon after ordering it (especially considering the place was packed).
Bunsen is located at 22 Essex Street East, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 NA09 with three other restaurants in Dublin and outlets in Cork and Belfast as well. Find out more at bunsen.ie.
Keep an eye out for upcoming suggestions on Where to Dine in Dublin.
