Good tapas venues are not something you will find in abundance in Dublin, with the exception of one or two go to Spanish hotspots. Even at that most are more classical of what you would expect to find in an authentic joint in Barcelona rather than one that is pushing the small plate boundaries. With one exception, from an inventive chef by the name of Matt Fuller, who some of you may know from his popular venue Boqueria which was based the hipster neighbourhood of Stoneybatter.

Fuller has plenty of experience of Spanish food having lived there for several years soaking up all the Mediterranean flair for creating exciting tapas, inspired by the stunning food market based in the heart of Las Ramblas in Barcelona La Boqueria, he returned to Ireland with a burning passion to recreate his own mini food mecca in Dublin. Fast forward to Feb 2017 and two years after establishing a critically acclaimed venue Fuller decided to take a gamble and relocate to a larger premises in the picturesque village of Howth.

Keeping the name Boqueria, Fuller and his team renovated a beautiful old building on Church Street, which previously housed an Italian pizza and pasta place called Pulcinellas Secret, unfortunately for Pulcinellas it was a too much of a secret and never really gained a loyal following. They say it’s easier to fish in troubled waters and judging by the fact we struggled to secure a weekend booking we’d hazard a guess that Fuller’s haul may prove a lot more fruitful.