A little escape to Spain

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few months, you will have heard about Las Tapas de Lola already. Pretty much every food blog, newspaper and magazine in Ireland has published reviews of it - and it's praise all round. There's a reason: they've brought authentic Spanish tapas to Dublin and eating there almost feels like a mini holiday.

From the minute I first spotted their tiled restaurant front that looks like it was lifted right out of Spain and planted on Wexford Street, I got very excited about this place. Would this be the real deal? There was only one way to find out.

I went with a friend a couple of weeks after they opened and even then they had to turn away anyone who hadn't booked a table, such was the hype about this place. And believe me, it more than lives up to the hype. The food is absolutely delicious and the quality of the produce is great. They also have a good wine list with several options by the glass, delicious homemade sangria, and some great beer options (more about that below). The atmosphere in the restaurant is lively and friendly, with guests of all ages, many of them Spanish. Always a good sign!

Before I post some pics, I'd like to mention how lovely the 2 owners are. The second time I went was with my boyfriend and we mentioned to the Spanish half of the owner duo, Anna, that we were going on holidays to Barcelona very soon. We had heard that she was from there, so we asked if she could recommend some good places to eat. Next thing we knew, she returned with a whole list of restaurants for us to check out! How nice is that? We went to every place on her list, and while some were closed for their August holidays, the ones we did get a chance to try were absolutely brilliant (blog post about Barcelona is in the making). Next time I go, I will definitely need to thank Anna for her great recommendations!

These little fish are called Chanquetes. They were given to us both times as a little taster. They come whole, and you eat the whole thing in one! Might sound unusual to some, but they're actually delicious!

Jamón iberico - often doesn't live up to the real thing here, but this one is just like in Spain!

Spinach & Chickpeas - I love this dish and the spinach in this one was super fresh and delicious!

The Calamari come with a lovely aioli. It's super garlicy and super delicious (don't say I didn't warn ye!)

This dish is definitely one of my favourite dishes I've tried there so far. It's a gratin of scallops and white fish. Heaven in a shell!

Definitely save some room in the dessert compartment for the crema catalana! It's perfect, and cracking it with the spoon is fun!

A very interesting alternative to wine is the Estrella Inedit. It's a beer that has been "crafted to go with haute cuisine". It is served in a big wine-style bottle, with a cooler and wine-style glasses. It's definitely worth a try and went very well with the food.