Meal Ticket: Bibi’s Café, Dublin 8

Opened in 2010 by sisters Petria and Maisha Lenehan, Bibi’s is a somewhat secret stalwart on the Dublin brunch and lunch scene. When it first opened, it was a collaboration between the sisters. Petria, a fashion designer, used the larger part of the space to showcase her designs alongside other selected items in her shop Dolls, while Maisha got to work in the small, open kitchen in the other half of the space, home to Bibi’s.

Petria has since moved on to New York where her fashion business is now based (though her clothes are still made in Dublin), and the entire space on the corner of Emorville Avenue, just off Clanbrassil St, is now dedicated to Maisha and her brother Geoff’s cooking. They have two other chefs, Siobhan and Simon, and they all work together to design their menus around the best of local and flown-in produce.

Back when there were four tables inside and just a couple outside, heading to brunch at BiBi’s was fraught with anxiety. Would you get a table? Would you have to queue for three quarters of an hour? Would you get to try the new special before it ran out?! The brunch was always worth waiting for, but today, thanks to additional space inside, the weekend wait for a table is a little shorter.

Over a recent lunch, I was wowed by a simple plate of roasted butternut squash and poached eggs (€10), drizzled in a chilli-infused butter. It’s the subtle flourishes, such as a simple flavoured and melted butter, that elevate a dish from good to great. A chorizo toastie (€8.50) is deliciously greasy from being pan-fried, a crisp and elegantly dressed salad on the side going some way to making up for the naughtiness. Their brownies (€3.95) have always been excellent, and they still give you a little bite-sized version with your coffees, whether you’re having it in or to takeaway.

The space is light-filled, reflecting off the red-bricked terraced houses of the neighbourhood. The large distressed steel table we sit at complements the ceramic crockery, from Made In Cley, a pottery collective in Norfolk, England. The coffee, supplied by Cloud Picker, tastes great out of their chunky mugs. It’s a beautiful space to be in and the menu is inspiring to any home cook, or indeed anyone who likes to eat well.

It’s a special spot, and one that’s probably on your Best Of list already. But, just in case it’s been a while since your last visit to Bibi’s, you’ll find them open every day of the week, from 9am to 4pm on weekdays and 10am to 5pm on weekends.