Osteria Nove
Address: 9 James’s Terrace, Malahide, Dublin, K36 KR66
Telephone: 01 265 6292
Cuisine: Italian
Website: https://osterianove.ie/Opens in new window
Cost: €€€
There’s a common misconception that Oliver Dunne handed back his star, the one that the Michelin Guide for Britain and Ireland awarded Bon Appetit in Malahide in 2008. That isn’t quite right. I spoke to him just before the 2015 guide was published, and he made it clear that a Michelin star is not yours to return; it is awarded by the guide. Michelin sends listed restaurants a questionnaire each year asking for updates, and Dunne had outlined his planned change of direction – to drop the fine-dining element and move to the more casual approach of the Bon Appetit brasserie downstairs.
He has since expanded his empire to 10 restaurants. Eight are in Dublin, including One Bar and Restaurant in Ballsbridge and Beef & Lobster in Parliament Street, with one in Galway and another in Louth. On January 4th this year, he closed Bon Appetit for a month’s refurbishment before reopening it as Osteria Nove, an Italian restaurant, overseen by Aaron Carroll, his group executive chef.
There may be no Italians in the kitchen or front of house, but the exuberant room upstairs with terracotta walls, gilt mirrors, potted plants and a large olive tree dominating the space has plenty of Italian charm and warmth.
The white linen-clad tables add to the sense of occasion. We’re sitting beside a large Georgian sash window, with a partial view out to the estuary, and it’s a relaxing way to start the evening.
Rather than focusing on one particular region of Italy, the menu has dishes from Puglia, Piedmont, Campania, Rome, Sicily, Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, including accessible favourites such as burrata and carpaccio, alongside pasta, fish and meat.
Dunne, a native of Malahide, is very tuned in to his local customers, so the well-priced menu encourages repeat visits rather than one-off destination dining.
The broadly pitched Italian wine list is priced to match the menu, with bottles starting at €39 and a substantial choice in the €40–€70 range. The by-the-glass offerings include familiar favourites such as Pinot Grigio and Montepulciano, as well as more premium wines poured by Coravin, the preservation system. While I don’t see any of the Tignanello or trophy bottles being opened around the room, bubbly is being popped for celebrations.
The focaccia (€7), which we nibble with a glass of Gavi di Gavi (€14.50) and Sangiovese (€8.95), is light and fluffy rather than chewy, and comes with a mild whipped Caesar butter covered in a drift of finely grated Parmesan.
We share the fritto misto (€16), a generous dish designed for sharing. There’s a swirl of mild ’nduja mayo in the middle, with two types of prawns, whitebait, squid and slices of courgette and carrot on either side. The batter is a little oily on everything, but the squid is tender. The courgette has perhaps spent too much time in salt to draw out its moisture before being battered and deep fried.
The interior of Osteria Nove, with linen-clad tables. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill 
The decor in the room upstairs creates a sense of Italian warmth. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Interior decor of Osteria Nove, Malahide. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
I’m expecting the sweet pea and mint ravioli (€24) to be a burst of summer, but the filling is quite dense, making it feel heavy. It is tossed in a lemon ricotta sauce, with smoked pancetta adding another layer of richness. Somehow, it’s just not about the peas.
A thick tranche of slow-cooked porchetta (€26) arrives with an impressive outer ring of crackling. It appears to have been finished in the pan and is served on an assertive salsa verde, topped with long ribbons of marinated courgette, while a swirl of Vermentino jus circles the plate. The pork has been rolled with herbs, which seem to be heavier on parsley than fennel. I’m unsure whether the salsa verde is too strong and overwhelms the pork, or if the pork is short on flavour. It all feels a bit overwrought. The crispy Parmesan fries (€7) are good.
The tiramisu (€9.95) is served in an individual stainless-steel coupe rather than spooned from a large dish. It’s layered with boozy cake that has absorbed plenty of coffee flavour. The mascarpone cream, however, is much denser than I would expect, missing the lightness that a good sabayon can bring.
Dunne knows the bistro market well. Osteria Nove makes no claims to be an Italian restaurant with a nonna making pasta in the corner, but I had expected the dishes to taste more summery. Instead, too many feel heavy and a bit flat. It is, however, a smart neighbourhood restaurant, with people coming back for keenly priced food, a convivial room and a short stroll home.
Dinner for two with two glasses of wine was €113.40.
The verdict: Well-priced neighbourhood restaurant that needs a lighter touch
Food provenance: Fish, Select Seafoods; pork, not free-range, McCarron’s; beef, Kerrigan’s Butcher; lamb, Watergrasshill Farm; vegetables, Keelings
Vegetarian options: Burrata, goat’s cheese crostini, cacio e pepe bucatini, basil pesto casarecce
Wheelchair access: No accessible room or toilet
Music: Italian playlist
The lobby of Osteria Nove in Malahide. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill 
The diningroom in Osteria Nove in Malahide. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
