The Lo-cal Kitchen

Love everything about this happy place! Bright and colourful surroundings. Food delish esp. the healthy scones. Attracts gym goers and Castleknock locals. Great little area for mothers in to the left. An all rounder. Only quibble. could we have some more food on the plate please?!

Only found out about this place on Saturday, it’s a little hidden gem.
It’s so dainty and vintagey on the inside, miss matched furniture and China, open plan kitchen and a menu that shows a complete breakdown of macros and allergians. That alone requires a huge amount of work.
The menu is so vast I had a really tough time in choosing what I wanted, but opted for a chicken and parmasen gluten free sandwich which was tasty. The other guys had the bae, which I’m having next time, and a bean roll.
The staff are super friendly and will make anything you liking. The coffee is delicious, just wish they done a large coffee to go, but that’s just me being greedy!
Great little spot and so close to the phoenix Park too

Surprised I hadn’t heard about this place, it’s lovely!
I ordered the Philly Cheese Steak, which was listed as a new dish on the menu. It came on a fluffy, fresh wholemeal (oh, maybe it was wholewheat actually, I can’t remember and am not even sure that they’re different) bap, with loads of mixed veg. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ tasty.
Co-​lunch-​getter picked the Lo-​Cal Fish and Chips, which was haddock and a side of oven-​baked sweet potato chips. I tested that too; the fish was beautiful. Really, really fresh and cooked perfectly. The chips were nice — much softer than I would bake them at home, but no better or worse, just different. Would like if the skin was left on, for texture. Overall, great. I’ll order this myself next time.
We shared a brownie. I think it was gluten free? We’re not coeliac or gluten intolerant so I didn’t make note properly. Anyway, it was nice but TINY. I’d say about as thick as a Digestive biscuits but maybe not as wide. I wouldn’t shell out € 2.40 for it again.
Prices are around € 10 to € 13 for main courses. You can tell that you’re eating better quality food, but I think it’s a touch steep still, just because portions are smaller. A few leaves on the side wouldn’t go amiss.
Will definitely be back for another lunch and to try out the breakfast menu.
OH, and the tea cosies are great

Tried out the Lo-​cal Kitchen over the weekend and was pleasantly surprised. Really cute spot just next to The Phoenix Park. The décor is cute, airy and fresh. Staff are friendly and service is quick. I had the buttermilk pancakes which were Delish! The boyfriend had The Healthy Hangover… Don’t think it was as plentiful as he would have liked and he was hungry fairly soon later that day but the dish itself was very tasty and healthy indeed! I had the Cold Killer Juice which I loved and was served in a jam jar on top of a very cute saucer. Will be coming back.

Thoroughly disappointed. The Lo-​Cal kitchen has gotten great reviews on Unilocal and also from friends who have visited it. I honestly don’t know how. Upon arriving we awaited for the blonde waitress working there to seat us and after a while with no acknowledgement of our presence I approached her and tried to ask if we could grab a free table and she snapped at us to wait till she was finished. Next we were seated at a dirty table and upon pulling in my chair I got stabbed by a rusty nail sticking out of the chair.
When the girl came back a few minutes later to ask if we were ready to order I asked for a few more moments and got a scowl. Upon ordering from a different and more friendly waitress we were then told that there were no blueberries and later we overheard the table beside us being told there were no sweet potatoes. Seriously these are core ingredients for a good chunk of the menu!!!
So instead of a blueberry smoothie my girlfriend got a very sour, not so sexy and watery — sexy strawberry smoothie. I in turn reviewed a warm protein power smoothie which while tasty I had to leave cool for a while before drinking.
We both got the fish and sweet potato fries with ‘mint peas’. I enjoyed the breaded haddock but the sweet potatoe fries were stone cold and the mint peas had no trace of mint in them.
The restaurant itself was very messy. The floor was absolutely filthy and when we went to pay an astounding € 35 for a highly disappointing meal we saw the kitchen was in an even worse state to the extent that bins were overflowing with rubbish.
All in all the Lo-​Cal Kitchen was a huge disappointment and we won’t be returning.

It’s rare to find anything different these days, but the Lo-​Cal Kitchen is that rare beast. Great quirky décor, a menu that isn’t all over the place but instead focuses on tasty, healthy and interesting food from good suppliers. The turkey rashers and sausages are just as tasty as their piggy counterparts, but full of protein and scarce in fat. Two perfectly poached eggs and divine field mushrooms completed my breakfast, and I have to say I felt great after it. Good selection of fresh cold pressed juices to get those nutrients into you, and a very good coffee to take away also. Good for kids, unlike a lot of other restaurants they have comfortable kids high chairs with good back support. A comfy baby is a quiet baby! I’ll be going back.

Really interesting menu with plenty of variety & very little guilt. Perfect place to go to if arching what you eat. You don’t feel like you’re missing out.
Lovely atmosphere & décor. Always busy which is great that it’s so popular.
Really recommend. Especially the yummy smoothies!

Ate here for the first time today. Lovely location, especially in the sun!
I tried the Citrus Chicken Salad, which was gorgeous. Really really tasty!
Very nice feel to this place, half coffee shop, half café.
I can’t wait to try a few more things on the menu, I could see orders coming out and they looked goooood.
Deffo a must try for the health conscious person.
Very friendly, nice staff, just a little slow on service sometimes.

I had seen this place on Unilocal a little while ago so, when we decided to go spend the day at Phoenix park it was the time to try it. After a long bike ride in the park, we finally found the place thanks to a map because we got a bit lost before.
When we came in we stayed in front of the counter, I was a bit out of breath and couldn’t explain myself right enough to ask for a menu, which did not seem logic to the staff and then we waited a few minutes before they understood us.
I first was a bit disappointed by the staff that I found not really welcoming, but once we were seated they were actually pretty nice.
It was really sunny so we decided to sit outside. Thanks a million to the weather for letting us sit outside because it seemed to be the meeting point of all the mums of the neighborhood, which means it was very noisy inside, I really couldn’t have stood it for the whole time we staid there.
We took one healthy hangover, one gluten free chicken sandwich, two smoothies, one Nobo and one frozen banana coated with dark chocolate.
Everything was reeeeaaally good, the sauce on the chicken sandwich was great and so tasty, the bread was delicious, the healthy hangover was awesome, the smoothies were probably some of the best I ever had, and I really liked the originality of my frozen banana. It felt great to have some real choice of gluten free and dairy free food on the menu.
I paid 35 € for all of it, it’s not cheap, but viewing everything we took, that’s acceptable.

I read all the reviews on Unilocal and I had to go and try myself! Amazing Lo-​cal breakfast bap, everything home made and incredibly fresh. Love the internal decorations and the tea cosies are incredibly cute. Well done guys!

I like the lo-​cal kitchen, it’s a lovely brunch spot and they serve breakfast stuff all day (for people like me who don’t get out of bed till noon at the weekend) ! I usually get the pancakes! They’re pretty nice!
It’s a bit pricey for what your getting though and stuff like the sandwiches look a bit scabby on the plate with no side salad and that! It wouldn’t be an every weekend lunch spot for me but it’s nice for a change once in a while!

So I was scrolling through Unilocal when I came across here and seen all the pictures of AMAZING latte art and I’ve been in a bit of a coffee buzz so I had to try it.
I ordered the soup in a cup, the tuna melt and a cappuccino, the soup is served in a china tea cup which is a really cool touch and it tastes fantastic to boot ! Tasted particularly good on the cold day that it was :), the tuna melt was an a mixed seed brown bread with tomato and cheese.
The cappuccino came all plane Jane though :/​ (pic included) which I was felt a bit put out by. I know ! First world problem! Ha. But when they have their Unilocal page filled with amazing coffee art it kind of what I was expecting
But whatever! The food was lovely the soup was too and the coffee, staff were nice and the place looked great.

I guess i was lucky that i came on a sunny day. It was packed put we managed to get a table. I had a green tomato soup (really good) and camomile tea. Their china set is lovely and the decoration of the place shows a good taste apart from the halloween decoration at the time i was there. I recommend this place for tea room lovers. Especially, that it is hard to find tea rooms in dublin.

What a lovely little spot! Was visiting friends recently who happen to live right by the Lo-​Cal kitchen so we went for lunch. I had a tuna melt sandwich on toasted brown bread and it was delicious! I Love the interior. It’s very homely and bright.
I know if I lived nearby I’d be in here all the time!

Major fan of this place.
What I like:
— Run by a husband and wife combo — these guys know their stuff but are goddam likeable in doing so
— Located on the edge of the Phoenix Park, it’s the most perfect location possible for a post-​run /​cycle treat fest.
— Big massive windows drawing the sunlight in while you munch on your nosh
— The nosh. Homemade, healthy, inspired, absolutely delish.
— The tea — loose leaf, served in delicate vintage china and big burly but very cute knitted tea cosies.
What I don’t like:
— Nothing. This place is deadly. Long may it reign!

I love this place! The moment you walk in the door you can’t help but smile! It’s so bright and colourful, there’s a counter full of goodies to greet you along with lovely staff.
The menu is lovely and no flavour is spared. It’s so nice to go out for lunch and know exactly what you’re eating, and what calories nutrients you’re getting. Their turkey sausages are better tasting than pork sausages, their sandwiches are amazing, and the granola bars are fab!
The only downside is the lack of parking in the area, it’s in the middle of lots of apartments, with very few visitor spaces. Other than that it’s great!

I was at a Unilocal Elite event here a few weeks back and was very impressed with what was on offer. I went today and left feeling moderately satisfied but kind of bored by what I had.
So I went with the healthy hangover. Turkey rashers, turkey sausages, poached egg, beans, spinach and mushrooms. My friend went with the breakfast bap.
The staff are very friendly in here and I like the décor, it is welcoming and comfy.
I like the premise behind this place but the execution is not quite there.
If your main breakfast dish includes specifically a poached egg then really you should have your egg poaching technique perfected. My egg and my friends egg was rock hard.
I asked the waitress for another egg that was soft and she said that was no problem. No apology mind you. The new egg arrived and it was done perfectly. I shouldn’t have to ask though whilst the rest of my brekkie is sitting there. They should not send the eggs out if they are like that.
We asked for ketchup or brown sauce to which we were told they don’t serve ketchup and brown sauce. We were told there was some sort of tomato sauce but it wasn’t really for breakfast but we wanted some as the breakfast was really dry as was my friends breakfast bap.
Guys you need to at least have some sort of homemade breakfast relish for your baps, wraps and healthy hangovers. Dry brekkies I would think most people are not a fan of.
No salt/​pepper on the table and took a while for the crumbs to be wiped away from the last person.
I know turkey sausages and rashers are not exactly Superquinn sausages and I wasn’t expecting much from them BUT I grill turkey sausages at home and they are much nicer flavour wise, not the biggest fan of these particular ones.
9 quid for the large brekkie which is OK really, although should probably include your tea/​coffee. 7 quid for the brekkie bap is a little overpriced for what it is, a brekkie sambo.
I was disappointed today I must admit but, I will be back to give it another try. Hopefully the owners are reading the reviews here and take my points on board.

After an enjoyable walk, despite the rain, in Phoenix Park we needed something to warm us up. This gorgeous and unique café not only warmed our tummies but also our hearts. Our lovely host gave us a great welcome and showed us the next cosy table. The best way to describe the décor is «delightful» — mix matched chairs, good china cutlery and a freshness I haven’t seen around Dublin in quite some time. We were mesmerised by the menu, everything looked delicious and it was healthy! Great décor, good food — there must be a catch. But no, it was well priced reasonable waiting time and good coffee. I went for a healthy booster smoothie which did just that, a green citrus salad and then a cappuccino to go. It’s a pity that it’s a bit far out for me, but maybe that’s a point. The staff and music were carefully selected and added to our experience. Really really enjoyed ourselves.
It’s unique, relaxed and healthy vibe has me making plans on my next venture out to The Lo Cal Kitchen.
(Only point to note would be– could they offer an almond milk option for the coffee?)

I love the art they put into making their cappuccinos. Today bank holiday monday i had one with a wonderful dragon on it which took a few moments to do and i almost didn’t want to drink it as it looked too good to drink. But drink it i did and it was wonderful. I will be back for more coffee, this time with a book to read and some food as i didn’t have any this time. I did have some delicious and moreish food at the event a couple of weeks ago and i will definitely try it again soon when the family are not with me.
The only little thing that could be improved in my opinion is the menu. It is not clear enough to me the wonderful food i know they serve. I’m not usually one for sandwiches and salads and the board doesn’t state clearly the variety i tasted at the event. I had some lovely salmon and some little wraps and feta salad but i couldn’t see that when i went in. Normally i’m a bit meh about sandwiches and salads, expecting boring ham and cheese and limp lettuce but this place does have wow food.
The décor is just what i like, cool, a bit retro and there a couple of comfy sofa with cushions to sit on and relax. I even like the pictures on which there are many words of wisdom. If i can remember rightly, ‘don’t wait for the storm to end but dance in the rain’. Or relax here while you watch the world go by.

I have to admit, I was hesitant. In my experience anything that’s good for you isn’t as yummy as it’s bolder alternative. Seeing as this little gem is literally 5mins away from where I live, I couldn’t not go! I am so glad I did.
First thing that struck me was the décor. If you’ve read my other reviews you’ll know I love to be surrounded by beautiful things. This place hits the nail on the head. After meeting the super lovely owners Jenny and Stephen I found out why. Both are in the design business and you can clearly see they’ve fitted out many a store before. It’s shabby chic with an emphasis on the chic. The walls are adorned with really pretty finds and the dining arrangements are all hand painted and upcycled by the lovely Jenny herself. A woman after my own heart!
The first thing I got my hands on was the delicious selection of smoothies. I tried their cold remedy first, a fantastic mix of orange and pineapple and magic. My favourite. They also had strawberry, mixed berry and a protein banana shake that I surprisingly liked.
Their soups are served in adorable tea cups! I’ve seen this done before and liked it. I was concerned the portion would be too small, but these little cups of goodness are so jam packed with flavour, any more would just spoil it. I was big big fan of their ‘Super Green Soup’. I don’t know what’s in it, and I’d like to keep it that way. The cream at the bottom of the soup was a very pleasant surprise. A teacup of bliss.
I’m not a salad person, so I was too afraid to try the array of colours on show. I had some really delicious wraps and brown breads. The chicken was great too.
The key note of the evening was Jenny and Stephen’s passion for natural nutrition. As they both spoke to us, you could really tell they both love this little nook in the suburbs. I really really like these guys. They have also picked excellent staff. I even popped in this morning to grab one of the delicious smoothies and I was greeted with a warm welcome and a smile. That’s a rare thing on an early Wednesday morning.
Four stars with the potential for five. There’s an evening menu in the works, which is more my cup of soup. I can’t wait to see what goodness Jenny and Stephen have lined up.