Manifesto

The Dubliner 100 Best Restaurants is certainly giving me food for thought! When I decided to try Manifesto, in Rathmines, I was under the impression that this was a pizza joint. I was wrong as it is much more than that. However, I had told the family that we were going there for pizza and we were all in a ‘pizza mood’ when we arrived.

It was 6:30 on Sunday evening and the place was almost full. I was glad I’d made a reservation just a few hours earlier. As we walked through the long, narrow room we saw some of the customers had star shaped pizzas which looked really interesting and tasty. We were placed at our table and given copies of the menu. I must admit I was very tempted by some of the pasta dishes but we all opted for pizza in the end. I was quite taken with the concept of the Coccodrillo ( A crocodile-shaped Pizza, filled with Tomato sauce, Mozzarella Cheese, Ham, Mushrooms) and tried to persuade one of our young adult children to order one. They declined to do so on the basis that the pizza might be smaller than the regular type.

The pizzas arrived very promptly after we placed our order. The bases were thin and crispy (my favourite kind) and the toppings were generous. They were cooked in a wood-fired oven which is located near the entrance and which can be seen from the street (surely a customer magnet). All the pizza preparation work was fully visible as this was an open-plan area.

After devouring the pizzas hubby and son decided to have dessert. Much deliberation ensued and, finally, himsself went for Torte Ricotta e Pere and my son chose Tiramisu. The Tiramisu was a work of art, served in a martini glass. I am assured that the pear and ricotta tarte was excellent but it didn’t look appetising. We didn’t bother with coffee. The bill came to €74.

When we were leaving the restaurant I saw that a good number of diners were eating from the non-pizza selections and these meals looked mouth wateringly tasty. I would certainly try some of these dishes were I to return. The clientele seemed to be mostly people in their thirties. Groups of friends, dating couples and families with well behaved young children.