The last couple months has been exciting. unparalleled. insurmountable. I wrote in the Food Cloud post that I was overwhelmed with the positivity recently, and felt I had to take action. One of the reasons is this most-breathtaking & unreal experience - sshhhh….secret I haven't told you all yet. So I'm going to tell you now. One of, well ok, our favourite restaurant in Dublin, Forest Avenue afforded me a rare opportunity to hang out and capture some of what they do at the restaurant in hopes of getting some images for their website. Oh and we got to hang with their little one too, sweet as a button! Just to give you an idea; Irish times says it's 'ground-breaking without being swaggering or smug… giving us damn fine dining'. Lovin' dublin says, 'the food ... photos say way more than anything I ever could. Safe to say that it was all absolutely f[bleep]ing gorgeous'; French Foodie in Dublin, 'the most stylish restaurants. Absolutely magical!' and every blog post I see online has at least a dozen photos of the stunning food. The Irish Independent claims it's 'A Marriage made in heaven'; and Totally Dublin says ' I’m in love with the place, the food and the couple who are running the show at Forest Avenue.' Heck, Catherine Cleary said this would be her pick for birthday dinner, and honestly mine too. Forest Avenue has just won the Best Newcomer of the Year and John was awarded Best Chef in Dublin at the Restaurant Awards of Ireland. Hats off! So it seems fitting at this time, to share some of these pictures with you. If you don't know them yet, Sandy & John are the masterminds behind Forest Avenue. Sandy is super warm and guides the service team with a defined idea of what they envisage; while John leads the kitchen with his stoic unwavering focus. Together, their focus is on the flawless product . I am mesmerised by the work they do in and out of the kitchen, but also by their authenticity. Service is about creating an experience for customers - they consider this down to the plush of a pillow, the texture of (my favourite) potato bread, and the perfection of their quenelles.

It's hard to capture in words what the experience is like. It is undeniably the most passionate meal in Dublin in a subtle and understated way. There's just something about this place. I know it's about the flavours, the interaction, the atmosphere and staff, all these things are tangible but there is something completely not tangible that makes the dining experience at Forest Avenue. Something about their passion transcends through the food - it literally makes you want to be better at whatever it is you do because they work so hard from start to finish to be amazing. The one and only upsetting part of the story is that there is so much love for this place that booking must be done well in advance - so if you plan a visit call early! You've been forewarned.

Sandy, John, Forest Ave team, thanks for sharing your love with us.

See the [Dinner at Forest Avenue]

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