Tang (Dawson Street)

Shakshuka and cilbir over a Dublin counter

Shakshuka is the dish Tang is ordered for: eggs set into spiced tomato and pepper, eaten with whatever the counter gives you to push it around with. Cilbir is the alternative version of the same Middle Eastern breakfast idea, eggs under garlicky yoghurt and chilli butter, and choosing between the two is most of the decision here.

The rest of the menu widens out. Big wraps and salad boxes cover anyone who wants lunch in one hand, gluten-free pancakes take the sweeter end of the morning, and a vegan brownie is the one bake to know. Neither the gluten-free nor the vegan item is fenced off on a separate menu, which tells you something about how the kitchen is set up. Coffee stays deliberately simple, with cappuccino, iced latte and decaf covering most of what gets asked for.

The menu holds together because it is drawn from one place rather than assembled from several. Shakshuka, cilbir, wraps and salad boxes are recognisably from the same kitchen, which is rarer in a Dublin daytime room than it should be.

A compact room that moves in waves

Service is over the counter and seating is first come, first served, so the room fills and empties rather than turning steadily. It is lively and a little loud, and that energy is part of the appeal, but it does mean a table is a matter of timing rather than intention.

Because the layout is tight, plenty of orders leave with the customer. Wraps and salad boxes are built for that. Shakshuka and cilbir are not, so those are the dishes to plan a seat around, and they are the reason to accept a short wait rather than take the food away.

Order the shakshuka, then decide how long you are staying

Lead with the shakshuka. If you want the yoghurt and butter version of the same eggs, order the cilbir instead. If you are eating on the move, take a wrap or a salad box, both of which are built to survive the walk.

The gluten-free pancakes cover the sweeter breakfast end without asking the kitchen to run a second menu, and the vegan brownie is the sweet to finish on. Pair any of it with a cappuccino, or with an iced latte once the room warms up. The decaf is there for anyone already two coffees into the day, which on Dawson Street is not unusual.