Spencer Dock Lunchtime Market (IVM) — Local services in Dublin

Only discovered this market recently; shame it's not open more frequently because the selection and quality of the food is very good. Portions are pretty decent, too!

It's located in the dire, grey, corporate heartland of the IFSC that dredges the life out of anyone, which is the last place you'd expect to find something uplifting.

But what a nice food market nonetheless.

I've managed to try a couple of the vendors here over the past few months, so thought I'd share my experience on each:

Day N Night: I tried their lobster roll for €16.00. It felt more like eating lobster with mayonnaise in a roll. There doesn't seem to be more than that? At least that's what it tastes like; a bit bland. I have had far better and more creative lobster rolls in the past. A bit disappointing!

Pappas Falafels: definitely one of the tastier options! And I say that as someone who doesn't really opt for falafel that often. A really nice, tasty, good value for money option.

South African Braai: a bit of a rip off, to be honest. It was I think €12 for 1 small piece of chicken and chips. The chips were quite tasty, but the tiny piece of chicken for €12 is a bit on the cheeky side. Other vendors give decent portions for the rate; this portion size just wasn't up to scratch to justify that rate. What I had was tasty, but I was left hungry! It should be 2 pieces of chicken per order. The bap is delicious, though!

Taste of Thai: tried the Pad Thai and another recommended dish and both were very tasty and good value for money. The food was cooked reasonably quickly too, despite the queue. I'd definitely like to come back and try more of what they offer!

Kerala Kitchen: the biryani is nice, but it's called a "chicken" biryani and you don't get much chicken! You're just a few pieces of chicken away toward a vegan dish! I think much more chicken should be added. It was decent flavour wise and price wise, but you feel that it could really add more meat to what is supposed to be a meaty dish.

Pizza al Volo: a proper Italian-style pizza, not like that thick crust rubbish imported from America. Tasty too, and great value. I tried the pollo al Volo and it was very good!

Mr Noodle: recently tried this place and it was really delicious, both the Singapore sauce and the black bean sauce were very nice. Portion was decent, too - probably the best value for money of the lot and will definitely be back for more!

Not sure what the name of the kebab place is, but that's among the best I have tried here. It's a solid, tasty, delicious kebab - and very good portions! Definitely one of the best in the market.

Same with the place that offers steak sandwiches. Really delicious steak sandwich and, like the kebab place, right up there at the top with what I think are the tastiest, best value for money vendors in the market.

Tried the burger place and though I'm not a big burger fan, it was one of the tastiest burgers I've had, if not the tastiest. Packed with flavour. Size is decent and not too large too. Chips were on point - crispy and seasoned perfectly. Definitely one of the top places to try!

Looking forward to trying all the others in the near future!

Outside of the food, it's probably worth adding some kind of large umbrellas as the rain kicks in for the coming months - such as it did today for me. It's not convenient to walk down to the seating area if it's lashing rain. Better to have a dedicated separate umbrella set-up within the market itself on rainy days so people aren't being drowned with rain whilst waiting for their food. Not everyone uses the dedicated seating area etc. Otherwise it may end up discouraging people from visiting again...

We stumbled upon this fantastic food truck event completely by chance! It was set up in a charming little park with benches, perfect for a picnic, and offered an incredible selection from 10 different countries' cuisines. We ultimately went with the Mexican option, which was absolutely delicious and generously portioned. As a funny coincidence, we discovered at the end of our order that two of the staff members were Hungarian – it was such a pleasant surprise to meet fellow Hungarians unexpectedly...

Class option for lunch in the IFSC where it can feel like a bit of a desert of food options (unless you love sandwiches). They supply tables & benches and shelter for poor weather. I've had the Thai and the Korean - both delicious. The Korean box though was on the...