The Cake Café in Dublin 8 and SLICE in Stoneybatter are both owned by the tasty Ray O’Neill. Photos by Babs Daly

One of Dublin 8’s most loved culinary establishments, The Cake Café, along with her little brother SLICE in Stoneybatter, Dublin 7, has a new driving force. Ray O’Neill, who has been a fixture at both cafés following a stint at Ballymaloe six years ago, has taken the reigns from Michelle Darmody.

Ray O’Neill is the man who brought us #durtydonutthursday with nostalgic summer ice-cream flavours (think tangle twister and loop de loop specials). So you can expect some hot culinary and cultural mash-ups on the horizon, as Ray plans to host some interesting happenings in the near future.

He’ll also introduce a series of guest chef slots, aiming to introduce new food offerings from all corners of the globe. What’s not to like?

1. The gayest thing about your cafés?

Me!

2. Your ideal party of five, living or dead?

Beth Ditto, Rory O’Connell, My Da: Big Ray, Grace Jones, and François Sagat for desert and I’m sorry but if all this lot are coming to my gaff, then my pals are gonna have to come along and have the craic with them too!
 

3. Your favourite place to eat, other than your own, in Dublin?

My two favourite meals in the last 18 months have been in Bastible on South Circular Road and Delahunt on Camden Street, top class food altogether.

4. If you weren’t a restaurateur what would you be doing?

I think it would have to be something food related. I’ve recently acquired an allotment just off Thomas Street with a friend of mine. We’ve started growing produce, which I will hopefully be able to use in the cafés, so I could get my teeth into growing vegetables or rearing livestock.

5. What/Who or Where is rocking your world in restaurants right now?

I was in San Sebastian recently and the food blew my mind; everything from high- end restaurants to tiny tapas bars where you stand up and enjoy outstanding pinchos with a cana of local beer, superb. We didn’t have one bad meal over the course of 10 days.

6. What does the future hold for dining?

Pickling and preserving. We do a substantial amount, both in SLICE and Cake Café. The seasonal produce comes directly from our organic farmer, Jenny McNally, and at the moment we have amazing rainbow beets and exceptional yellow carrots.

The Cake Cafe, The Daintree Building, 8 Pleasants Place, Dublin 8.

(01) 445 6100, thecakecafe.ie, Twitter: cakecafedublin, Instagram: @thecakecafedublin

SLICE, 56 Manor Place, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7.

asliceofcake.ie, Twitter: @sliced7, Instagram: @slicedublin7