Vegetarians look away now… Having wowed the carnivorous masses for the first time last year, Guinness X Meatopia returns to Dublin’s Open Gate Brewery from July 6-8 with some of the world’s leading fire chefs grilling, broiling and smoking their wares to perfection. The food is pared with bold tasting beers and some equally tasty live music.

Normally poster boys for self-denial, we have to confess we eat ourselves into a near coma last year and are still having dreams about those beer-braised ribs. As you may already have gleaned, there are absolutely no vegan or macrobiotic options. Tickets are available from guinnessopengate.com/meatopia.

An enthusiastic Hot Flavours “bravo!” goes to Etto, which won best eatery last week at the Irish Restaurant Awards in Dublin. We regularly troop out to Merrion Row, D2 for their €25 Three-Course Weekeday Lunch, which includes a particularly wicked Braised Short Rib with Cavolo Nero, Pickled Walnuts & Polenta. As for the Deer Carpaccio with Artichoke, Pickled Pear & Juniper, don’t get us started…