Here's a quote from Black Marigolds, the second book in the 'Moss Reid' series. It's a set piece where Moss Reid slips through a back alley (most people miss it) from Nancy Hands's smoking garden and sneaks into Juno's Bistro to see who's tailing him...
Juno’s calls itself a bistro – the kind of place that does a damn good venison sausage and mash – but the décor is really more classic American diner. At the next table a legal type – no doubt on a late lunch from the courts around the corner – was making a fine mess of his juicy burger with homemade aioli; his younger male companion was diving into a large bun of pulled pork. You could smell the chips and barbecue sauce...
So that's Juno's Cafe of Parkgate Street, on the western fringe of Stoneybatter. Or do they call themselves a bistro? I can't remember. But it's true about the great grub. Note to people on the run: if you really want to hide in there, you'd be better off retreating to the tables at the rear. Here's one of my terrible snaps from that vantage point.
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From Juno's to Gusto
Update: 4 March 2015
Since that original post, Juno's has closed. The food safety authorities reported a one-day closure on 21 August 2014 and the cafe reopened the next day, so at the time it sounded like a minor problem had to be fixed. A month later there was a further closure order.
After that the cafe remained closed, and on 2 October 2014 @JunosCafe tweeted:
"@MossReid @oceanclub Thanks for the support guys. We chose to close for other reasons but very touched by your concern :) take care!"
The premises remained closed and there were no signs of life until the end of February 2015, when it was being renovated. It is to become an Italian cafe and restaurant called Gusto, run by the people from Terrazzo Italia in the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre,
That's the Italian restaurant on the top balcony in the Powerscourt that, as their own website puts it, is "one of Paolo Tullio’s favourites, and a hangout for Dublin’s Italian community in search of a taste of home."
Paolo's review of the Powerscourt venture suggests great Italian grub at reasonable prices. The new venture should be open in Parkgate Street early in March 2015.