Beyond the Pale is taking the taste of south Dublin out to the woods, with host, Reggie’s PizzariaBeyond the Pale takes place from June 12th-14th at the Glendalough Estate, Co Wicklow. Rebecca DalyThu Jun 04 2026 - 06:00 • 4 MIN READWhen we think of what’s on offer to eat at festivals, we can generally count on the likes of a chip van, an Asian stand or some kind of Mexican offering. But, what about a sit-down dining experience in the midst of all the madness? This is exactly what festivalgoers can expect from Beyond the Pale, which takes place from June 12th-14th at the Glendalough Estate, Wicklow. The festival, now in it’s fifth year, is taking the taste of south Dublin out to the woods, with Ranelagh’s Host and Rathmines’s Reggie’s Pizzeria offering dining experiences, as well as Ibile, a pop-up restaurant showcasing West African-dishes.But just how easy – or difficult – will it be to bring high-quality restaurant dishes to a festival environment?Host’s head chef Niall McDermott says their main focus for the weekend will be cooking steaks on an open fire, paired with some Irish and Italian produce. Their menu for the weekend shows a sharing 800g McLoughlin’s strip loin on the bone.“We’ll try to keep it simple enough with the other stuff, so everything’s kind of fresh and ambient and dressed. We won’t have much other hot stuff apart from the meat,” he says.Structurally simple, perhaps, but these dishes certainly won’t be an afterthought. Expect the likes of burrata with Sicilian peach and white balsamic; fennel salami with marinated peppers; and Sardinian tomato with onion and tarragon.Those who may be having flashbacks to outdoor dining in the times of the pandemic need not fear, however, as the experience is set up for rain, hail or shine.“It’s a proper marquee with proper seating and a proper floor and everything, so it will be like a restaurant experience. If the weather’s great, it will obviously make it a lot better,” McDermott says.Reggie White, owner of Reggie's Pizzeria. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien For Reggie White, of the much-loved Rathmines pizzeria, he knew he wanted to be involved when he saw what a “quality operation” it was going to be. “I didn’t give it much more thought other than, ‘How nice would it be to be down at a festival to get restaurant quality food?’,” White says.Like any other busy Saturday night, he says a lot of prep has to be done in advance so it won’t take too much adjustment to bring it all down to Wicklow.White wants his customers to feel like they’re in the restaurant with the quality of food that is delivered “as opposed to a burger and chips out of a van for 14 quid”.“I just couldn’t ever see any joy in it – even if you told me I was going to make five-times the money – in watching every person walk away and feel like they’ve been mugged. I feel like it has to be just as good when we’re down at Beyond the Pale as it would be at the restaurant.”[ Reggie’s Pizzeria review: The Margherita is a study in simplicity at this ambitious new Rathmines ventureOpens in new window ]On their menu are four different types of 10” pizzas to share, ricotta meatballs, garlic bread, arancini and sticky toffee pudding for dessert.Returning to the festival is Tolu Asemota and his Ibile team. The West African-inspired menu brings the likes of jollof rice and beef cheek croquettes for entrée; plantain waffles and Yaji fried chicken, yam porridge and golden morn crusted French toast for mains; and a selection of desserts. “The whole Ibile brand, it’s West African-food but it’s art, it’s culture. And what we’re trying to bring to Beyond the Pale is West African-cuisine, but from a different lens,” Asemota says.Asemota is excited to bring the experience back this year in the form of a sit-down dinner as they often do tasting menus around the country. “We are getting to do our actual experiences at a festival. It’s kind of like us bringing our brand the exact way we want it to be portrayed to the festival, as opposed to just selling food as a normal vendor. “You get to really connect to the guests. You get to talk to them about the dishes. You get to tell them about the region that the dish is from. They try something new and you’re also storytelling as well, and that’s what’s really exciting for us.”Bookings are open for each experience now, with a minimum of four per booking for Reggie’s and Ibile. Prices start at €65 per person, excluding fees. It’s a far cry from a serving of curry chips, but could this be the future of festival food? Aside from the restaurant bookings, the festival has a full Beyond the Plate experience for any foodies in attendance. Food writer Ali Dunworth has curated a whole line-up of events, which are all included with your ticket and feature the likes of Cassie Stokes, Joe Macken, Louise McSharry, Shane Smith and more. From Bloody Marys to K-pop snacks, there’s plenty to see – and taste – over the weekend.Bookings for the restaurant sittings can be made through the Beyond the Pale website or by clicking here.IN THIS SECTION