Sabrina, the general manager (and also our server) was fantastic, as were the rest of the staff…read more The food was excellent too! Highly recommended.

Don't make the same mistake as us and not make a reservation, we got VERY lucky we were staying at…read morea nice hotel next door that could get us in because HOLY COW. This might be one of my favorite meals of all my travels. We were immediately seated and taken care of in a small cove. It was very secluded and quiet for a nice date night. The service was on top of it, someone at the table every few minutes. It's definitely an experience. They have some phenomenal wine options by the glass or bottle. We started with the avocado ponzu which omg really set the stage, it had perfect flavors. My fiancé got the duck, which was so tender and flavorful and the pepper sauce (mousse?) was to die for. I got the potato dumplings on the vegetarian menu and they had chunks of perfectly cooked morels! The sauce and the flavors were so delicately paired and showed the no brainer of why this spot is recognized my Michelin. We also got the side of carrots and the aroncini, both super tasty. It was a wonderful meal, definitely an experience. I was impressed with the prices, I expected much more expensive for a place of this type, but it's very fair and makes it attainable for almost anyone to splurge on a delicious meal. 1000000/10 probably one of the best restaurants I've eaten at, highly recommend.

This great restaurant is tucked away on a one way street in a great part of Dublin. The ambiance is…read morefantastic. Lowly lit, romantic in design, and classy in service. My host tonight treated me with 5 service ensuring that I had an experience to remember. The wine list is impressive & is well chosen. Many of the options pair well with the "pre-theatre" dinner menu. For dinner I had the cured sea trout with Goatsbridge caviar... phenomenal. Both aesthetically pleasing and pleasing for the pallet. For my main I elected to have the beef cheeks. Goodness, I have never had a piece of meat so soft and delicious! The dessert, well that was quite nice. Not my favorite tho.... For those of you who love chocolate it is a great choice as it is 64% dark chocolate with a great garnish on top.

One Pico, Dublin…read more There is something reassuring about a restaurant that knows what it is doing. At One Pico, that confidence is evident from the moment you sit down. The service is knowledgeable, friendly and genuinely personable without ever becoming intrusive. Wine recommendations were thoughtful and well paired, and the pacing of the meal felt assured. The room itself is well designed in many respects. Tables are positioned at just the right distance from one another, creating a sense of intimacy without feeling cramped, and the dark grey velvet chairs are both elegant and surprisingly comfortable. That said, the décor feels ready for a refresh. The smoked-mirror columns are distractingly dated, while the artwork feels caught between eras -- a mix of modern prints and somewhat tired landscapes that doesn't quite match the sophistication of the food or service. I found myself thinking of Le Continental in Quebec as an interesting point of reference. One Pico could embrace the same elegant moodiness while giving the room a more distinctly local identity -- perhaps through work by Irish artists. A colour wash in a moody navy, or even a shade drawn from the dark grey of the chairs, could transform the atmosphere. I would also paint the ceiling. Bringing the ceiling into the palette would make the room feel more enveloping and intimate, and would better reflect the calibre of the experience on the plate. The Food I had the pre-theatre menu, and it did not disappoint. I began with the blue cheese mousse, followed by hake, and finished with the passion fruit soufflé -- which is, without question, a must-order. The starters, accompanied by brown bread, sourdough and salted fresh butter, were memorable. In fact, I found myself thinking about them several times in the days that followed. There was something wonderfully comfortable about the food, but it was never predictable. It reminded me of an old friend who had gone away for years and returned from Paris: familiar, but somehow more interesting for the time apart. The blue cheese mousse was visually dynamic, with contrasting textures and unexpected bursts of flavour. It managed to take an ingredient that can easily overwhelm a dish and make it feel nuanced and elegant. The hake was the standout savoury course. It was cooked to perfection, beautifully plated and genuinely surprising. This was the sort of dish that makes you close your eyes for a moment simply to take in the flavour. It had the layered complexity that great restaurant cooking should have -- light while still rich, with each element contributing without competing. Which made the roasted potatoes all the more perplexing. A side of potatoes should be a simple thing to get right, particularly in a kitchen capable of producing food of this calibre. Unfortunately, these were dry, tasteless and, ultimately, inedible. They were easily the most disappointing part of the meal and perhaps the most unexpected, precisely because everything else demonstrated such care and precision. Thankfully, the passion fruit soufflé brought things back to the level I had come to expect. It was beautifully balanced: layered and complex, light while still rich, and not overly sweet. I finished every bite. A salted caramel truffle arrived afterward. I have to admit that salted caramel has been done to death, and it is something I generally steer clear of. This one, however, was worth the calories. Once again, there were layers of flavour rather than simply sweetness compensating for a lack of complexity. The Verdict One Pico delivers a polished and memorable meal, with particularly strong cooking in its starters and seafood. The portions are just right, the menu is varied, and the wine pairing was handled with confidence. The hake and passion fruit soufflé alone are reason enough to make the visit memorable. The restaurant's interior, however, is beginning to feel out of step with the quality of what is happening in the kitchen. A thoughtful refresh -- particularly of the artwork, smoked mirrors, colour palette and ceiling -- could elevate the entire experience without sacrificing the comfortable character that already works so well. And perhaps leave the potatoes off the order. Everything else suggests a kitchen operating at a remarkably high level. The food is thoughtful without being fussy, familiar without being dull, and sophisticated without losing its sense of pleasure. One Pico is the kind of restaurant that stays with you -- and, in the best cases, has you thinking about a dish several days later.

There are reasons I know I'm getting old, aside from the fact that the birthdays just keep crashing…read morein likes waves. One is my failing sight after years of relying on my eyes and my eyes alone to read. Another perhaps less common garden variety is the internal meltdown I face when confronted with a lot of menu choice in restaurants. If you identify with the latter, you may wish to save yourself a lot of hassle and simply choose the set menu here. If not, be warned, the a la carte alternative is complex, and for your own sake don't arrive tired or emotional. This is a prime mental condition eating experience. Famed Dublin restauranteur Dylan McGrath is an ideas man. His restaurants are as much about concept as they are about food, and though I'm sure there's a big heart in there, the head rules. If you want proof, study the menu. Across the top are taste categories (bitter, salty, sweet, etc.). Down the left are dish categories. So you scale down, then across, to see what combination of taste and texture your dish offers. And there are lots of choices. And a huge variety of prices. But what's less clear is quantity. And I was hungry and wanted to know I'd get an oul dinner into me before that difficult hungry phase that reduces my brain to mush and makes me want to howl like a baby. The very friendly waitress reassured us that though the menu seems complex first time round, after you've done it once, it's a breeze. (That's how I cottoned on to the fact that the wait staff here have post docs in maths.) Full marks for trying though. No less than two members of staff talked us through things, and they really did their best - did I sense concern that people are having difficulty getting it? Whichever - in the end, it was all too much for me - cue set menu. So, to my relief, for forty euros, you can certainly expect to leave full, with sushi starters - ok, it's not called sushi, it's the long one with the piece of fish on top of the rice (though more wasabi, please) -,delicious miso with clams and those delicate long-stemmed mushrooms that definitely have a name, beef skewers with rice (too much rice already) and potato main, and desert. The food presentation is beautiful, served on marble slabs and in delicate ceramics, with a Japanese-influenced simplicity. I thought the restaurant was Japanese from the menu but see from the website there are Spanish and South American influences too - not very obvious to me but then again I flunked the menu test. The sushi that isn't sushi was yummy, especially the turbot which was a smoky hit of flavour, and the sea bass, with a smooth texture that melts on the tongue. The beef is served on a mini-BBQ which, like the mushrooms, has a proper name. (The only problem with this method of on-table serving is being smoked out of it by the table next door who's got too much fuel on the fire.) If you want your steak more than medium rare, just cook on. My steak was a slightly mixed experience being a bit fatty, though my partner didn't have the same issue. Desert was ginger panna cotta, with melon granita, which was light yet intense in flavour and delicious. We had tried to book Rustic Stone, the restaurant downstairs, but it was full and they suggested we try Taste. We didn't know it was Japanese-influenced and I think they took this on board upon seeing our menu-bafflement and offered a glass of wine on the house. Fair enough. If I returned I'd be armed with a more rested brain (like I'd give it a full day off beforehand, take it to the pictures, buy it flowers, tell it it was looking great) and I would square right up to that a la carte menu, look it in the eye and plainly demand to know its tofu options, the brute, and I wouldn't take no for an answer. The Japanese are masters of simplicity, so ultimately I agree if for different reasons that Taste is not a Japanese restaurant. But the food largely made up for it, the service was good, it's a relaxing place to eat, and if the head wins over the heart, there's no denying it's a decent head. If you don't believe me, just look in the window where its image hangs pride of place, presumably so you know who best to talk to if you need anything explained.

In expectation of my arrival in Dublin for a 17 day visit, my sister sent me Taste as a potential…read moredinner option while I was staying with her. Coincidentally, I had a hankering for sushi on the first night and so after snagging a reservation, off we went to Taste. The restaurant was located on the third floor of Rustic Stone. We were seated at the sushi bar for dinner. The bar itself was different from those that I've experienced in the US where the cooking area is lower so you have a view of what the chef is making; however, the bar seating at Taste was also way roomier than most in the US. My sister and I opted for the €60 omakase - I requested the umami miso and the duck broth, while my sister had the regular miso and the salmon broth - and added on some toro nigiri. We also ordered cocktails - the Eastern Promise and the Gin Garden - which were excellent. The meal was excellent! The nigiri combinations were sometimes surprising but they worked well. The quality of the fish was also very good. I loved the broth and cooking the duck breast myself - it was so rich and the flavours were deep and well-developed. For the "light dessert" they brought out three options: a cheesecake, a coconut ice cream, and a ginger flan. The cheesecake actually had this odd cheese (not cream cheese or ricotta) taste but my sister and I were obsessed. Minus one star for the service because although everyone was super super nice, it was slooooooow. Our meal took about 3 hours. Not that we minded but just be wary that you might be here awhile! However, the meal meal was excellent and my sister and I agreed that between us there was nothing on the menu that we wouldn't order.

Reserved this restaurant a month ago because all the 2 star Michelin restaurants are booked. I…read morereally enjoyed my meal. We got a window table to do people watching during the dining experience (a plus for me). Their service is amazing! They remembered the notes I put in when I made my reservation (that my hubby does not eat meat) and their chef customized the tasting menu for him. All the courses are very delicious and paced nicely. They are not big portion but I feel very full already when I was at the fourth course. The desserts are also wonderful. The frozen raspberries are very refreshing. I was so impressed by the cinnamon mint sorbet with chocolate moose as there are so many flavors bursted in my mouth, sour, sweet, minty, spice... but they all go well together. Overall this restaurant offers great value, and I highly recommend.

The menu nomenclature here is a little confusing, so let me break it down for you. "A la carte…read moremenu" means three-course meal, "Surprise menu" means four-course meal, and "Tasting menu" means five course meal. I don't know why Glover's Alley doesn't just simply label their menus by the number of courses. We chose the "Surprise menu" or four-course meal for €125. I think each dish was pretty good in taste and pretty to look at in presentation. There were different flavor combinations and textures, and it was evident that multiple cooking techniques were used. Usually with a €125 menu and only four courses, I expect somewhat larger portions for each course or one or two added intermezzo snacks between courses from the chef. Neither happened. I left feeling hungry (1 star off). The bread service was also disappointing (1 star off). The Parmesan bread roll was probably the best of all the options. The Guinness bread did not have any Guinness taste, so it was more like a regular wheat bread. The mini-baguette was cute, but so-so in taste. There was a fourth bread choice, a raisin bread, that looked...anemic...so I never tried it. I did like the butter -- it must have been the Irish cream that churned into such good butter! It's a little sad that the most memorable part of dinner for me was the butter.

The dishes here were delicious! And the best part - it was a block away from our hotel and outside…read moreof the crazy touristy zone. The setting was very romantic with dimmed lighting. We shared the lamb rack, where the meat was very tender. The portion was great for sharing between two, as we also had some cabbage and chorizo as sides. The bread and butter were fresh, but nothing special. Overall, the service was attentive, and we enjoyed our meal very much.

We read through many reviews to find just the right place to have dinner our last night in Dublin,…read moreand Bloom Brasserie turned out to be the perfect choice. As James Joyce fans we loved the name as well. An atmospheric space with stone walls, dimly lit with real candles, Bloom is beautiful without being pretentious. Warm welcoming service by Paraic and Breege throughout the evening. First we sampled their homemade brown bread, absolutely divine. We both started with foie gras and toast which was smooth, creamy and utterly yum. My local duck breast with spinach and potato main was very flavorful and a generous portion. Partner's mushroom risotto was a bit cheesier than he generally prefers but he said it was still very good. We were too full for dessert but were comped shots of Bailey's Irish Cream, a perfect ending. Paraic even called a taxi for us afterward, such a lovely gesture. We'll definitely return to Bloom Brasserie next time we're in Dublin, and recommend them highly.

Cool atmosphere in this bistro, service was excellent and the servers made recommendations, the…read moresoup was very tasty and thick. Fish balls were tasty and chucked full of fish. Cool lunch spot

After a day of walking all over Dublin, we wanted to give this restaurant try since it's close to…read moreour hotel so we could eat then relax. Was Not Disappointed!! We made reservations online at the bistro--they have three areas a the bistro is laid back and bustling. The wine bar and terrace also have food and seem very low vibe and chill, a little more relaxed than the bistro if you want something cozy. The main restaurant, the bistro, was bustling and busy, with waitstaff constantly circulating to take orders and deliver food and drinks; if we needed something we didn't have to wait for our particular server to order or request anything. The atmosphere ranged from casual to business casual, so we didn't feel like we were underdressed. The menu is varied so there really is something for everybody! Roasted chicken, fish, steak, fire roasted vegetable dish, in addition to either a set course option or à la carte. I went with the 3 course set, which gave me a lot of options for the starter, main, and dessert. We both ordered the Irish Hereford steaks, which were cooked to perfection! Absolutely delicious, and excellent ambience. Definitely a good plan to reserve a spot, it was super busy! Great way to end our day! We may go back again before we leave Dublin, since we know we're going to get a fantastic experience.

Everything, food and wine, amazing. Atmosphere, perfect balance of low-haute fancy and bistro…read morecomfortable. Front window banquet is best seat in the house. We were rushed along and asked to make choices early (even dessert!) although we weren't close to stated closing time, so factor that in.

L'Ecrivain restaurant was my first dining experience at a single Michelin star rated restaurant and…read moreit certainly did not disappoint. After arriving, a coat check person took our coats and we had some cocktails in the bar. The prices were very reasonable. Only about five euros for whiskey. After finishing our cocktails we were seated in the main dining room. We were presented our menus and surprisingly, the price was only 75 Euros for an amazing five courses. I had the scallops followed by the deer and finished with a Tiramisu. The dinner also included coffee or tea and petit fours. Service, Ambiance, and food presentation were all excellent. I would definitely return to this restaurant anytime. It was an amazing dining experience and a good value with all things considered. Strongly recommended!

Delicious fresh fish and veg. Nice wine list and good service. Located near the park. Cozy space…read more Nice for a date, dining alone or small group.

For our final dinner in Ireland, we chose Etto, another restaurant recognized by the Michelin…read moreGuide. Located just off St. Stephen's Green, Etto is a cozy neighborhood bistro serving modern European cuisine with French influences while showcasing excellent Irish ingredients. The restaurant is small, energetic, and, at least on the evening we visited, quite noisy. We were initially seated at the bar but appreciated being moved to a table near the entrance, where it was much easier to carry on a conversation. The menu is intentionally concise, with selections divided into nibbles, starters, mains, sides, and desserts. We began with oysters, followed by the potato rösti and mussels. For our mains, I ordered Salter's pork with French bean salad and apricot mustard, while my daughter chose the cavatelli. She really enjoyed the pasta, but I found the pork a bit underwhelming. It simply didn't leave the impression I was hoping for. We also shared the Abercorn salad, which was fresh and lightly dressed with a creamy vinaigrette. The highlight of the evening was dessert. The Strawberry Sundae, made with sheep's milk ice cream and hibiscus meringue, was one of the best desserts we enjoyed anywhere in Ireland. Our server, Luca, was excellent throughout the meal, offering helpful recommendations and attentive service. While Etto was probably our least memorable Michelin Guide meal of the trip, it was still a pleasant evening with outstanding service and a dessert I'll be thinking about for a long time.