Restaurant Guide

Drakol

Mmmm... This is my Second post and I just wanted to say two things -

One - The Best meal I had ever had, was a Lamb Stew in the Country, Out in the Middle of Nowhere in the County of Kildare is an Inn/Pub. Well its been at least six years and I'm only Nineteen, but I remember the Stew as if it were yesterday - It was just that good!

Anyway - Wanted to ask if anyone had any ideas on what the name of that place is, Or suggest a couple in Kildare out in the middle of nowehere lol - I'm going to go travalling for a bit and wanted to know ^____^

Two - A Great Japanese place just opened up in the Castleknock Village, just through the pheonix park if you head out of town.

It's name is "Akasaka" *Does anyone know what that means?*

It's not expensive compared to places like Aya or the Japense place in front of the GoodWorld Chinese Restaurant near Ricks Burgers.

Anywho - They serve Ramen,Rice and Sushi - As well as other Japanese foods ^^ It's the only place I know that Serves Okinomi-Yaki *I.e. Japanese Pizza made from many ingredients*

The place has a Brilliant Enviorment, The tables and everything else is made from real wood! I mean the tables look like pieces of a Tree without processing. anywho, It has a Traditional Feel to the place, even though I've never been to Japan *Crosses fingers for next year*

Just informing on New Developments *Goes to look up BananaBread*

spacecoyote

Ate in Bleu Bistro on Dawson Street at the weekend and must say i & our whole group were on the whole quite unimpressed. The service was extremely poor and the menu flattered to deceive.

Having read some good reviews for One Pico i rang to make the reservation. They informed me that they could not accomodate our group (8 people) on the night but that their Sister restaurant Bleu would be capable.

There seemed to be a slight air of pretention to this restaurant, but the menu sounded appealing as did the wine menu so we held high hopes.

Unfortunately the wine menu turned out to be the only highlight. of our group only two were happy with their main courses, the swordfish & the sea bass. I had the john dory and while the fish itself was well cooked, the accompanying sauce was extremely bland.

On the whole, everything was well presented but that is not enough in my books to merit a return. Meal cost approx €480 between 8 including drinks.

Will not be returning here in any hurry!!!

Soulgirl

Spacecoyote, I'm glad i checked the boards before i booked this place! I was actually about to book bistro bleu for next week as i liked the look/style of it, website gives the menus and it seemed to be exactly what id been after. im really disappointed to hear thats its not great. and i have to say im pretty unimpressed when service in a place that charges those prices is so poor.

So - would anyone else be able to suggest a restaurant in the same style...basically, I'm going out for dinner with an American friend next week. We're two ladies (well, in our twenties), so not somewhere too coupley. My friend has just spent 2 weeks in the south of France, she has a country home there, so i wanted to stay clear of anywhere that was French/mediterranean style, as she'll have had enough of that, and nothing compares to the real thing!

I liked the idea of going somewhere bright, modern, stylish and fairly upmarket, without being ridiculous (i.e. not on for the full white tablecloths experience!). I had considered Odessa, Eden and Fitzers - now I've never actually been to any of these, so am just going on what Ive heard or passing by, like the look of. Would anyone have any other suggestions ? Ideally, there'd be a nice view or something, and possibly the option of having a cocktail first ? Main thing is something a bit special, and delicious food - not too much to ask?!

Would really appreciate any ideas, thank you.

finster

It is the best restaurant!!

blondie83

Soulgirl wrote:

Spacecoyote, I'm glad i checked the boards before i booked this place! I was actually about to book bistro bleu for next week as i liked the look/style of it, website gives the menus and it seemed to be exactly what id been after. im really disappointed to hear thats its not great. and i have to say im pretty unimpressed when service in a place that charges those prices is so poor.

So - would anyone else be able to suggest a restaurant in the same style...basically, I'm going out for dinner with an American friend next week. We're two ladies (well, in our twenties), so not somewhere too coupley. My friend has just spent 2 weeks in the south of France, she has a country home there, so i wanted to stay clear of anywhere that was French/mediterranean style, as she'll have had enough of that, and nothing compares to the real thing!

I liked the idea of going somewhere bright, modern, stylish and fairly upmarket, without being ridiculous (i.e. not on for the full white tablecloths experience!). I had considered Odessa, Eden and Fitzers - now I've never actually been to any of these, so am just going on what Ive heard or passing by, like the look of. Would anyone have any other suggestions ? Ideally, there'd be a nice view or something, and possibly the option of having a cocktail first ? Main thing is something a bit special, and delicious food - not too much to ask?!

Would really appreciate any ideas, thank you.

What about Mao? There's one just off Grafton Street and the food is lovely - its my standard "meeting up with the girls" place! You gotta book it though cos it gets quite busy

spacecoyote

Ate here with the missus on Monday night and was extremely impressed. Althought most of the patrons seemed a little on the pretentious side, we simply ate here because my girlfriend is fairly picky and the menu appealed to her.

To start with, the staff were excellent. They were very attentive, without being in our faces and we never felt as if we were being rushed at all.

For starters i had the Scallops and my girlfriend had the salmon. Both of us really enjoyed both, and for mains i had the BANGers and Mash and she had the chargrilled vegetable salad. Again both courses were cooked to perfection. Desserts were a warm lemon spongecake and home made ice cream, both very enjoyable. with the dessert menu, i thought there was a nice touch with each selection having a dessert wine recommended to complement the dish.

Meal cost €75 for the 3 courses, neither of us were drinking. Definitely recommended and we will definitely be returning

DrummerBoy

Ok Drakol, based on your review of Akasaka I've just made a reservation for Friday night. Looking forward to seeing what the place is like.

billyblanks

Patrick street, Dun Laoghaire.

Went there on Friday with a group of 10 people.......it was brutal! First of all I would like to say the place was not busy so that can not be used as an excuse.

first of all we were sitting there for 25 mins before we were asked if we would like a drink. This was a problem through out the meal, there was long peroids of time where nobody at the table had a drink.

Secondly they got orders wrong which in turn left people sitting there without any food for 10 mins while everybody had theirs.

They forgot orders, 2 of us had to re-order our dessert and coffee.

And finally it is over priced for what it is, first time in a long time I did not tip.

On a positive note my greek salad and Pizza were both very nice!

Soulgirl

Just wondering if anyone has been to the new place Venu ? I had a pretty bad experience there last week and would NOT be tempted to go back. What do you think of this ?

Myself and a friend decided to go for a drink there last Wednesday evening. It was early (6.00ish), and we when went through the doors (its pretty far below ground) the whole area was empty. So, I picked a drinks menu up and we sat down at a table (kind of a booth thing). The barman came over and when he heard we were 'only' having a glass of wine each, he said we would have to move to the bar! Bear in mind, the whole place at the front was empty and I wouldnt exactly have predicted a rush. So, then we said (we were far too pleasant to this guy) we'll sure we'll have a look at the menu (didnt want to have to decamp). A few minutes looking at the menu and nothing took our fancy - there weren't any tapas or anything and it was far too early to order a meal. Anyway, the waiter comes back over (hounding us) and I said "well, we'd actually just like to start with a glass of wine so I guess we'll have to move to the bar" and he just nodded nonchalantly....I was pretty annoyed, I mean, it was empty there and I certainly would have no problem vacating a table if people wished to eat, but to just have some stupid rule.....plus, the likelihood was, we would have enjoyed our drink and then decided to look at the menu again and order something more substantial! Anyway, we both just said "listen its fine thanks" and left.

I have to say they didnt try very hard, and the place was empty.
Also - the menu was laminated and didnt look incredibly appealing. I think this place needs to get its priorities right - its all style and no substance.
Any one have anything good to say ? It would be a shame to write it off completely.

scotusone

sha roe . clonegal on the wexford carlow border.

bistro style food wonderfully executed charmingly served , hub and wife team.

superb short wine list , well priced and every wine a fine food wine.

a gem , a diamond , so book or you wont get it .

45 / 50 euro a head for the works . for this kind of honesty flair charm and quality , a steal .

amoebaman

I was at a place Gola in Swords. The scenery isn't great as it is opposite a shopping center to be, but the food was simply exquisite. I saw that there were no pizzas and was initially disappointed but was won over by the other Italian stuff on offer. Wasn't a fan of italian food before but was converted.

marti80

Does anyone know any small quiet, romantic-but-not-chintzy places to eat for couple having a belated honeymoon in Dublin. They're friends of mine coming from Belgium and Spain and they're really cool and open minded. I just can't think of anywhere that fits the bill!:(

snickerpuss

I love pasta fresca, good for really lovely pasta and pizza dishes. Not very expensive. Nice wines and good lunch menus. The staff are lovely too.

Salamanca is also lovely, lots of nice dishes, mainly fish but some others, more expensive but nice atmosphere, no booking policy is annoying, its always full whenever i go.

Also rolys@the pavillion in dun laoighare is very nice, the pre-theatre dinner menu is good value, whole place is a bit too fancy with weird sculpted dinners but it tasted fantastic so i guess thats all that counts. Nice views too!

pam

Myself and 5 girlfriends went to Venu on south Anne Street last Saturday for a meal. After spending well over 350 eur on the meal, we moved out to the bar area for some cocktails to round off the evening. A barman came down to our table and took the order, and was rather gruff when he returned with our drinks. One of the girls said jokingly to him 'you should smile a bit more at the customers!' to which much to our horror he replied '' who the f**k do you think you are?' and stormed off. We were shocked. Couldn't believe it that someone in the service industry in a recently opened restaurant would actually use the F-word to a customer. We complained to the manager who in turn got the barman to apologise to us. But he just came down and said ''my manager has asked me to apologise ..so sorry' and he walked off again. If this is the way this place treats customers i can't see them being in business too long. we were disgusted and felt a good evening had been ruined by such nasty rudeness

TBMC

Ivy Court (rathgar) Great Service, Quality, Good old fashioned food done well. Sunday Lunch was amazing value. Haven't been in a while as I moved.

The Odessa Lounge & Grill - Very good
Milano's - Starting to get too pricey. Good pizzas
Cafe Bar Deli - Great service, Good Pizzas
Vermillion - Very Good.
Zuni (Kilkenny) V Good
Mao - Dun Laoghaire Great food but just too dear for what it is. Forget about one in town. Haven't gone in years. Too stressful
Michelangelos (Celbridge) Great food. Great service. Best Lasagna in Ireland bar none....
Rolys Bistro... Sunday Lunch here is great. Haven't been in a while. Has the best atmosphere

rooster-s

amoebaman wrote:

I was at a place Gola in Swords. The scenery isn't great as it is opposite a shopping center to be, but the food was simply exquisite. I saw that there were no pizzas and was initially disappointed but was won over by the other Italian stuff on offer. Wasn't a fan of italian food before but was converted.

do you need to book this place or is it walk in....? Do you have their number?

AoiFa

my fave restauarants in dublin are:

Chapter One parnell street
friendly service and good tasty food, a little expensive though the set menu not too bad!
Bang Cafe baggot street
Peploes on st stephens green ( bit pricey but nice atmosphere)
IN bar in Dalkey
this is my regular 3 courses for €20 everynite of the week.
Roly's Bistro ballsbridge
upstairs in Walters in Dun laoighaire
Cafe Bar Deli Ranelagh (not too expensive always busy!)
The Strawberry Tree in Macreddin Village wicklow
(€55 for set menu but delicious!!)(all organic)
john keoghs( ithink) in kilmore quay in wexford (yummy seafood!)

going to Patrick Guilbauds for lunch tomorrow( have a voucher) looking forward to that!

NewFrockTuesday

Venu Restaurant - Terrible Service

---

Myself and 5 girlfriends went to Venu on south Anne Street last Saturday for a meal. After spending well over 350 eur on the meal, we moved out to the bar area for some cocktails to round off the evening. A barman came down to our table and took the order, and was rather gruff when he returned with our drinks.

One of the girls said jokingly to him 'you should smile a bit more at the customers!'

to which much to our horror he replied '' who the f**k do you think you are?' and stormed off. We were shocked. Couldn't believe it that someone in the service industry in a recently opened restaurant would actually use the F-word to a customer. We complained to the manager who in turn got the barman to apologise to us. But he just came down and said ''my manager has asked me to apologise ..so sorry' and he walked off again. If this is the way this place treats customers i can't see them being in business too long. we were disgusted and felt a good evening had been ruined by such nasty ruden

That wasnt a joke. Thats was a patronising comment disguised - not very well - as a joke.
I completly agree that he was being an arse if he was gruff but feudal comments are sure to tip a grouchy waiter/barman/whateverserviceyouareusing over the edge.

scotusone

best italian in ireland is Dolce vita in wexford town . sadly since they changed location they now close at 6. risotti are perfect , pesto is unbeatable ( with trofie !!) . excellent italian wine list with lots available by the glass.

chef owner from liguria , ive always found him charming but he can be ....himself .

Wishbone Ash

The Winding Stair (Dublin)

Was there tonight with Mrs Wishbone Ash. Quaint charm that lends itself to a pleasant ambience. Limited menu choice but quality and standard of food is very good. Extensive wine list ranging in price from €21 to €360. Excellent waiting staff. Good value for money. 4 courses (x2) & bottle of wine was €90.

(40 Lower Ormond Quay Tel. 8727320 )

Seoirse

Hi All,

I'm looking for a recommendation for a very decent restaurant to take my girlfriend out to celebrate buying our first home together. We both like Italian, she loves pizzas, I love pasta. However, was thinking of miing it up a bit, while still making it that little bit special. Rhodes restaurant interests me, but is it really worth it? Has anyone been there?

Really looking for some good tips. I'd like to make it a little romantic, although I'm not that kind of person, but nice to try now and again, but also would like to make it an evening to remember for not only for ambience, but also food and value. Not necessisarily on the value side. THough it new interest rates, I could argue about the prices with her, but I really shouldn't.

Looking forward to all your recommendations.

Seoirse.

JohnWishbone11

questionable language used on website in my opinion. Check in out.
www.tantezoes.com
Good service although one waitress got a little snotty. They are addicted to pouring wine also..they're never without a bottle in their hands. Fast service.
Downstairs looked alright until you try to get up and your arse in literally stuck to the chair ..like all the guests at the dinner this was bad form considering the food was beautiful. I had swordfish and it was amazing. 23 squid not bad. Also i wonder how i would have escaped if a fire started upstairs with just one stair in and out...scary a little.

lightening

Seoirse wrote:

to celebrate buying our first home together.

Maybe a sliced pan in the park? Congrats, you could try the Pizza Stop around the corner from the great outdoors on chatham st? or one of the places in the Italian quater?

Seoirse wrote:

Rhodes restaurant interests me, but is it really worth it? Has anyone been there?

I think its really nice for a treat, good food, good atmosphere and not over the top on value.

catho_monster

Seoirse wrote:

Rhodes restaurant interests me, but is it really worth it? Has anyone been there?
Seoirse.

I just went to D7 on thursday night, and i must say i really really enjoyed it. the food was gorgeous, everyone in my party had scrumptious meals, and there was so much on the menu that i would have tried...
the service was very good, the atmosphere was lovely.
and then we went down to the bar area where there was live chilled jazz, finished off the night with some divine cocktails whilst listening to jazz. my idea of heaven.
i (lucky-for-me) went to Guilbauds for lunch the next day. i'm sure ye all know the standard of that place so i'm not even going to go into it. any yeah, if you want a fuss made, which we did, it is THE place to go. but on the food alone, if i was given a choice between the two, with the bill taken care of, i would go back to D7.

should i be taken out and shot? I dont know. but i like my food.

spacecoyote

Have eaten out a few times over the last couple of weekends & have had quite differing experiences:

Two weekends ago myself & the missus went out to Cafe Bar Deli on Grafton Street, having heard some pretty good reports. Unfortunately neither of us found it to be a very enjoyable. There was aquite faceless & rushed atmosphere in the place. We felt that we were being shoved in wherever we could be fit. All of the tables seemed too close together & it was very loud. I did enjoy my pizza, but my girlfriend did not enjoy her pasta.

The following sunday we were in dundrum and decided we would like to get some lunch. we decided on Dunne & Crescenzi. the food was excellent, portions are not too large and the price was reasonable. it is a touch cramped, but not uncomfortably so. The service was excellent & I would recommend it as a good place to stop for lunch to anyone caught up in the craziness of a shopping marathon!!!

Finally, last Saturday we were out for dinner in Dublin city centre again. This time in The Rubicon restaurant on Merrion Row. Again I had heard only positives with regards to this restaurant & it fully lived up to our expectations. We were greeted by friendly staff were treated to a relaxing, unhurried dining experience. The menu is not extremely large, but it all sounds quite appealing. Always eager to try something I have not had before i started with the pigeon, which was extremely tasty. My girlfriend had a salad to start which she also enjoyed. For mains, my girlfriend had the chicken ,which was very good and i had the panfried cod, which i do not underestimate when i describe it as sublime. Each bite melted in my mouth. For desert i had an excellent lemon tart gf had a tall glass of vanilla icecream, tpped off with a shot of kahlua. Price was reasonable, approx €80 incl drinks. Definitely worth a look!!!

LFCFan

we were in Saagar on Harcourt Street on Saturday and although the food was very nice, the service was extremely slow even though there was plenty of staff and not that many customers. Took 15 minutes for them to take our order and never took a drinks order to begin with and then it took nearly 20 minutes to get our bill depsite asking for it twice.

Also, what is it with Irish Indian restaurants and the spicyness of their food. Do they tone it down because they think we can't take it? I ordered the Vindaloo and it was a lot milder then a Vindaloo should be. Same has happened in a couple of other places. When we went to an Indian place in Liverpool though, the spicyness was perfect.

drdre

LFCFan wrote:

we were in Saagar on Harcourt Street on Saturday and although the food was very nice, the service was extremely slow even though there was plenty of staff and not that many customers. Took 15 minutes for them to take our order and never took a drinks order to begin with and then it took nearly 20 minutes to get our bill depsite asking for it twice.

Also, what is it with Irish Indian restaurants and the spicyness of their food. Do they tone it down because they think we can't take it? I ordered the Vindaloo and it was a lot milder then a Vindaloo should be. Same has happened in a couple of other places. When we went to an Indian place in Liverpool though, the spicyness was perfect.

yes they keep the spice down because if someone wants it spicy they ask for it.because if they make it spicy then they donot want a complain

DominoDub

Just back from SaBa . ( Very Nice food and Good vibe)

A new Thai and Vietnamese restaurant off Clarendon Street ,from a former owner who brought us Diep le Shaker and Diep Noodle Bar.

First time ,,but will be back lots on the menu ( see below )that I will have to try.

http://www.sabadublin.com/index.html

Nice buzz in the place tonight , good for a bank holiday,,clean and new with chillout music playing , (sigur ros & RED Curry goes down well )

amoebaman

rooster-s wrote:

do you need to book this place or is it walk in....? Do you have their number?

Very late reply Rooster-S, sorry,
Its on Main Street in Swords opposite the new Penneys.
I think you can walk in normally

BreeVdK

Hi,

Would anyone have any recommendations for restaurants in Killarney?

Thank you.