Is there a REALLY GOOD vegatarian restraurant Dublin?

Dancing_Priest

Hi all
Sorry about the use of capital letters (which I (usually) deplore). I'm celebrating an aniversary with herself, who is a vegatarian. The problem is, that she worked in Cafe Paradiso for five years and ate there twice a day. I will happily eat a filet american(raw meat with a bit of egg) hovever I must admit, the best meal I have ever eaten was in The Paradiso.

We will be in Dublin for the halloween weekend, where can I take her? I dont want to do the lazy 'lets go for an Indian, you'll get something you'll eat for sure luv......sh1te'. I want something we can both enjoy. Price is not a major issue as it's a special occasion.

P.S...... Sorry about the double post but I need an answer quick!!!

Cheers D_P

Puddleduck

You could try wagamamas. They have meat options on the menu but there veggie selection is quite good.

Gauge

I haven't visited this place yet, but I really want to, and I've only heard good things- Cornucopia. It's a specifically vegetarian restaurant.

dereko1969

pearl brasserie ph (01) 6613752 might be your best bet, they always have a veggie menu, it's also just been named georgina campbell's best restaurant of the year, i've only been there for lunch but found it very good.
darwin's (01) 4757511 also has a separate veggie menu, the veggie food is nice and you'll enjoy their steaks.
i've heard mixed reports about l'ecrivain and their veggie friendliness and have never been so can't recommend.
unfortunately both the places above will not match or even come close to cafe paradiso but are probably your best bet in dublin
cornucopia is definitely not the place for a special meal, it's got nice food but it's not a night out kind of place

sweet-rasmus

The main totally vegetarian spots are cornucopia, cafe fresh, blazing salads (I'm not sure if you can eat in there) or govindas. There are probably a few other places which have veggie options, but the above guarentee veggie food only. Neither of them are particularly fancy... if your going for something really special, but there is the guarantee that everything is veggie. They would be perfect for lunch out of course

Cornicopia is usually busy and i've never seen it quiet - very homely. Govinda's is quieter and there are 3 of them about town. Cafe Fresh has a modern and spacious cafe with plenty of calm and I've never been to Blazing Salads, so can't say about that.

http://www.cornucopia.ie/
http://www.cafe-fresh.com/
http://www.blazingsalads.com/index.asp?pageid=24
http://www.govindas.ie/

Not sure how late each are open so check out their website details.

I'm not sure how well they compare to Cafe Paradiso - that place sounds grand indeed! I hope you enjoy your weekend


Note: I'll delete the duplicate post to save confusion (I was initially going to reply to that one!)

jill_valentine

I'm not even a vegetarian, and Govinda's rocks my socks.

rockbeer

sweet-rasmus wrote: »

I'm not sure how well they compare to Cafe Paradiso - that place sounds grand indeed!

They all serve perfectly good vegetarian food, in a more or less homely and welcoming environment... but Cafe Paradiso is a top class restaurant that just happens to be vegetarian. It makes no concessions to 'wholesome' or 'worthy' - the focus is entirely on 'delicious'. Everything about it is proper - ingredients, preparation, presentation, service, the works. Honestly, no disrespect to any of the above, but CP is in an entirely different league. If it weren't veggie it would probably be starred. It's like comparing Ford with Ferrari.

And no I'm not on the payroll.

sweet-rasmus

I really have to visit Cork for Cafe Paradiso sometime! I presume their prices reflect their top class service. What does the average main meal cost there, concidering the meal meals in cornucopia are ~€12 (or ~€9 without the salas )?

edit: I just saw their website. http://cafeparadiso.ie/dinner ~€24 for a main dish.
Looking at the menu I see that a lot of dishes have cheese included, and honey: how are they regarding visiting vegans? On the menu is there a clearly labeled vegan list? Or is it just a matter of asking?

Thinking about it all, I think I prefer the homely relaxed environment for eating out rather than a big fuss and elegance; I hate the ordeal of calling on a waiter, waiting for the bill to appear when it suits them, waiting to be seated etc.

electrofilth

juice on georges st is really good. its a vegetarian restaurant with vegan options too. they have a *delicious* hoummous and dip starter, sooooo good. Wines are good too and the service it decent
http://www.juicerestaurant.ie/

rockbeer

I don't know, I'd think twice before taking somebody to Juice for a celebration unless you know they like it. Some of the dishes there are really sketchy: I've been served up some of the worst, least edible food of my life there. When it's good it's good, but it ain't always good.

dereko1969

only been to juice once, that was for lunch and they served up the scabbiest greek salad ever, there were like three chunks of feta and a couple of olives - so i've never been back since (of course should have complained at time to let them know why i wasn't happy).

cafe paradiso is not fancy or pretentious, i would urge every vegetarian to go there it really is a very very special place, there is just a really lovely vibe there and all the staff are so friendly, and i've never been steered wrong with wine recommendations and they don't just recommend the most expensive wine on the list. for vegans the choice is not so plentiful but there's usually a few dishes available. i really just wish there was something comparable in dublin.

if you stay there the breakfast is amazing it would keep you going until all day.

vibrant

Yeah, I don't like Juice either, I found it very overpriced.

I don't like juice either. Where did you go in the end op?

Slaphead07

vibrant wrote: »

Yeah, I don't like Juice either, I found it very overpriced.

I find the staff pretentious and ignorant. I haven't been in there in years because of it.

To be honest I thing the answer to the title/question is no. There isn't. There's quite a few cheap and cheerful places like Fresh/Cornucopia or Govindas but they're not 'good restaurants' by any sensible scale. Go to Paradiso in Cork.

Weyhey

Hey what happened to my reply - it only showed up for a few minutes - did i say something wrong?

Weyhey

Too late for your special occasion but just thought I'd add my tuppence worth....

Pearl Brassiere is a joke. Their veggie menu has two dishes that contain non vegetarian cheese (Roquefort and Parmesan), one soup, three pasta/gnocchi dishes (sooooo boring), two polenta and tempura (battered vegetables for fecks sake). I had high hopes but for the price and the type of restaurant it was a real let down.

The Winding Stair is expensive but most of their non-meat dishes contained veggie cheese including
Baked mushroom with Cashel blue cheese, wilted spinach and boxty (absolutely yummy),
Organic beetroot, toasted walnut and Ryefield goat’s cheese salad,
Shredded potato cake with apple compote, creamed mushrooms and grilled Knockanore cheese and
Parsnip and shallot tart with Gubeen cheese and organic root vegetable and potato mash (yummy)

Would have loved to try the Mount Callan aged cheddar and potato croquette with cauliflower gratin and garlic fried greens but the Mount Callan isn't vegetarian. They also had some other non-meat option with Desmond cheese but at the time I didn't know that this is used as a vegetarian substitute for parmesan.

Restaurant could be set up a bit fancier with bigger tables but for the food alone I would go definitely go back.

DublinWriter

jill_valentine wrote: »

I'm not even a vegetarian, and Govinda's rocks my socks.

I'm not a veggie either, but Govindas is lacking on many fronts. I was there a couple of times for lunch and it didn't rock my world.

Orby

another thumbs down for Juice.

I also think that Café Paradiso is rubbish for vegans.

Slaphead07

Orby wrote: »

I also think that Café Paradiso is rubbish for vegans.

in fairness it's a vegetarian restaurant and a very good one. I've never seen them claim to cater for vegans. Of course the thread is about vegetarian restaurants anyway. A small point maybe but it needs to be said.

sweet-rasmus

well, i'm glad to hear that Cafe Paradiso aint great for vegans. now i know not to bother!

rockbeer

I think 'rubbish' is a bit strong. They usually have two vegan starters and two or three vegan mains on the menu, and the quality's right up there with the veggie stuff.

Desserts are more of a problem, but vegans don't really deserve good dessert

sweet-rasmus

rockbeer wrote: »

Deserts are more of a problem, but vegans don't really deserve good desert

*glares with annoyance*

jill_valentine

You can have desserts though...

haven27

My sisters vegan and has had dessert in Cafe Paradiso it's just not normally on the menu, haven't been there with her in about two years but before that it was normally just a matter of asking them what they can do and they'll always put something together.

sweet-rasmus

oh, that's good

rockbeer

jill_valentine wrote: »

You can have desserts though...

God how embarrassing, I always do that.

Of course what I meant was puddings

cuaifeadh

I don't like Juice. Their juice burger is alright, but the rest of the menu is just too much, too expensive, and for the large part flavorless. The menu is way to immense, if they stuck to doing a few things well they would be a lot better.

They're not vegetarian only, but I'd say either Yamamories or Wagamamas as they have a few great veggie things on the menu.

Govindas is fine, it used to be better value for money, but it's always very filling. It's not exactly a good place for a romantic meal out. Um, Blazing Salads is fine for lunch. Cornocopia the same, however they're super pricey.

AVL5

Hi, this is my first post on this board!
I see that many people have mentioned they don't like Juice.
Well, I just wanted to offer a different point of view - I'm a vegan, I've been to Juice lots of times over the last few years, and it's my favourite veggie restaurant in Dublin!
I particularly like some of their starters, the stir fry and the scrambled tofu.
They have many options suitable for vegans, clearly marked on the menu, and some of the other options can be "veganised" too.
My second favourite veggie restaurant would be Cornucopia. I generally like their options, but I don't really like the fact that it's always a bit hard to find a place there, as it's too small, and I think the food is nice and good value, but not extra special.
I have been to Café Paradiso in Cork a few times, and I think it's one of the best restaurants in the country by any standards. If you inquire the staff, you will find that many of the options in the menu can be prepared as vegan instead of vegetarian.
Just my two cents

sweet-rasmus

Welcome AVL5! Thanks for you info I'll have to try Juice one of these days...

Silent Partner

Welcome to the new member, AVL5!
I have to say I agree with them too. I find my experiences with Juice have always been good. Granted I haven't tried everything on their menu, in fact I usually hit their for breakfast, brunch or lunch especially at the weekend, there are particular favourites. Their french toast, eggs and hollandaise sauce and pancakes are some examples. I also love Cornucopia but I do get peeved that it's always so hard to get a seat.
I was in Cork for two weeks in August and never heard of Cafe Paradiso until now I'll make an effort to go there next time.

-lala-

Have to agree with AVL5, Juice is fabulous! Also a big fan of cornocupia, even if their selection is a bit limited, especially for vegans. Have only been to govindas once but have to say I didn't particularly like the food.

sweet-rasmus

Welcome -lala-

You are right, the selection for vegans in Cornicopia is limited - I'm not a fan of curries and nearly every time I go in, the vegan main is a curry

On another note - I was in Pacino's (Opposite the Avoca shop in Dublin City) for a staff lunch. I had warned them that a vegan would be with the group (we pre-booked). They were VERY iffy with the term on the phone and hadn't quite got the hang of it when I enquired upon arrival, but they were full of smiles and accomodating and it was decided that the Toasted Veggie Ciabatta (without the cheese - "Roast zucchini and red peppers, fresh sliced beef tomato, rocket, olive oil, mozzarella cheese and basil pesto") would suit. They served it with chips and some salad leaves and I have to say it was delicious! Only €8.95 for a filling tastey meal. I didn't expect that! So, any vegans stuck in town - I recommend this!!

biZrb

I thought pesto wasn't vegan?

sweet-rasmus

It should just be oil and basil. I had made it clear about what was and what was not allowed, so I have to presume it was ok. Tasted vegan

kraggy

jill_valentine wrote: »

I'm not even a vegetarian, and Govinda's rocks my socks.

I am vegetarian and find it disgusting. Have eaten in it twice and majorly disappointed both times. Never again.

Not particularly the standard of cooking. It's just that type of food is just not for me. Don't know how to explain it. Just didn't like the sauces and one dish included goat's cheese which I can't handle at all without some wretching.

i71jskz5xu42pb

sweet-rasmus wrote: »

It should just be oil and basil.

It should be oil, basil, pine nuts and Parmesan (or some other hard cheese). The Parmesan should be made with calf rennet.

Back to the orginal question, if I was bringing a Veggie to to a real good restraurant in Dublin it would be here. Not totally Veggie but ....

http://www.chameleonrestaurant.com/menu1.aspx

kraggy

Cynthia Eager Seasickness wrote: »

It should be oil, basil, pine nuts and Parmesan (or some other hard cheese). The Parmesan should be made with calf rennet.

Back to the orginal question, if I was bringing a Veggie to to a real good restraurant in Dublin it would be here. Not totally Veggie but ....

http://www.chameleonrestaurant.com/menu1.aspx

And so such a pesto wouldn't be vegetarian.

I got one made by a company called Meridian that's suitable for vegans as well as vegetarians. Almost sure I got it in Lidl or Aldi. And it's yummy.

sweet-rasmus

You see, I think it's odd that anything other than basil and oil should be in the pesto. TBH it didn't appear to have bits of pine nut or parmesan in it... But I shall enquire further next time I am offered such! Either way, I over informed them that I was vegan, and they suggested and offered me an appropriate dessert without me even asking for one, which I was impressed with, so here's to me hoping!

i71jskz5xu42pb

sweet-rasmus wrote: »

You see, I think it's odd that anything other than basil and oil should be in the pesto.

Yeah, I guess there are as many varieties of pesto as there are true religions but the textbook one has cheese and pine nuts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesto

rockbeer

Pesto almost always has cheese and pine nuts in as these help bring the mix together. Without it, it tends to just be slimy oily leaves. I would be astonished if the one you had was vegan, sweet-rasmus.

If you're making pesto yourself, a vegetarian Pecorino Romano is probably the best substitute for the Parmigiano Reggiano. Oh, and toast the pine nuts first and don't forget to season it well.

sweet-rasmus

I emailed the restaurant and all is well.

Our pesto used on our ciabatta's is simply olive oil and basil. So you don't need to worry.

Brill So, I stand by my recommendation of this dish!