Restaurant Guide

olaola

yoursister wrote: »

can anyone recommend a good sushi restaurant in Dublin??
in the city centre preferably??

dying to try sushi and dont want to go somewhere crappy that will put me off it for life!!

Kimchi/The Hop House on Parnell st, it's excellent.

antoniosicily

yoursister wrote: »

can anyone recommend a good sushi restaurant in Dublin??
in the city centre preferably??

dying to try sushi and dont want to go somewhere crappy that will put me off it for life!!

Yamamori

I have been to the Hop house a yr ago and I was pretty disappointed.

the beer revolu

I do not recommend The Fota Resort Hotel in Cork.
€17.50 for an overcooked, over seasoned burger with chips, 3 (not homemade) onion rings and some (not very fresh) tomato salsa stuff. The chips were pretty good.
€34 for a bottle of De Martino Sauv Blanc - €18-€22 would be a reasonable price for this standard house wine level wine.

The service was just about ok but nowhere near where it should be in a 5 star hotel.

This was in the bar of the hotel.

Now I do expect to pay more in a 5 star hotel but I do expect the quality to be good - that burger would have been a poor burger at €10 in any pub.

I felt so ripped off!!:mad::mad::mad:

themandan6611

the beer revolu wrote: »

I do not recommend The Fota Resort Hotel in Cork.
€17.50 for an overcooked, over seasoned burger with chips, 3 (not homemade) onion rings and some (not very fresh) tomato salsa stuff. The chips were pretty good.
€34 for a bottle of De Martino Sauv Blanc - €18-€22 would be a reasonable price for this standard house wine level wine.

The service was just about ok but nowhere near where it should be in a 5 star hotel.

This was in the bar of the hotel.

Now I do expect to pay more in a 5 star hotel but I do expect the quality to be good - that burger would have been a poor burger at €10 in any pub.

I felt so ripped off!!:mad::mad::mad:

While you can feel hard-done by you choose to pay the prices they quoted - did you not realise the wine was vastly over-priced before buying ?. As a consumer you have a choice to pay or to go elsewhere.

FreudianSlippers

yoursister wrote: »

can anyone recommend a good sushi restaurant in Dublin??
in the city centre preferably??

dying to try sushi and dont want to go somewhere crappy that will put me off it for life!!

Late in reply to this, but Sushi King on Dawson Street is amazing. They have a great deal on Sundays(?) that is all you can eat and their weekday bento box special is amazing and cheap.

Also I tried a place called Yami Sushi on Pleasants Street (off Lower Camden Street) and they were very good too, plus they do delivery.

FreudianSlippers

I have been out to eat a lot in Dublin over the past week and have a few reviews/comparisons to share.

Firstly, One Pico on Schoolhouse Lane off of Molesworth St. - I really cannot say enough about this place. The food was amazing, literally cooked to perfection. Flavour combinations were spectacular and the staff were very nice. I'll definitely be going back there again. They also have a very reasonably priced Pre-Theatre menu and Set Dinner menu. I sort of mixed and matched off of the Pre-Theatre menu and the A La Carte menu which they had absolutely no problem with.
My starter was a terrine of ham hock. Pretty good stuff there. Good quality ham. I wasn't a fan of the apply chutney that accompanied, but that's probably personal taste and not a comment on the quality.
My main was a Fillet of Beef accompanied by a white onion puree, baby leeks, parmesan fondue and amazingly delicious crispy onions (think of a upmarket onion ring). I'd seriously go back just for the crispy onions.
To top it all off the restaurant itself is decorated beautifully and there is nice space between tables.

Another evening we went to Il Segreto on Merrion Row. Firstly, the courtyard is pretty nice! We ate downstairs in one of the big red comfortable booths, but I had a look around upstairs and they have a heated and covered seating area outside which was the busiest part of the place.
The food was very good. Again I mixed and matched off their set menu and the A La Carte which they didn't mind at all about. The food here was quite good, I had a starter which was delicious: ravioli di magro al limone - it's nice when you can tell that pasta is made fresh, it has a different texture and finish. The sauce that accompanied was amazingly well balanced and delicious.
For my main I had the 8oz fillet of beef accompanied by kohl rabi, rocket & parmesan salad, truffle butter.... pretty damn good. I was actually a bit surprised in fact. Perfectly cooked and tasted great.
We didn't have desert opting instead for cocktails. This was the big letdown. We tried a few different ones and none were that great. One person with me asked for a cosmopolitan and asked to ensure it wasn't too sweet - the waiter said it wasn't... long story short, it was. VERY sweet.
I'd go here again, would be good for parties or business dinners etc. I think if you're in town and feel like Italian Il Segreto would have to be on the shortlist of best places to go (for Italian). Does it compare to One Pico? Not at all. Was it enjoyable? Certainly.

Wednesday we managed to get a booking at Marco Pierre White Steakhouse on Dawson St. We were seated in the middle of the restaurant and it was packed. There was almost no room between tables and it was loud. I mean so loud that we couldn't hear people at our own table of 4.
The clientèle seemed to be almost 100% business oriented. It was all guys talking about numbers and the usual jazz, which does feel a bit weird when you're just there to have dinner.
The menu is limited if you don't eat steak. But why would you really want to go here if you don't eat steak?!
To start I had asparagus with hollandaise sauce, it was very nice - no complaints about it at all. Asparagus was cooked perfectly and the hollandaise sauce was delicious - there was even the perfect amount of salt to keep balance. But I really made a mistake in ordering it. My own fault really, but just as my asparagus was coming to the table, I saw the guy at the table next to me get the Carpaccio of Fillet Steak - it looked spectacular.
For main I had the Ribeye with Béarnaise sauce - it was pretty good. The steak itself was good quality and well cooked. I am disappointed that they do ask you how you would like it cooked when I know that it does not happen in other Marco restaurants. Anyway, ribeye can be really fatty and this piece was well butchered and had just the right amount of fat. The Béarnaise sauce was delicious.
2 people had the Au Poivre Classic, one went for the Fillet and the other got the T-bone. Both loved their steaks, but thought the sauce was just too intense and hot - nice, but HOT. It didn't help that it was a humid night and the place was packed.
Can't remember what the 4th person had as sauce, but I know it was the fillet and was enjoyed.
Steaks come with big chips, almost like roast potatoes - they were delicious, but one or 2 of mine were undercooked.
Overall the food was pretty good, but I wouldn't be rushing back here. The steak I had in One Pico literally blew this one away.
Then when you consider the price, it's no contest that One Pico wins here again. Especially when considering ambiance. Service was good, but if you have to yell at the other people at your table, it's too noisy. Try to get the booth along the back wall or maybe a table near the window.

Lastly we have The Pigs Ear on Nassau St. This is the only true contender to One Pico.
The food here was spectacular. Everything was beautifully crafted and balanced. The restaurant itself is nice and very French in style. It seems to be laid out over 5 or 6 floors (with the men's room on the very top... good way to work off the meal).
I had a starter of a salad of ham, mustard slaw and a soft boiled egg.
It was absolutely delicious. Fresh sliced ham with the delicate slaw on top and a perfectly cooked soft boiled hen's egg. The seasoning was spot on.
Some people at my table thought it sounded disgusting, but I gave them a bite and they were converted.
My main was the gold in this place though. Fermanagh Pork Belly with a mustard mash - it was amazing. Delicate and perfectly cooked, I'd eat it all day. The food was probably better than One Pico, but not by much.
The real thing that bothered me about The Pigs Ear is the service. Our waiter was very abrupt and almost felt like he was rushing us when we arrived. He was nicer towards the end, but perhaps that's once we started buying wines and he thought his tip would increase.
Really, the service was my only complaint about the place... and it wasn't even THAT bad. I'll definitely be visiting here often.

the beer revolu

themandan6611 wrote: »

While you can feel hard-done by you choose to pay the prices they quoted - did you not realise the wine was vastly over-priced before buying ?. As a consumer you have a choice to pay or to go elsewhere.

Oh, we didn't buy that wine!

Sometimes social situations make it rather difficult to up and leave without spoiling other people's day.
But that doesn't stop me from feeling disgruntled!

Warper

Am meeting some people in the Red Cow during the week and will probably go for a meal.

I had a peek at their website and see there is a steakhouse menu. How is the food there and any recommendations. Is the food any good or would I be better off eating in the bar or restaurant? Be there bout five and I think the restaurant doesnt open till 5.30 but would rather a decent steak anyways?
Cheers

Warper

Right I ate in the Red Cow Steakhouse last night and it was very poor. The service was one of the worst I have ever seen. Some waitress took out orders which she obv. didnt give a fcuk about. She was one pissed off cookie for whatever reason only known to her. The 3 of us ordered, I got the fillet and my friends got a caesar salad and salmon. We just ordered water for drinks yet got 2 tiny glasses of water and one 7-up?

The steak and the caesar salad came out together so we presumed the salmon would be out just after. After 4-5 mins sitting around we realised she had forgotten the salmnon. We were pissed off at this stage so obv. my friend went up to her asking bout the salmon and she replyed that there was no order for the salmon with another pissed off head on her. These types of people shouldnt be let near serving people. Anyways got the salmon fairly quickly and in fairness my friend was happy enough with it.

The chicken salad was very bland. I ordered a medium fillet. It was a 10 oz and a decent size. Problems were there were good bits of fat in it and tough as an old boot.

Overall impressions were we will never eat there again and I would recommend people avoid it. Crap service and very average food.

Mr. Loverman

Warper wrote: »

Am meeting some people in the Red Cow during the week and will probably go for a meal.

When I read this I was thinking "I can't see that going well", and then I saw your next post...

Warper wrote: »

Right I ate in the Red Cow Steakhouse last night and it was very poor.

:pac:

thatone

Carluccios in Dublin City. Amaaaaazingly nice food. Bit slow with the old service tho.

thatone

yoursister wrote: »

can anyone recommend a good sushi restaurant in Dublin??
in the city centre preferably??

dying to try sushi and dont want to go somewhere crappy that will put me off it for life!!

Theres one in Ranelagh, you go down a little street to the left when walking down the main street.. Cannot remember the name but gorgeous sushi.

Dinkie

Warper wrote: »

Right I ate in the Red Cow Steakhouse last night and it was very poor. The service was one of the worst I have ever seen. Some waitress took out orders which she obv. didnt give a fcuk about. She was one pissed off cookie for whatever reason only known to her. The 3 of us ordered, I got the fillet and my friends got a caesar salad and salmon. We just ordered water for drinks yet got 2 tiny glasses of water and one 7-up?

Overall impressions were we will never eat there again and I would recommend people avoid it. Crap service and very average food.

Was thinking about going there.... its soo handy for meeting people.

Not now... thanks for the tip.

sue_

was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of goo restaurant for sunday lunch in kilkenny. I'm organising a birthday lunch for my mother with about 15 people. She used to like Jacobs cottage but i can't find this. is it called something else now?

olaola

Teddy's 'grill' Dundrum.
In one word… don't.

A litany of disaster, from no cutlery at the start to losing our corrected bill (they overcharged us) at the end. With not much to redeem inbetween.

Maybe I'll blame Nando's for being full? And I'll say it again… 'We should have gone to Eddie Rockets'

Jev/N

thatone wrote: »

Theres one in Ranelagh, you go down a little street to the left when walking down the main street.. Cannot remember the name but gorgeous sushi.

Great little place, Michie Sushi is the name - http://www.michiesushi.com/

Koishi in Ballsbridge is also another great sushi restaurant

DWCommuter

Over the course of many years Ive eaten in many many Chinese restaurants. From the good to the mediocre and just plain bad. Ive become accustomed to the European slant put on a lot of dishes and then been delighted to find some real gems on the menu that people wouldn't be overly familiar with. My wife, for example, was your typical chicken curry merchant and had never experienced the variety of dishes on offer, when they were cooked with some effort. (Until she met me) So from my perspective, its fair to say that Ive seen a lot of cost cutting and laziness in the Chinese restaurant trade. A sort of complacency that erodes away at the experience. Therefore its very refreshing to come across a new restaurant off the beaten track that offers really great cuisine at a very affordable price. IPOH in Sallins is such a place.

My previous favourite in Sallins was the long gone Shanghai over Flanagans Mill pub. I actually moved from the Great City in Naas as it was so good. (The Great City is still a cool spot food wise, but the decor and ambience is a bit dead after the forced refurb many years ago. (The original pagoda centre piece was a great place to bring a date!) Anyway Shanghai in Sallins closed for a variety of reasons, none of which were due to the quality of the place. I missed the Thai Red curries and the amazing Rendang. But now IPOH has come along. After I'd sampled their takeaway menu, I was really looking forward to trying a real sit down experience. As it happened, that experience took place today at lunch time. IPOH are doing a three course lunch between 1pm and 3pm every Sunday for €13.80 a head. They have a set menu, (which is very broad ) but are very accommodating in allowing you to choose from the main menu. My wife and I brought our 2 and a half year old with us. We started with Spring rolls and a skewered Satay chicken in the best peanut sauce Ive ever tasted. Its homemade on site. Presentation was lovely. For mains I had the Beef Chow Mein (wasn't feeling very exciting) and my wife had the Chicken Rendang. Rendang is a Malaysian dish and its a dry curry that
Shanghai had served towards the end of their time over Flanagans Mill. Since then I had tried it in a restaurant in Laois, but it was smothered in sauce (despite tasting great) when it really should be more of a paste around the meat and vegetables. Well in IPOH its done the traditional Malaysian way and I recommend it. For desert we stayed away from Fritters (frightening things altogether) and opted for ice cream and chocolate sauce. Very basic, but delicious, once a good half hour was left after mains. We had a few teas and Chinese beers as well. The little one just had chips (I'll get her into eastern food soon enough) and the whole afternoon in a relaxed atmosphere came to 50 quid after a fab 3 hours and a multitude of lollies for the little one!

The staff are great. Its a family run business. A husband, wife, sister and brother in law. All live locally and hail from Malaysia. Its a well known fact that Malaysians cook better and these guys are really into it. The service is fab, decor and ambience spot on and I really can't recommend it enough. It is very far removed from the Chinese restaurant that was on site before it, named Chens. IPOH is the real deal for a change. They have specials all week and from a takeaway perspective they deliver to Naas as well.

Its worth a visit and if you do it once then you will come back. So if you are Sallins, Clane or Naas based please check it out. Its named after the city in Malaysia that the owners come from, IPOH (pronounced "e" POH.) From a foodie like me, its a good recommendation. A little gem in a small off the beaten track place like Sallins.

2hellr2conaght

hi, just wondering if anyone knows a restaurant that has been struck off this guide? for example the way michelin restaurants lose stars.

RoryMurphyJnr

Jaipur on George's St?

Never been there but myself and the wife do enjoy Indian food.

Anyone got any thoughts?

Thanks
R

Sergeant

RoryMurphyJnr wrote: »

Jaipur on George's St?

Never been there but myself and the wife do enjoy Indian food.

Anyone got any thoughts?

Thanks
R

Been there a few times over the years. Food is good, but to be honest, I always felt it was a just a posh curry house. You'd get more authentic Indian food in Madina on Mary Street for less than half the price.

Rasam in Glasthule/Dun Laoghaire is a great place for Indian food. Ananda in Dundrum town centre is another great place, very expensive, but the food was amazing - if not the usual type of fare you would expect in an Indian restaurant.

RoryMurphyJnr

Thanks for the feedback

RoryMurphyJnr

So we went to Jaipur,
Can't recommend it enough, food was excellent, great choice, beautiful presentation, delicious.

Waiting staff were very good, food was delivered quickly and we weren't constantly interrupted.

Very reasonable for 2 starters, 2 mains, one dessert and a 1/2 bottle of wine.

And found parking in Royal College of Surgeons round the corner.

A great dining experience
R

Bill2673

Interesting on Jaipur, I've been there three times on the whole my thoughts would be food is not bad, not fantastic, and that it doesn't fill you unless you load up on naan.

For my money, the vegetarian thali at Ananda in Dundrum is the best Indian dish I've had in Dublin, I've had that twice.

Haven't been in Rasam but have been in Kinara a few times.

Bill2673

sue_ wrote: »

was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of goo restaurant for sunday lunch in kilkenny. I'm organising a birthday lunch for my mother with about 15 people. She used to like Jacobs cottage but i can't find this. is it called something else now?

Hi Sue,
I wouldn't look past spaghetti and meatballs at Rinuccinis, one of my favourite restaurants in Ireland.
(Hope its not too late).

dillodaffs

folks, anyknow know what the name of the chinese restaurant thats up the street from the hilton hotel dublin airport? I stayed at this hilton a while ago and ate at the chinese and it was devine, id like to go again but i want to book it as i was lucky to get a table last time.

Anyknow know the name of this place? Thanks!

toffeeshel

dillodaffs wrote: »

folks, anyknow know what the name of the chinese restaurant thats up the street from the hilton hotel dublin airport? I stayed at this hilton a while ago and ate at the chinese and it was devine, id like to go again but i want to book it as i was lucky to get a table last time.

Anyknow know the name of this place? Thanks!

Its the Noble House. I've never been but will do now on your recommendation.

AnnyHallsal

Hey,

Had a reservation for Roly's but weather has changed things and they're booked out for tomorrow. Does anyone have a suggestion for something comparable in the area or in the city centre?

olaola

AnnyHallsal wrote: »

Hey,

Had a reservation for Roly's but weather has changed things and they're booked out for tomorrow. Does anyone have a suggestion for something comparable in the area or in the city centre?

Brasserie Sixty 6? It's kind of bistro style, roast chicken etc.

AnnyHallsal

olaola wrote: »

Brasserie Sixty 6? It's kind of bistro style, roast chicken etc.

Thanks, I've been there a few times. The parents wanted to go with something a little fancy I think so they're sticking with the original reservation.

dubber

Thought I'd post up about a new pasta/pizza place that has opened up on North Strand Road called Don Mimi. Smallish place but they've got a great vibe going on and do fantastic pizza & pasta - highly recommended by me I've no affiliation with them, but would like to see them do well so I can continue scoffing their food :pac: