Dax

Dax Review

When is a wine bar not just a wine bar? When it's one of the city's most talked-about restaurants. Opened as a basement wine bar by Olivier Meisonnave, the former sommelier at stellar Thornton's, Dax has quickly become one of the dining spots of choice for Dubliners who care about food. You can choose to drink or dine (tapas-style) at the bar, in the lush armchairs of the open-plan lounge, or in the more formal, restrained-modern dining room. The roast partridge with celeriac mousse, dates, pancetta, hazelnut crunch, and white-port-and-balsamic dressing is an adventurous starter, while the roasted haunch of venison, with smoked potato, caramelized pear, salsify, pancetta, and cocoa jus is a decadant delight of a main. The cold meat platter is a finger-lickin' little bar dish. With Olivier in charge, the wine list is the envy of many a more expensive eatery, and with a couple of dozen wines poured by the glass you can dare to try something really special. It's just opened a café in the same building with cheaper but equally scrumptious offerings.