Dublin Restaurants
 

We are staying in the Merrion Hotel for my mothers birthday next weekend. We are booked in for the Friday and Saturday night. On the Friday night we are eating in Patrick Gilbauds restaurant. We need a recommendation for the Saturday night. I wouldn't say it has to be a michelin starred restaurant, but it does have to be a fabulous upscale restaurant. Any and all ideas are welcome.

Money does not matter on this particular weekend.

Many thanks

Angela

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All of these restaurants would be among the top restaurants in Dublin. I have eaten in all of them and would rate them all very highly.

Shanahans on the Green is fantastic.
Peploes - also on Stephens Green - relatively new, quite "hip" - excellent food.
One Pico - off Moleworth Street - again, excellent.

Also supposed to be very good is L'ecrivain (Colin Farrell & Angelina Jolie and the cast of Alexander ate there last week!)

Another restaurant that keeps getting rave reviews (although I find it overrated) is the Unicorn.

Lucky you!!

I agree with cailin about Shanahans. Note it is mostly steak and mignons. Great wine list. Service is fastidious.

Take a peek at JFK's rocking chair in the basement.

Thornton's on St. Stephen's Green is meant to be excellent (2 Michelin Stars). A bit of a distance away from the Merrion but Chapter One in Parnell Square is heavenly. Check out www.adlib.ie for reviews and phone numbers.

another I just thought of that I love is Chapter One. It's on Parnell Square, which is the other side of the city centre. All the others are within walking distance of the Merrion Hotel.

Thanks so much for the help. At the minute I *think* it is between Shanahans, One Pico and Thorntons. One thing I forgot to mention is that there shall be 2 children with us on the Saturday night, so I might call these restaurants to check that children are 'welcome'!

Shanahans is the one I am leaning towards at the moment. The menu on the website reads very well, and the restaurant itself looks lovely. I'm finding it very difficult to decide though - one weekend isnt long enough!

Angela

Thank you so much for all the help and sugestions. I really appreciate it.

We have decided on the Tea Rooms in the Clarence Hotel for dinner on Saturday night. I REALLY wanted to try Shanahans, but my dad wanted to go to the Tea Rooms, and he's paying, so that's that!!! I am a teeny bit disappointed, as I wanted to try somewhere new, and I have been to the Tea Rooms a few times. But I know it is great, and the food and wine is fabulous, so I'll just have to get down again soon to try Shanahans!!

Any recs for a cool, trendy place near to Grafton Street for lunch on Saturday? Somewhere with a great atmosphere and a good wine list?

Thanks again

Angela

Angela - I'd highly recommend the Clarendon on Clarendon Street (just off Grafton Street - if you're walking from Stephens Green towards Trinity, take the first left at Dunnes Stores and continue up that street and you'll come to the Clarendon). It's a really nice, trendy bar - gorgeous food (it's run by the Stokes brothers - the same people that own Bang Cafe) and the wine list is excellent.

I second the Clarendon. I have been for drinks a few times and lunch recently and it is excellent.

Don't worry about the clarence you know it still will be good. Why not have a pre-dinner cocktail in the Octagon bar.

What a fun weekend. Give a review of Patrick Guilbald please. I have only eaten in the basement restaurant a few years ago (very good I must say!)

Thanks!! I'm not sure if we'll definitely be having lunch, after all we'll be having a lovely breakfast in the hotel, and a big dinner in the evening!! But if we do feel like a light lunch, the Clarendon it is, it sounds lovely. I just like to be prepared.

Thank Goodness the Merrion has a gym,lol!!

Thanks again for all the help.

And, of course, I shall certainly give a review of Patrick Guilbald and the Merrion Hotel early next week.

I'm finding it hard to concentrate on work, I'm looking forward to this weekend SO much!

Angela