Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud

Dublin's answer to haute cuisine

Tuna tataki, sesame, red curry

As the one and only 2 Michelin starred restaurant in Ireland (there are no 3 stars in Ireland), it would be normal to think that Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud is the best fine dining restaurant that the nation has to offer. Located in the heart of Dublin, launched in 1981 and became a household name to the city offering the finest French cooking, using top quality Irish ingredients. More than 30 years later, its reputation only got stronger with countless raving press reviews. As fine dining come at a price, this time around, I opted for the lunch menu at £48 for 3 courses. You will be looking at paying over £100 just for food for a dinner at the same restaurant.

Artichoke, peach, foie gras, almond

Wild salmon, pepper, black olive, potato

36 hours braised veal belly, confit tomato, caper

Starter of tuna tataki is like a upperclass version of a tuna poke, the freshness of the fish combined nicely with the texture of the avocado, where the boldness of the red curry added a lovely depth to the finish. The grilled wild salmon was moist and the black olive garnish worked wonders to deliver a tone of grassy taste to the dish. The star dish of the day, without a doubt, was the braised veal belly. Slowed cooked for 36 hours with a melting sensation and perfectly seasoned. The sharpness of the caper and lemon offered a nice contrast to the richness of the meat, it was a faultless piece of cooking.

French and Irish cheeses

Strawberry consomme

Poached apricot, raspberry, verbena

Petit four

The cooking quality at Patrick Guilbaud, along with the presentation skill was indeed impressive and fully deserves the double Michelin stars rating. But for me, what make this place special was much more than just offering great food. The interior was elegant without being stuffy, and the service was as classy as you can get, charming with great attention to detail, treating every table like VIP. If you want to dine in style in Dublin, it is hard to think beyond Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud. This restaurant really deliver the whole package of what fine dining is all about.


Food 4.5/5

What I paid: 
£60 per head

Average cost without drinks and services:
£48 lunch menu
£105 dinner menu

21 Upper Merrion St, Dublin, Ireland

http://www.restaurantpatrickguilbaud.ie/