Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Darwins

    4.2 (82 reviews)
    PriceySteakhouses, Irish
    Closed 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Darwins Photos

    DARWINS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Romantic
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - Darwins

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Tomahawk Ribeye for 2. Could.easily have fed 3 starving cannibals, or 4 regular humans
    Sadath A.

    We had quite a mixed group of people that wanted to find a nice fine-dining restaurant for the night. Darwin's was pointed out to us by several locals as a steakhouse that had amazing meat, but also specialized in vegan dishes. This is the kind of disclaimer that's usually very off-putting. If you say you specialize in two types of cuisine, especially two types that are so far away from each other (Vegan food and bloody, juicy, barely-dead meat), then mostly likely you're only mediocre at both. I was wrong. My vegetarian friends were raving about their dishes. They were filling and very flavorful, and from what I saw the presentation was very elegant. The steak though. 2 of us split what looked like an enormous tomahawk ribeye. This could have fed 3 easily, even 4 would have walked away with a full meal's worth of steak. They brought the ribeye out to show us before they cooked it, and the marbling on this bad boy would easily have been USDA-Prime if it was graded in the states. It was beautifully cooked to medium rare, pre-sliced off the bone, and is up there the best steaks I've ever had. Maybe even THE best steak I've ever had. I'm sorry Peter Luger As a born and raised New Yorker and avid cannibal, this steak could have been half the size and still would have cost a $100 at a prime steakhouse for a single person. At Darwin's however, this cost 75 Euros and fed 3. This steak had no right being this cheap. The service was quite impeccable. Our servers were very attentive around our table, constantly refilling our wine and replacing cutlery. The decor was perfect for a fine-dining steakhouse, as in it was a little under-lit for atmosphere but not so dark that it would only ever be good for date nights. The space itself was a little small, but nothing to take a star out for.

    Leeks and potato
    Charles V.

    Hard to believe from the outside what a fantastic dining experience this is. I had the steak, mashed potatoes and pepper sauce. It could not have been better. The service and prices were just as good. If you can go to just one place to eat in Dublin, then this is my recommendation. You won't be disappointed.

    Cathal C.

    Apart from anything else, Darwins is deserving of praise for naming itself after the greatest naturalist of the 19th century, possibly of all time. Even if the food was gammy, I'd still think the restaurant was great. Let's everyone start naming their restaurants after famous scientists. Gallileo Gallilei Pizza, or Max Planck Frankfurters und Sauerkraut Haus. When I heard the cool post-modern name, and saw the stylish facade, I assumed that Darwins was going to be some sort of minimalist nouveau cuisine eatery. Far from it. Darwins serves mainly straight up meat dishes, with a few fish dishes thrown in for good measure. Considering that Darwins is kind of a fancy restaurant, the prices weren't too prohibitive. I had the pork belly and champ, which was delicious, and only set me back €20. If you decided to go for one of the many steak options on the menu, however, you'd be looking at paying more in the region of €30+ And the service was uniformly excellent: serving staff available whenever you wanted but not constantly buzzing around your table, everybody very friendly and efficient. Great place to go if you want to treat yourself to a fancy meal, but of hearty grub.

    The bread platter. The darker one was Irish soda bread. Traditional pesto, butter, and a red pesto to complement
    Kyle J.

    Great Steakhouse with an especially great weeknight dinner deal. The meal includes a choice of a starter, a main course, and a dessert. I got a bread and pesto platter to start out, with the pesto definitely standing out as high quality. For the main I had the 10 oz. strip steak, medium rare. It had a good soft texture and lots of flavor. I ordered a garlic sauce to pair with it which even enhanced the flavor even more (I love garlic). The mashed potatoes were *superb* -- just the right texture and the perfect combination of buttery and salty. Got the brownie and ice cream as the dessert and it was probably the most average part of the entire meal. The brownie was a little dry for my taste. Now... the best part: all of that is only 29 EUR on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday!! The same deal also applies before 7 pm on weekends. PS - they also have a Yelp check-in offer which gets you a free glass of wine with your main course Another bonus!

    Kate M.

    I hate to say it, but I felt this place was highly over rated. I had heard fantastic things about it and was really looking forward to trying it out but unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed! Food was very average and the menu wasn't exactly vast. I thought it was pretty pricey and I got a bit annoyed when I saw that there was a 10% service charge added to our bill even though there were only 4 of us. A group over 6 or 8 people I can understand, but 4 people? Come on! I wasn't crazy on the restaurant's interior and it was pretty dark so it was difficult to read the menu. Either that, or I'm getting old and my eyesight is failing!

    Seafood Stew
    Sharon S.

    Let down by my experience at this place! On arrival we were promptly seated, they were also over and keen to take our order however from that point, things were slow to come about... The wait between starter and main was about 40-45mins, this probably down to the fact they didn't clear our starter's so the kitchen probably didn't rush out the mains. Also on the service, there was no attention on table water, wine top up's or anything like that. Shame! Ok, so on the food tried... My verdict Pan Fried Prawns 7/10 Overdone and also a little surprised it was served with head and tail, their menu description should reference this. Portobello mushroom 4/10 Not very flavoursome and very dry Mediterranean Bouillabouise (Seafood Stew) 6/10 This was nice, it was hearty and warmed my bones but with all the description of orange and cardamon, selection of fish and prawns the dish was flat on flavour, the only thing keeping it alive, was the chorizo. I think for the price point this place is at, they could do a lot to up their service but also their food quality. Since I've been some people I've talked to about here also mentioned their disappointment... It has the potential... great location and nice dining space (albeit a oddly decorated - chandler hanging though apes on the wall) but this could be great, but with the likes of Brasserie 66 just down the road, I'm not sure I'll be back here.

    Larana W.

    Decent steakhouse, not the best I've ever been to... but was reasonably priced and the steak was cooked okay. I felt my cut of steak had way too much gristle and so some parts were inedible... also appetizer bread was less than desirable. Mashed potatoes however, were perfect. I also liked their sauce selection, and wine selection.

    Peri peri prawn starter... Little bit of a spice kick but lovely overall!
    Ian E.

    Excellent food and experience in Darwins. Tried it for the first time after many recommendations and I was not disappointed! It's a lovely family run establishment and you feel like your walking into your own parents home with the hospitality that you receive. Value for money was excellent especially with the cuts of meat as their standard cuts are the same size as the cuts of meat you need to pay extra for in other establishments. Front of house is the co-owner who is super friendly and is happy to tell you anything about the restaurant you desire and even tries to entice you into a free shot or digestive as she called it on the way out :-) I can't wait to go back!

    Paula M.

    Came here not knowing what to expect. A restaurant with steak house and vegetarian in the same breath. The decor is unique. And not sure I understood the flow of it all and what it was to represent. However I suppose that leads to the quaintness of it all. I'm not a vegetarian but don't think this restaurant should be labeled as such. The menu was not particularly vegetarian like, more so that it had a couple of vegetarian options like most do. Started was prawns which were very tasty. Served with heads on :( but easy to pull off and the rest was shelled. I really don't like 'working' to be able to eat my meal. Please serve ready to consume! Skate wing was my choice of main. I think this was the fish of the day. It was ok. A satisfying fish dish but nothing amazing. Time to squeeze in dessert and this was most disappointing. Labelled as 'brownie' the only way it matched this description was colour. What was served was chocolate cake. This is no brownie. It's cake. Calling it another name does not hide this fact. All in all. A pleasant enough place to eat. I'd go back but it's nothing out of the ordinary.

    Pork Belly starter

    See all

    7 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Charles V.
    7
    164
    172

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Cathal C.
    49
    327
    383

    17 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kyle J.
    3
    14
    11

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kate M.
    38
    366
    344

    17 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Erin M.
    11
    11
    0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of EJ M.
    15
    12
    0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jen S.
    0
    49
    9

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of J T.
    1
    18
    7

    16 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Wendy A.
    26
    32
    12

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 3

    Darwins Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Darwins

    All dishes are very affordable and there is a superb pre theatre menu which offers great value for money.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Steakhouses 808 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    F.X.Buckley

    F.X.Buckley

    4.5(129 reviews)
    0.4 kmTemple Bar
    €€€

    FX Buckley on Crow Street presents a classic steakhouse exterior: polished, inviting, and…read moreunmistakeably traditional in its presentation. This is their second location after the original FX Buckley on Pembroke Street opened in the 1980s; but the Buckley family has been serving premium cuts of Irish beef since the 1600s! The restaurant's interior leans into rich, warm tones with dark woods, leather seating, an open kitchen, and an atmosphere that feels both refined and approachable. Make sure to check out the massive dry-aging fridge in the front of the space, where scarlet-hued meats are displayed through transparent glass panes. We made a reservation for 4 at 6:30pm on a Sunday night through OpenTable, and the restaurant was about half-full when we arrived, but filled up throughout the course of our meal. Our server immediately brought over a tray of their six cuts of meat (all 100% Irish and dry-aged for 28 days), including ribeye, striploin, filet, and variations on the bone. Additionally, there's chalkboard graphics on the wall with detailed descriptions of each cut, which was very helpful in our selection. All steaks are cooked in their signature Josper charcoal ovens, lending a lovely touch of smoky flavor. The menu reads "classic steakhouse", with plenty of different cuts and weights of steak, refined starters, plenty of sides, and a variety of options for non-beef-eaters. We also appreciated the fact that each steak comes with your choice of one of three sides (chips, mashed potatoes, or salad), as well as your choice of sauce (bernaise, bone marrow jus, garlic butter, or pepper sauce). Additionally, all steaks on the bone are served with crispy fried onions. Their wine list is highly lauded, with bottles from all around the world, and a master in-house sommelier. As two members of our party weren't too hungry, they split a Caesar Salad (€13) and the Free Range Chicken (€29) between them. The Caesar Salad was a fresh salad of lightly-dressed, crunchy romaine lettuce, topped with an almost snow-like shaved Parmesan, and Crowe's smoked bacon. The variety of textures and flavors made this a surprising hit. The chicken was tender and juicy, served with a rich truffle cream sauce and salted kohlrabi, as well as your choice of side (she chose the Sauteed Chestnut Mushrooms with Watercress, which were so tender that they cut like butter). While we found the portion of chicken to be a bit small, the ability to choose your own side (which are normally €7-8 on their own) was much appreciated. My brother opted for the 22oz Ribeye on the Bone (€90), which was a hefty portion of well-marbled ribeye on a dramatic tomahawk bone. It was cooked to a perfect medium-rare, with a signature reddish-pink center, and paired nicely with their sharp Pepper Sauce. His Beef Dripping Chips were thick-cut steak fries, with a delightfully crispy exterior, and a pillowy soft interior. Lastly, the fried onions tasted like an elevated version of French's Fried Onions (bringing back memories of Thanksgiving green bean casserole). I chose the 16oz Striploin on the Bone (€49.50) - one generally wouldn't associate the word "value" with a top-line steakhouse, yet this was truly a steal of a dish. Cooked to a perfect rare (cool red center) with a decent amount of marbling, yet still incredibly tender, this was one of the best steaks I've ever had. The bone marrow jus tasted like a rich gravy, yet not too decadent for the sumptuous steak. I chose the Organic Leaf Salad as a side, which was an assortment of mixed leaves, thin-shaved carrots and onions, and a tangy vinaigrette; I appreciated the lightness of the dressing when paired with the meat. We were so full from our generously-portioned entrees that we couldn't fathom ordering dessert, though some of their options were quite tempting (particularly their Bailey's Espresso Cheesecake). Additionally, their Sunday Roast (€29.50) is a much more affordable way to sample some of their Irish meat, though note that it's only served between 1-4pm on Sundays. If you're in the market for a proper steakhouse experience in Dublin with quality ingredients and thoughtful execution, looking no further than FX Buckley!

    Holy cow, best meal we had in Dublin!! Started the meal with the three oysters and three scallop…read moreappetizers. The oysters were bright fresh and perfectly briney absolutely amazing. The scallops were seared to perfect perfection and fresh unbelievable appetizers. For our main courses I had the 10 ounce strip loin cooked medium well with mashed potatoes and the au jus sauce my husband got the fillet with the pepper sauce and mashed potatoes. The steaks were cooked to perfection. The potatoes were amazing. The au jus sauce was good, but the pepper sauce was out of this world perfection. Also had a whiskey sour that was amazing, and my husband had a glass of red wine that went perfectly with his meal for dessert. We had the sticky toffee pudding, which was stunning as well as the espresso cheesecake and a cappuccino, the meal, the service and the whole atmosphere of the restaurant was 10 out of 10. You must eat here if you're visiting Dublin.

    Photos
    F.X.Buckley
    F.X.Buckley - Ribeye bone in with Cajun onions

    Ribeye bone in with Cajun onions

    F.X.Buckley - Description of Meats

    See all

    Description of Meats

    Bull & Castle - 8 oz Filet

    Bull & Castle

    4.1(301 reviews)
    0.4 kmClanbrassil Street
    €€€

    When looking for a traditional restaurant in Dublin, our hotel recommended Bull and Castle. The…read morerestaurant is located within a quieter neighborhood in the city while still walkable to the sights. Far from the crowds of Temple Bar, the restaurant was understated and peaceful. The meal was divine. The restaurant appeared to be a cross between a steakhouse and an Irish pub overing a diverse menu. The restaurant was dark and homey. The staff was attentive and friendly. I'd recommend visiting Bull and Castle during your next trip to Dublin.

    Such a change from the last experience a year ago…read more We had 8:30 PM reservations. Arrived around 8:10 and were told to wait at the bar. No problem, it's NYE, we can wait for out booked time. Less than 5 minutes later we were lead to a table, not even time to order a drink! We shared everything. Ordered cocktails to begin with. They were ok, two different old fashioned drinks. We tried to order bone marrow, scallops, tuna tataki and a Caesar salad as starters. They were already out of the bone marrow and scallops. It's a holiday, you know there are reservations... what?! Poor management and planning!! They recommended the lamb kidneys... never had them before, super gross. I'll never do that again. It smelled like urine! We ordered the burger and 14 oz sirloin to share, medium rare on the steak. Polenta fries, and mashed potatoes. The polenta fries were outstanding! The burger was delicious! Smokey flavor, it was great. It came with huge steak fries, I prefer shoestring. The steak was not tender. Had a better steak sandwich at the Morrison for lunch. All in all, I will not be going back nor recommending this place. The wine I ordered never arrived, our water was never refilled. In fact, after the food arrived, we never saw anyone again!! When the check came with an obligatory 12.5% tip I missed it and paid. Once I noticed, I flipped out!! This was the worst service ever!! I double check tipping culture in Ireland before I complain. 10% is good for good service and bad service is ok to leave zero tip. So I asked for it back. They gave me credit for the tip but not the tax on tip. Unimpressed. Won't go again.

    Photos
    Bull & Castle - Second floor layout

    Second floor layout

    Bull & Castle
    Bull & Castle - Whiskey flight.

    See all

    Whiskey flight.

    Shanahan's On The Green - Filet 8oz

    Shanahan's On The Green

    4.4(81 reviews)
    0.4 kmSouth Inner City
    €€€€

    First, I have to apologize for the awful photos. I'm not…read moresure if it was the lighting or user error, but I could not take a good photo in this beautiful venue. We were referred to Shanahan's by American friends. This is a classic American steakhouse, and had I realized that, I would have chosen a more authentically Irish restaurant. The meal and service were fantastic, but I'm not sure this would rank in my top steakhouse experiences. Our steak was not cooked medium rare - it was almost medium well. While everything was delicious, nothing stood out as unique other than the bread. That being said, a similar experience in the states would cost two times as much (think Morton's or Jeff Ruby's). The bread was fantastic, as were the scallops. As a southern American, the creamed corn was fantastic and as authentic as I've had anywhere (including the south). Our servers were incredibly attentive and the venue was beautiful. If you're from the USA... I'd pass and leave the experience to European tourists who want the American steakhouse experience. No complaints, just not what we typically look for when traveling international (which is entirely our fault). This is a very post place and reservations are a must.

    The restaurant was beautiful and the hostesses were kind when greeting me and finding me a table (I…read moredid not have a reservation). The bread was Delicious! I could have ate that alone. This steakhouse reminds me of a Ruth Chris in the states. All steaks are ala carte and cooked perfectly. I got a half portion of truffle fries and it was definitely large enough for 2 people at minimum. Upon receiving my bill they gave me three chocolates which was a great treat. The only reason I didn't rate this higher is the wait service seemed to ignore me after I ordered and only till I asked for the check. The restaurant was busy with large parties and their attentiveness with them did look like if it was slower or I had a larger party I would get the same.

    Photos
    Shanahan's On The Green
    Shanahan's On The Green
    Shanahan's On The Green

    See all

    Darwins - steak - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...