Our first night in Dublin and we strolled in smelling like tourists and dressed like them too. The staff didn't seem to mind. Rather than taking us somewhere to hide us from the well-dressed men and women who were enjoying a pint after work, they placed us right in the heart of the restaurant, where we could people watch. The food was delicious and, honestly, the best fish and chips we had while we visited Dublin. Coming from Boston, where we pride ourselves on our fish and chips... this is quite a compliment. Good on you guys! Thanks for a lovely meal and a great environment! read more

Ate here on vacation for lunch. Beautiful building on the inside. Lots of great light and fun places to sit. Our server Paddy was wonderful and offered many suggestions. We had the special which was hake and it was incredible. So fresh. Hoped to go back for dinner, but never got the chance. Seems fancy inside, but casual dress is fine. Gentleman next to us ordered the raw oysters and they looked great!! read more

Good place, go there once every other weeks for oysters and pints. Good desserts, perfect service.

We made last-minute reservations here, and were so glad we did! I figured we'd get a bad table, but we were seated right in the front and had friendly, attentive service. I had the crab claws, which were absolutely delectable, while my husband had the mussels. It was the largest portion of mussels we've encountered at a restaurant, and could easily be shared. We also ordered a side of the Parmesan truffle chips. Yum! We didn't finish anything, but not for lack of effort! I would be happy to come back here, and would definitely recommend to friends. read more

Oysters and Guinness. It was a nice crowd of business folks at lunch, while the rest of us ate as solo guests at the bar. Lovely!

Have been several times over the years during visits to Ireland. This restaurant remains very good each time. The theme this time--'Oh, the mussels, the mussels, the mussels...' read more

Good honest fish restaurant with fresh and lengthy choice. Mussels were great, Game was excellent. Wine list is mostly French, nicely priced (nothing above €30) and off the usual track. Looks is a bit pubish, but different corners have various levels of noise/comfort. To try... read more

I would have given zero stars if that were an option. My wife and traveled to Dublin on vacation. We read the reviews for this place and decided to try it. When we walked in, we were promptly greeted by the hostess, who was very pleasant, and were shown to our table. Right behind the hostess was our waitress who immediately asked us if we were ready to order. She watched us walk in and sit down and we had not even opened our menus yet so we were a little taken aback when she asked if we were ready to order. When we indicated that we were not ready, she rolled her eyes and walked away without a single word. My wife and I looked over the menu and decided on what to eat within about 60 seconds and then put the menus down and waited for the waitress to return. Over the course of the next 20 minutes, the waitress completely ignored our table. I could see her about 20 yards away fiddling with the set up on another table the entire time. Not once did she return to take our order. What was worse was that a man who appeared to be the manager walked past our table no less than four or five times without a single nod to our table much less query as to whether we were ready to order or "how we were doing". I had to get up and stop him from what he was doing and ask him if had a waitress any more and if we did could he please send her over. He seemed really annoyed that he even had to deal with my request. So the waitress finally comes back, clearly annoyed that she had to do her job, and takes our order and disappears again. We would not see her again. The food came out about 15 minutes later and it was actually very good. Off in the distance and in plain view of all of the other customers, I could see the male manager berating our waitress for her (in)actions. I'm not a lip-reader but she was clearly gesturing towards our table and putting the blame on us. When I needed another drink or more water, I had to go request it from the bar tender as the waitress clearly had better things to do. We got so fed up by the attitude problems with the waitress and manager that we, before even finishing our meal, got the check from the bar tender, paid, and left. My wife was approached outside of the restaurant by the woman who we originally thought was the hostess. She now identified herself as "one of the managers" and asked how our meal was. We gave a brief recitation of the above. She said she was very sorry and that the owner would want to speak to us about our experience as that is not what kind of restaurant they run. We gave the woman our name and number. The next day, the manager, not the owner, called us. We explained that we were busy at the time but to please call back the next day so we could discuss our experience. We never got another call. It seems like the entire staff at this place, with the exception of the bar tender who was the only one who actually helped us, needs to be replaced. It is worth noting that the female manager/hostess was very pleasant seemed sincere. That being said, sincerity doesn't put food on the table or make an enjoyable dining experience. read more

had a really good night food was excellent the tian of smoked salmon starter was top class I had mussels just perfect mains of fish pie was just the right mix of smoked fish etc my tuna steak was cooked to perfection the Spanish wine was lovely our waitress was pleasant and attentive only gripe was our table was in the play pin down stairs which we accepted when first offered and it was fine overall we had a very enjoyable meal and will definitely return read more

Beautiful decor, fun atmosphere. My traveling companion ordered the Guinness meat pie and was not impressed. I ordered the Sirloin it was cooked to perfection and loved the truffle fries. We skipped dessert and decided to have some additional cocktails only to be asked to move from the table as other patrons were to be seated. I also asked for some club soda with a lemon to remove a grease stain from my short and was charged for the soda which came on a napkin. Overall, good dining experience. Very busy and def make a reservation. read more

To be honest, the restaurant is very upscale. If you come in with anything less than a collared shirt, you'll feel it from the staff. However, ignore all this and get the oysters, easily some of the freshest and best I've had in my life (and I was born and raised in Seattle). The mignonette was absolutely delicious as well and, as with basically every spot in Dublin, the Guinness was perfect. read more

Matt The Thresher - Came in for a light meal, quickly ordered another 6 and another 6. - Seafood Near Me - Dublin, D

I really wanted to love this place, but sadly it fell a bit short. The waiter wasn't that good - ordering felt a bit awkward. We asked about the smoked fish and he looked over his shoulder before saying it wasn't his favorite, but he didn't like smoked fish. When pressed, he said it's very popular. We ordered it in spite of his advice, and it was quite good. We had a fish pie that was good, but not outstanding. The beef pie was much better. I had the crab pot and it was very fresh and quite good. The decor is very cool. I'd go again. It is still worth a solid four star! read more

Really disappointed with the service and food despite other reviews. Had the pâté which was too liquidy and bitter. The staff were not friendly and seemed rushed. I can't comment on the main course because it was nearly an hour after starters before we decided to leave . At that point the manager indignantly said "madam all our orders are custom cooked". We should hope so ! But an hours wait for a fish dish that takes 5 minutes to cook alongside a crab salad. Avoid, it's just a tourist trap read more

Service was fantastic, atmosphere was good too. We ordered an assortment - fish pie ( fresh and smoked fish, fish and chips , crab stuffed donuts , calamari, and some draft beers . A little pricey for what you get by overall good. read more

Visited Matt The Thresher last Saturday night having heard good things about it and was excited to finally go. First impressions were not great as I was greeted by a sign telling me to 'wait to be seated'. However, no host was present or arrived to welcome me. In the end I wandered over to the bar and asked for my table. All was grand from that point forward and the service was fine. To the food.... I like seafood and eat it quite a bit. I started with the spicy squid which, although cooked nicely and was tender, was lacking in flavour and did not complete its menu promise. My companion had the crab and avocado which was much better. For main I had the soft shell prawns. These were good. Messy, but good. I ordered a side of the truffle and parmesan chips to accompany but was confounded as to where the truffle and parmesan was! I cannot remember what my companion had as a main course - I was concentrating too hard on dismembering my prawns to notice! However, a clean plate was the only evidence I needed to show that a good meal was had. Post dinner we adjourned to the bar. The restaurant and bar interior is very nice, clean, modern, yet warm and comfortable. Definitely a good venue for a bite and post dinner chat over a drink. Good date place too. Overall, I would give this place another go, but would probably order the fish 'n chips! read more

I was excited to try Matt the Threshers for my Mum's birthday dinner, looking at the menu if seemed like a good place for a special night out, unfortunately we were all very disappointed. The service was poor we had to wait for our table despite booking in advance and then were shown to a four person table for our five person party down a stairs at the back of the restaurant away from the atmosphere it was very dark and we were close to ignored apart from being served our food. The food itself was well below the expected standard, little care or effort had gone into preparing the fish and sides especially. I had the special of seabass with scallops and was expecting great things from the description, however the fish was overcooked and the sides of boiled potatoes were hard and tasteless, the side salad of rocket was wilted and had a few measly pine nuts thrown on top it was not dressed and no dressing was offered on the side. We were not asked whether everything was ok or even if we would like another bottle of wine. Overall, the food is overpriced and the restaurant seems to be coasting by, relying on the one time visits of tourists rather than put enough effort in to ensure repeat customers. We have since rang the restaurant to complain and the manager, Tom was extremely rude and unhelpful, we are waiting for the owner to call but it has been a week now so I expect we will not hear from him. My advice STAY AWAY there are so many other wonderful restaurants in Dublin that are far more deserving of your money that will provide and much more pleasant experience and well prepared, delicious food. read more

We just arrived in Dublin this afternoon, and wanted a restaurant close to our hotel. Thank God this restaurant was! One of the VERY BEST restaurants we've had the honor to dine in in all of Europe... We began with sweet potato soup, (SO TASTY!!), then had an unbelievably incredible shrimp appetizer special, (roasted prawns with goat cheese, chorizo, and some sauce to die for), then moved on to the sautéed prawns. My husband and I split all of the dishes, (something we've just begun to do - it works perfectly for us), and then we had the Trio of Chocolate dessert. I am from a shrimping town, and shrimp is my favorite food, so I'm a little bit of a shrimp snob... but OMGEEEE!! All I can say is that I'm terribly sad we are only in Dublin for one night.:-( Our experience was a 10... hope yours is, too! Btw, Dave was our server... and he was incredible... :-) read more

We asked the concierge at the Merrion Hotel for a seafood restaurant and without hesitation he said Matt the Thresher! It was about 7 30 and we obviously had no reservation so he called to check if we could get in. They said if we came now we could get in, maybe have to wait 15 minutes so we thought great, sounds perfect. Mind you we had an eleven year old boy with us so going someplace with a long wait was not going to work for us. Thus began our nightmare dining experience! We got there and again told basically that they were waiting to clear a table and it shouldn't be too long, but the atmosphere was definitely on the harried side and we should have read the cards better and cut our losses then. Instead we were seated in the waiting area and sat for 30 minutes without any service other then the occasional "we're working on it". To make a long story short, it was two hours before we were served our mains. Never having gotten a proper table, and being served in the holding area of the bar. I'm sure the food was fantastic but I was so irritated and fatigued at that point we couldn't enjoy. Bottom line, if you can't seat someone, simply tell them you are too busy. We would have been happy to have gone some where else if armed with the reality of the situation. The two stars is not a reflection on the food but of our dining experience. read more

Wow. What can I say more than that. This place was perfect, and I do mean perfect. There was not a single thing anyone in my group (10 of us) could say negatively or that might need to be changed. The food was perfectly cooked, and the flavors were amazing. Huge points to the chef! If you, as a restaurant owner, can satisfy 10 people that ordered from all over the menu, and none of them have a word of criticism (even the slightest), you must be doing something right! My family thoroughly enjoyed this restaurant during my visit. My aunt even made a point to say that she would be sure to drive in from Kildare again, just to come back to this restaurant. I'm sure I'll be back next time I'm over to visit! read more

Just had a great dinner here with my wife. We both had one of the daily fish catches-monkfish in an Asian prep. and hake with green beans- both were incredibly flavorful. As an appetizer, we had the beet salad-delicious and beautifully presented. Our waiter, Lucca, was pleasant, informative and very responsive. read more

We had a team dinner in Mid December 2015 at Matt the Tresher in Dublin (Pembroke street). Some of our team members had seafood platters and some had steaks. Out of 9 persons, 6 had SEVERE FOOD POISONING within the next 24 hours. read more

Incredible oysters. No seriously, these were amazing! Best oysters we ever had in the world. The bar staff was incredibly friendly. Perfect for brunch/lunch. read more

We were lucky enough to find a table in this upscale pub! Food and service were spot on. Husband had the fish and chips, delectable. I had the seafood hotpot which, while delicious, was really enough for three pp so beware! The bartender knows how to make a vodka martini as opposed to a Martini martini! Wonderful restaurant for a special occasion. read more

Best gastro-pub & best bar/pub-tender in Dublin! Ask Connor to make you a 'High Octane Sexy' (2:1 gin to vodka ratio. Ultimate Hen-party starter!) read more

Six ladies from Rhode Island had a thoroughly enjoyable evening. We were hungry after a day of touring and the fresh well prepared seafood hit the spot. read more

Had dinner here on our second last night in Dublin, and had saved this one as our "highlight" dinner. The majority of the restaurant is really very nice, with classy decor and nice tables, etc. However, we were given a table in a lower area at the back of the restaurant, which is cut off from the rest of the place, and was quite disappointing. The servers were polite, and the pace was good. We had the mussels to start, which were good; I had a pork dish, and my wife had a monkfish and prawn special. Both were pretty good, but not really on par with the atmosphere of the restaurant (excluding the lower, back area), and the price. read more

What a lovely surprise to find this hidden gem in Dublin. Only 5 years old, Matt the Thresher feels like a very special place. My friend and I were looking for seafood and MTT was recommended to us by our hotel (the Westin by Trinity College). It was about double the walking distance we were told, but well worth the search! We shared the mussels, which were so much more than one person could eat...and the accompanying garlic toast was incredible by itself. We finished with superb Irish coffees with hand shaken country cream. Oh my! We highly recommend this restaurant!!!! read more