Octopussy's Seafood Tapas Photos
OCTOPUSSY'S SEAFOOD TAPAS ATMOSPHERE
Recommended Reviews - Octopussy's Seafood Tapas
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I understand why this place can have a wait! Their service is friendly and straightforward, and the seafood (and wine!) is thoughtful and good quality. Some of the seafood dishes can be really rich, which to be clear, I'm not complaining about. I also really enjoyed their bread - I believe it's made in house and a bit dense and feels like a nutrient dense bread Both indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the pier
Oysters are an absolute must for the size and the cost of them. They weren't too expensive and were massive. The fish and chips were huge and the fish was very fresh. The salmon was cooked to perfection and had a ton of rice along with it. You will likely have to wait for a table because it is very small and crowded. We asked to sit outside because they had their heaters on. Service was extremely fast so you will be in and out quick.
Get there a few minutes before they opened and the line was long by the time we got in. Small, but cozy/intimate space. Best dishes by far were the Monkfish, Prawn & Mussels and the Whiskey Scallops. I don't know what sauces they put on the first one, but my partner was eating it by the spoonful. It was crack sauce, so good. If you have to wait for a seat, do it - it's worth the wait.
Absolutely phenomenal tapas bar. I dined solo, which made it much easier to grab a table. This was on a Tuesday afternoon and they were slammed -- I get the feeling this is their every day. Several groups had to wait awhile in order to get a table. The seafood broth was out of this world. It was the best broth I've had in a long time and the seafood was also amazing. The salad dressing was delicious on the house salad, I wouldn't skip it. The calamari was also good but a little rich for a solo dish -- definitely would be better sharing! All in all an amazing place. Will be dreaming about this meal.
This place was very crowded when we went, so we waited outside until the table was ready. It took about 30 minutes or so. The food was pretty decent. The fish and chips were lacking flavor but the chowder was amazing!!! Highly recommend it!! Also, the Thai dish was very flavorful as well. It's pretty small inside so if you have a big group, it might be worth splitting up! We also got a bottle of wine that was pretty cheap and delicious!
Quick late lunch after hiking the cliffs. Traditional tight seating inside, with picnic tables outside. Watch out for the birds if you choose to sit outside. They are hungry! We ate inside and shared a table with some other tourists. Everything here was done fresh and quickly. It was a nice break from our active day on the trail. Pleasant staff. Very good food. Just know, the Greek salad has Italian dressing on it. Enjoy!
I've been here a few times and it just never gets old. I order the same thing cuz it's just so good. This is a small restaurant on the boardwalk that frames in the harbor in Howth which is right outside of Dublin, Ireland. The sea air, the Bailey Lighthouse which is what you see on short final into Dublin airport is truly so to behold. The seafood in all of these restaurants Is as good as it gets. Octopussys is a small, crowded, hopping spot where the service is wonderful and the food is pretty special. The crab salad is so solid. It's how all crab salad should be, crabby! The fish and chips are too big and too much gif the plate but they manage as do the diners! I always look for Bono when I'm here cuz this is where U-2 live. ;-) win win!
We were bummed there was no beer or alcohol-(wine & soda only); Seafood chowder full of seafood. Fish & chips AMAZING & SUPER CRISPY!! The outdoor heated benches are nice on a cold day. This was our favorite place out of all the places we ate in Ireland as far as the fish & chips and seafood chowder.
I don't even know where to begin. While on vacation, after a hike up Howth Cliff Walk, we wanted some good seafood and a nice glass of wine. There were two of us so we ordered a few smalls and a large dish, I think. It was a lot of food and it was plenty! The scallops? Oh my. I really don't have the words. It was the best food ever! The fresh pawns with their poor heads still on. It was unfortunate but it was delicious. Get there early. It's the only place with a line and for good reason. It is tightly run, small and busy! They do have outside seating but the inside is small. We were lucky to get the table on the left inside. It was the perfect size for our appetites because we ordered scallops, fish and chips, pawns, and calamari. The table was off to the side and a little private. It made for a wonderful experience. A glass of white wine went perfectly with everything. The service was very good and friendly. We didn't want for anything. I recommend getting there early and putting your name in. If there are a lot of people, they ask that you wait across the street so as not to block the walkway or disturb outside diners. It's a small space and it's busy! They will come and get you when your table is ready. Thank you for a great dinner and memories!
The food was excellent. We went back twice in one day while we were in Howth. The staff said that is not uncommon for people to return twice. We ordered the lemon garlic scallops, scampi and dressed crab with side salads for lunch and ordered garlic potatoes and Monkfish/Prawn Thai Curry for dinner. The curry was not spicy hot at all and could've used a little more flavor development but we still ate it all! The only reason I put 4 stars was because of the lack of space. As a group of 2 it was easy for us to get seated both times but there were families coming 6+ and they had extremely long waits. When the weather is nice they have outdoor seating, probably to accommodate the bigger groups. Our dinner waitress took the time to talk to us and recommend places to get a pint afterwards. We had a great day in Howth! read more
4 years ago
The name drew us in... it was way better than we expected!!! My wife & I ordered 1 dozen oysters, two bowls of chowder, prawns & paella. Everything was so tasty & came out perfectly. If we're ever back in Dublin, we will definitely make our way back! read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
Thank you Fellow Yelpers!! Spot on with this absolutely gem of a small, hard working, and incredibly delish restaurant in Howth!! Definitely a "Very Best" category for fabulous food, service and cozy ambience. The Whiskey Scallops: perfectly cooked w an incredible cream sauce. Fresh oysters--YES! So fresh. Monkfish, Prawns and Mussels: monkfish sweet like lobster, nice Spoon-size shrimp and lovely sweet and sand-free mussels--the sauce..."O" YES! A real bread dipper, bread sponger, as in don't leave a drop in the bowl. Ya, I might have ordered a beer if they had it, but it forced me to order the Tempranillo red and I loved every drop w this food!! A total Do Me Over...again and again!! read more
Phenomenal service, phenomenal atmosphere, great ambiance, and food that is off-the-boat-fresh. Seriously: the dock is 30 feet from the door, and they also sell fresh seafood from their shop next door. I cannot say enough about the service, our waitress was frickin hilarious. The tappas-style entries we ordered were: scallops, oysters, calamari, seafood chowder, and we capped with Tiramisu and Creme Brûlée. The chowder was the best on the Emerald Isle we tried, and the smoked salmon in it made it complete. This experience made us determined to come back again and eat here, despite the fact we live 3500 miles away! read more
This was probably my favorite meal during our trip to Ireland! We were getting a little tired of bangers and mash and all your other Irish dishes, so we were more than happy to indulge in some seafood in Howth. The staff were friendly and kind and the restaurant was cozy and welcoming. We came right after the weekend that the Pope visited, so apparently his visit was delaying the local fish delivery that day. This meant there were no oysters, prawns, crab or monkfish available. Nonetheless, we surprisingly ordered a ton of food and enjoyed every single dish we ordered. We ordered the chowder, the whiskey battered scallops, calamari, octupus, mussels, fish, etc. My favorite was the whiskey battered scallops and even after the scallops were done, I kept dipping the bread in the sauce. No beer or hard liquor but a great wine selection that goes well with the seafood. All in all, a great spot for dinner after a nice hike on the cliff walk! read more
This is in the perfect seaside town of Howth. Take a 30 min train out to Howth and then grab lunch here. Delicious seafood tapas and amazing wine selection. Fresh, fresh, fresh! We had the best French white wine to accompany our bountiful plate of seafood: shrimp, mussels, langoustines, and clams. The best! We just wanted to sit, eat, and take in the sights of the water. Perfect afternoon outside of Dublin. read more
4 years ago
On vacation in Dublin Ireland. This place was a 40 minute train ride but it was worth the trip! The BEST seafood chowder I've had. The Oysters were amazing, and the service was great. The venue only sits max 15-20 people and it's walk in only. No reservations. 10/10 will come back the next time I'm in Ireland. read more
4 years ago
So amazing! The food was just to die for. The wait was over an hour at around 1:30pm on a Saturday and the place is relatively small and cramped. Overall, the wait was worth it because the flavors were so unique and the seafood was so fresh. Yum. read more
I think very often about the meal that I had here, and I feel it was one of those experiences that I'll remember for the rest of my life. The food was spectacular, everything was super fresh and delicious, plus it was such a beautiful day that while we waited outside and watched as others were brought food, the entwining smells of seafood cooked in wine, and butter, and garlic sent me swooning, getting my salivary glands working for what was to come. There's no doubt that the location adds to the dining experience you'll have here. You can see fisherman docking their boats just mere feet away, some of them carrying hauls of fish and other seafood. We did wait a while for a table but we understood that there was a long list of people waiting to eat here, and there wasn't a whole lot of room but we were patient and were rewarded not only with an extra large helping of Portuguese Pinot Grigio from our waitress who was relieved at our being understanding, but also with extremely delicious food. I highly recommend the monk fish stewed in garlic, crab, and bay shrimp, absolutely phenomenal. It comes with brown bread and butter but I'd personally recommend ordering a side of chips (french fries) to sop up all the delicious sauce; you'll thank me for that tip. We also enjoyed white bait, which is like deep fried little sardines; drool-worthy. One person in our party really enjoyed her octopus stewed in wine and tomato sauce and she too thought the chips were a good little mop rather than the brown bread. Seafood chowder was also rich and filling, with an overall fresh and deep flavor. I absolutely loved it, and if I ever have the privilege in life to come back to Howth, I'd definitely eat here again. read more
This was the BEST restaurant we visited in Ireland in the most adorable little fishing village! We literally recommend it to anyone we know traveling to Ireland. The views were breathtaking and the food and service were delicious! It's a very small restaurant and was crowded during lunch so we opted to sit outside. We ordered two glasses of white wine and everything on the menu is tapas style. We started out with the Seafood Chowder which we literally devoured and then the Beer Battered Fish and Whisky Scallops. I sometimes dream about how delicious the Whisky Scallops were and beg my husband to recreate it for me. We have plans to definitely come back and hit the Octopussy for another 5-star meal! Unfortunately, we ate everything so fast and took no pictures. read more
4 years ago
We went there in 2017. We sat in a little nook. The food was fantastic! We had several different tapas and all were really good. I love the quaintness. The place was absolutely charming and we tell everyone about here in the states. I'm in Florida and I'm dying to get a picture of the shark wall that my husband was reacting to. If there is someone out there who sees this review I would be eternally grateful if you could post a picture of just the shark wall. Cheers!!! read more
7 years ago
Without words. Had it on my todo list for a while, presented as one of the best seafood restaurants in Ireland by lovin.ie. Even got this as a recommendation by an waitress at a breakfast cafe earlier this day. Freshest oysters I've ever tasted, great seafood chowder, the sherry monkfish was exceptional, all accompanied by an extensive list of fine wines. The service was just right. The place is pretty small and not really suitable for large groups, if its full, its defo worth the wait. What you get is not just great food but a wonderful view on Howth harbour. Addendum 05/19: still unbeatable, needed to wait about 15 minutes but again, its just worth it. The service was absolutely caring! read more
3 years ago
Octopussy's was the restaurant that I was most excited to visit. The food looked amazing on Yelp and their reviews were fantastic. As soon as we stepped into the restaurant we were warmly greeted. The atmosphere is quaint and very relaxing. Since it is a tapas restaurant we decided to order several items for the table. We ordered Deep Fried Brie with Chutney. ( £9.50), Calamari (£9.00), Crab Claws (£12.00), Seafood Paella (£15.00), Mixed Seafood Platter (£30.00) and Fish & Chips. (£15.50) All of the seafood was super fresh and wonderfully cooked. The seafood paella was my most favorite item. It is made with paella rice, chorizo,squid rings, mussels, smoked coley and gambas. It came out in a little cast skillet and it taste amazing. Even the rice was stand up and left you wishing for more. The mussels came in at a close second and all the others dishes were spectacular. read more
3 years ago
7 years ago
So not only was our hostess the sweetest person by trying to accommodate all the people who came in this small little venue. She even offered us blankets to sit on and wrap around while we ate outside and then as soon as there was an opening for our group of 4 she asked if we wanted to come in and still apologize because the area was really small. I found it to be a polite gesture because it was nothing in her control. I can understand why this place was full and the food is really good . I had the whiskey scallops and our group shared a tomato paste french fry "chips" concoction. All of that completely filled us up the portions don't look very big but you can you either share a few options or get one main dish and share aside and you get pretty full. read more
Delicious food, and the tapas style encourages you to try a bunch of different things. The best dish of all is the monkfish with prawns in sherry chorizo sauce! The spicy seafood soup was also amazing (not too spicy). The place itself is super cute and the portions are large enough that 3 plates will fill up 2 people. The location is also perfect, highly recommend! read more
If you love seafood, take a quick train to Howth from Dublin and enjoy great fresh seafood at Octopussy. I originally looking for restaurant serves razor clams. I searched by words and this one came up. A little I knew, they don't always serve razor clams here. They do only if the fisherman catches them. So if you see razor clams on the menu, go for it as it is so rare to have them. I ordered a half dozen of oysters as my appetizer. This is a very small restaurant, I get to see everything chef is doing from my table. I watched her as she prepares my oysters and she knows what she is doing. I love oysters and always watch how they prepare whenever I get a chance. Oysters was to my liking and really enjoyed fresh oysters. Five out of six oysters were just right size (small like kumamotos) and tasted very good. For my lunch, I ordered soup. I never seen so many chunks of seafood in my soup before. They were so generous on amount of seafood chunks they put in my soup, I enjoyed every bite of my food. They served small bread and butter on the side.. I was so pleased with the quality of ingredients they used, I very much enjoyed my lunch here. I highly recommend this restaurant. The chef knows what she is doing. read more
5 years ago
One of the most famous tapas restaurant in Howth. So great to have the lunch in the Harbour with fresh sellfisfh, delicious mussels and amazing gambas. A place to be in Howth. read more
3 years ago
By far, some of the best seafood I have ever encountered. Even though the alcoholic drink menu only included wine, that was no problem at all. There is a sign up sheet is by the door when there's a wait, and the picnic table seating outside is shared, which is great for multiple smaller groups. My wife and I shared the "Seafood Chowder", "Monkfish, Prawns, and Mussels", and the "Mixed Shell Platter" for one person. Everything was very flavorful and delicious. read more
4 years ago
7 years ago
8 years ago
Fresh seafood with a great view of the bay. Seafood chowder had chunks of actual seafood. It's not your typical restaurant seafood chowder with little leftover bits. You get chunks of fish, mussels(shell included), whole shrimp(the fancy kind), large ring on calamari. Fish and chips fried to perfection. Light batter crispy batter with lightly salted crispy potatoes. The tips still have the skin on it. Unfortunately I didn't get to try the lobster because my finished before I could get to it. She is a picky eater so it must have been delicious. I bet you will have the same experience. An amazing experience. Oysters were popular as well, but didn't have the room. read more
4 years ago
4 years ago
4 years ago
All the food was amazing and fresh! I'm sure the oysters came straight from the boat to our plate they were so tasty and fresh! Luckily we got a table pretty quickly, they were busy! Even if you have to wait a bit, it's worth it. read more
7 years ago
4 years ago
10 years ago
We were so happy to run into this little spot. After sightseeing all day and taking a train from Dublin, we ended up here before heading back to Dublin for the night. What a cute and cozy little spot on the water/ fishing pier. The seafood is no doubt extremely fresh. I had a great sizzling shrimp dish in a spicy red sauce served with bread. Really tasty! My friend had the muscles, served in a white sauce which was incredible. We each had a glass of wine and we're totally satisfied. The service was really friendly and they let me use their charger to charge my phone after taking pictures all day I drained my battery. LOL. Very close to the Howth train station, so a perfect stop for lunch or dinner when arriving from or heading back to Dublin. Great meal read more
7 years ago
Wonderful food! I was there two days again when visiting Ireland and I am dreaming of their food. 10/10 for their seafood chowder, seafood broth, fish tenders, and garlic potatoes. Staff is was great too but again their food is delicious!!!! A must try when in Howth (and Dublin...make the trip) read more
3 years ago
12 years ago
This is a 4.5 star restaurant. Great, fresh food at a reasonable price. These are the dishes we tried: - spicy squid with chorizo / excellent - chowder / average (needed more seasoning) - garlic butter scallop / excellent - mussels in white wine sauce / good - fish & chips / excellent (must try) - razor clams with pancetta / excellent (must try) As you see some dishes were outstanding such as the smoked piece of the fish and chips (best I've had in my life) and the razor clams with pancetta and parmesan (unexpectedly incredible combo). Other, such as the chowder and the mussels were good, but nothing special (which explains the .5 star missing). Check for 2 dishes per person and 1 bottle of Prosecco in 3 = 30€. Ultra recommended for a casual lunch on the pier and worth a 20m train ride from Dublin when visiting the city. read more
Being sick is great for review writing, at least once the medication has kicked in. So here's a review I was wanting to write for a long time now, even though this is "my" little spot and I think it's already overcrowded enough - so enjoy the review but please don't go there! ;) Octopussys was opened recently, I think one year ago or so. It seems to have a connection with the owners of Doran's at the Pier (fish shop) and / or "The Oar House" (fish restaurant). The good thing with that is that at Octopussys you can also collect "Pier Points", stamps you get when you spend money there, and once the card is full you can get something special for it (a dinner for 2 with a bottle of wine I supposse). I would give Octopussys 5 stars but they have 2 major turn-offs, with which I will start. 1. They are too small The place is tiny really. Meaning that on a week-end afternoon all the tourists who came for them bloody seals are tempted to have a snack there. And in the evening party- and pub-goers seem to use Octopussys as a place to "warm-up" with food and wine before they hit the Pubs of Howth. 2. The crowd People dining there loosely fall into two categories. Either tourists, which is fine most of the time, or the local pub-goers mentioned under 1. Those just don't fall in the category of people I want to spend my evening with. Overdressed, over-wealthy but at the same time undereducated should describe this particular kind of Irish nouveau-riche as best as I can put it without being more offensive than I already am. If the place was bigger (point 1...) I would not feel this extreme about them, but in such a small place you just can't avoid listening to their stories as you nearly sweat in each others tapas. But now the good points: 1. Quality of Food: F-R-E-S-H, hot, sizzling, spicy, Mediterranean or latin american, call it what you want: all the food here is so yummy and fresh, even though the tapas choice is not really large (not if you go there every second week...), I could go there every second day had I the coins to do so! Try the Dublin Bay Prawn Pil-Pil, the Chorizo Bravas (!) or the Howth Crab Cake. The fried whitebait, the fried squid-rings with blue-cheese sauce. The Mussels à la Thai curry, the baby octopus salas or just the larger Tapenades-plate. It's all so good. And if you don't eat fish, you have a non-seafood tapenades-platter and meat-balls to fill your tummy. The choice of wines is also very good by the way, and not only "new world" wines but also good and honest wines from France, Italy and Spain. 2. Price It's one of the best "value for your money" places I have been to, at least in this quality category. Two people can easily enjoy a bottle of wine and a selection of Tapas and stay around the 50 Euros marker, which is very good for Dublin standards. 3. Staff Very friendly, very helpful and once they recognize you as a regular even more friendly. 4. Music Always some "Buena Vista Social Club" - esque tune on here. 5. View: If you are lucky enough (or have reserved beforehand), you can get a seat at the big window and glance over the harbour and Head of Howth while sipping on your wine and enjoying your tapas. Unbeatable, no matter the season. 6. Accessability: Just a 5-10 minute walk from Howth Dart Station, down the West Pier. Tip: try and come on a week-day evening, with reservation for the window, and you will not be disappointed. read more
7 years ago
I cannot recommend this place enough. Cute and cozy space, and the monkfish, prawn, and mussel dish is to die for. Best food I had while in Dublin area and I will be raving about it for a while! read more
I love tapas and I love sea food! I went here with 2 friends of mine and we ordered 3 plates each and then had a bit of each other's. It was delicious! It may have been a while back since I've gone here but I aim to change that soon ;) Friendly service and nice desserts too. Like was said below, limited seating so get in there early. read more
What a charming place! They are located right off the promenade in Howth and have delicious tapas for sharing and a really quaint interior with string lights along the ceiling. It is pretty small inside so it can get crowded. Will definitely be back. The scallops were particularly good, as were the bread and olives. The fried fish was very delicious as well! read more
More info about Octopussy's Seafood Tapas
West Pier
Howth, 13
Republic of Ireland
Directions
(01) 839 0822
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http://www.octopussys.ie/
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