This place was fantastic. Just off the side of the dock, you couldn't get much closer to the sea for some sea food. We both got the €17 for 2 tapas and wine early bird special deal, ordering calamari, muscles, deep fried white fish, and chili squid, and also added the white wine monkfish, prawns and muscles. To be short, it was fantastic. The monkfish and muscles especially were to die for. I wasn't too keen on the chili squid, as it's a bit on the meaty/chewy side, but everything else was way more than enough food. We arrived at about 5pm on a Thursday, so the place was completely empty and we were seated in a semi private room. Definitely a place to visit for a nice dinner when in Howth. read more

Octopussy's Seafood Tapas - Muscles, calamari, monkfish prawns and muscles in white wine sauce, and chili squid - Tapas Bars Near Me - Howth, D

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This restaurant is so nice! Not large space, but good atmosphere. And staffs are friendly. Food... I ordered clam chowder, cod fish with mussels, prawn piripiri flavor, and seafood platter. Everything is good! Specially, Cod fish and prawn was delicious! I'd like to go there again in near the future. read more

Octopussy's Seafood Tapas - Prawn piripiri, Cod fish with mussel, Brown bread - Tapas Bars Near Me - Howth, D

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When you walk in, your overwhelmed with an amazing smell of a buttery bisque. Great wine selection. Highly recommend the Dublin bay prawn cooked in prawn bisque. The owner is very friendly and inviting. Come early as it gets packed quickly since it's a small building with only a few tables! For a small place, the restaurant has a huge menu! Ordered the Mixed shellfish platter for one and shared it with a friend. read more

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I absolutely loved this place! You have to wait to be seated since it is small, but that's what makes it so great. It's a nice cozy place with a chill atmosphere and nice views. I had the shrimp and scallop small meals and they were absolutely delicious! The wine was also a nice touch. I definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for some good seafood. I'll be going back during my next visit! read more

Well, i was there and could proudly say this food was super fresh and yummy yummy ,,Was just unfortunate, I had a dead battery on my phone and I must say its still in my bucket list to visit again and again !!!! read more

Excellent! Fresh well prepared seafood and delicious reasonably priced wine. We enjoyed the afternoon, laughed hard, and kept ordering more because everything was so good. The shrimp were so excellent that we ordered a second round. It is the perfect afternoon by the sea. It is cozy. We had fun with all the ladies and they gave excellent recommendations. You are probably reading this and deciding between here and the many other places to go. Eat here. Of all the little places I have found on my yelping through adventures, this was a gem. Everything was so good! read more

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I thoroughly enjoyed eating at Octopussy. Like many places in the Dublin metro area, it isn't a good deal. However, it is an incredible experience to eat fresh seafood while staring at the boat that caught it in the morning. Furthermore, there are leopard seals all along the harbor to watch while you eat. Make sure you plan well - there aren't really reservations at lunch anyway, and a French couple tried to claim they were there before us (they weren't). But once we got the food, it was all good. Perfectly fried fish and calamari, delicious hand cut fries. This place is definitely worth a visit. read more

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Tried the "Seafood Paella" and the "Monkfish, Prawns and Mussels" IT WAS AMAZING!!!!! read more

Octopussy's Seafood Tapas - Tapas Bars Near Me - Howth, D

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Great little restaurant! Much of their menu is caught locally (all of their fish comes from their fish market next door) and the food is amazing. We had the fish and chips (best ever), Dublin prawns in butter sauce, and fried brie. The prices were not too bad but you could find cheaper in Howth but not nearly the quality as that of Octopussy's. There are a few picnic tables outside for seating and very limited seating inside, everyone shares a table where they can get a seat. They serve numerous wines but no beer, the Fisherman's Bar just down the street does though.... Overall, I highly recommend this spot to anyone visiting Howth! read more

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Although I'm Not a fan of the name, however I was very pleased with the food. The wine pours were generous (they don't serve beer, FYI) and their kitchen is in the open for all to see! My husband and I ordered a dozen oysters. Their was 1 type offered and they were good size, extremely salty but last very creamy. If your from the USA it's a perfect combo of East Coast meets West Coast Oysters. We also ordered the Shellfish platter which was a lot of work but completely worth it!! We asked for a side or garlic butter which was to die for and at no extra charge. We had 3 glasses of wine, they oysters and the seafood platter and spent 55 euro. I think the wine was just as much as the food but honestly fantastic. It's right off the pier and very causal. read more

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Wow, wow...what a perfect first meal in Ireland. My friend brought me to the How th cliffs where we hiked ab 2 plus hours so we were hungry and ready to grub. The place is very small with only a handful of tables inside and out but the wait is worth it. The food is ahmazing...esp the mussels and the gamba pipi...seriously to die for. Worth every bite.... DO IT. read more

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It was love at first sight! This is a small and bustling restaurant that consistently delivers great food and service. Howth offers a lot of dining options, but none as unique and delicious. The menu offers a fantastic variety of flavors featuring their daily catch. My recommendation is to arrive early, get a seat at the window and take in the harbour and people. The staff are quirky and will take great care of you if you have a sense of humour. You should expect to wait for a.seat on the weekends, but it is well worth it. read more

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Lots of good reviews for the seafood restaurants in Howth, but this one really lived up to its billing. There are far fancier and upscale looking places along the pier, but ignore them all and join the lovely staff at Octopussy. You will not regret it. It is a small, cozy little spot, with windows that open up on to the harbor for a lovely view. The staff are warm and welcoming. The lovely woman assisting me hopped on a chair to reach the only available outlet to charge a customer's phone for him. They are warm, welcoming and easy with recommendations. The food is simple and sumptuous. Fresh seafood, fresh off the dock, prepared with fresh ingredients to add vibrancy, but not to mask. I enjoyed everything I tried. This now added to my "must visit" list of Dublin. Stop in and enjoy! read more

great food and wonderful atmosphere! they gave us blankets when we had to sit outside for dinners!

Lovely little spot. Had a glass of wine and some oysters. Oysters were very tasty and service was great.

Yummy Octopussy ;) Thinking the portions might be a little small because its a seafood tapas place, we ordered five dishes. But I think four would have been more than enough. Crab claws: delicious, even for me who finds some seafood dishes like this a little too fishy sometimes Dublin Bay prawn scampi: very good and light Calamari: really nice, the blue cheese dip was just perfect Gambas Picantes: excellent, my favourite dish of the whole meal. The leftover chilli oil made for lovely dipping Potatoes Bravas: lovely fresh sauce that came hot on top of diced potatoes that were piping. The décor is kitsch, but I think seafood places that embrace the seafaring theme should be encouraged. It added to my experience. The staff were lovely too. While the food was a tad slow in getting to the table, it was well worth the wait. It was the June Bank Holiday Monday after all and I was grateful we got a table. We'll be back. read more

I've eaten in The Oar house a couple of times, but I had heard a lot about the food at Octopussy so today we had lunch there. (Its next door and I think owned by the same people) Octopussy isn't cheap, 50 euros for a good size meal with a couple of cokes. It's pricey for a cafe type place. The food however is excellent, really really tasty. Howth is great for sea food generally but this is as good as its gets in my book for Tapas. The menu is pretty extensive but everything we saw come out looked amazing. For our 5 dishes we had Dublin bay Prawn Scampi, Calamari, Crab Claws, Gambas Picantas (prawns in chilli and garlic) and Patata's Bravas. The menu also included Lobster, Oysters and all manner of other dishes. See here:- http://www.octopussys.ie/menu.php I saw one couple have a platter and it looked absolutely amazing so consider that if you do go! The staff were also very friendly and efficient and the cafe itself is pretty funky. All the food is in front of you and cooked behind a counter. The only thing I will say is that it can take a while to get your food when its busy so don't go in expecting it straight away. All in all excellent, I want to go back as soon as possible but its a bit far for us unless its a weekend. read more

This place was amazing. The seafood was fresh, hot and arrived fast. The interior is small and intimate, and has a pretty good view of the harbor. It's not decorated like the ritz but it had pretty string lights and a great vibe. The Seafood Paella was to die for! Great service as well! read more

Octopussy's Seafood Tapas - Paella!!! - Tapas Bars Near Me - Howth, D

The name is octopussy's, that's all I have to say. Food was great and very fresh. Great place to come for lunch on a nice day. read more

The place is not exactly what we expected. I would like to give it a 3 and a half stars.It is very laid back and casual. The food is tasty and the staff are friendly , however there seemed to be only one girl serving and it took a while to get her attention. The chowder was very gloupy but packed with fresh fish. The mixed platter was nice the mussels were cooked perfectly but the broth was extremely salty. It came with brown bread that was already buttered and mushy by the time we found it on the platter. The Paella was delicious. read more

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Tiny little place that just doesn't care. We were told that the calamari was to die for at this place, and since we had decided to go to Howth for the day, we waited about 30 minutes to get a seat despite the fact that the restaurant will let anyone sit whether they sign a wait list (as suggested by the sign) or not. We practically had to fight a couple of pushy ladies that truly believed they had been waiting before us, despite the fact we watched them walk up and pointed the sign in list out to them. Just stupid to have to go through that with no help from the restaurant personnel. We ordered the calamari and a couple of local beers and waited 30-40 minutes for some really rubbery tentacles in a basket - not impressed. The waitress acted like she hated her job, hated being there, and disliked everyone sitting around us (to the contrary, we found the man on our left and the couple to our right to be very nice and somewhat entertaining). The beer was good, even though it was a bit overpriced. Too many good places along this wharf to eat and drink - don't waste your time or money here - that's my advice. read more

If a 4 and a half star existed! I'm trying to be frugal with my 5 stars and saving them for meals that are just short of genius. Saying that, I had an extremely enjoyable meal at octopussy. It was a Tuesday night in January so it was pretty quiet so there wasn't exactly buzzing atmosphere wise but it was great for a girly catch up! Could not fault the service: the staff are extremely competent and there to offer their suggestions which is always good for me because it shows that they really know the menu. I had the scallops and prawns pil pil and my friend had the fish and chips (a generous helping at that!) followed by sticky toffee pudding (my weakness) and apple crumble for dessert. If you're a fan of tapas, you won't get better than this and it's pretty good value for money too, especially if you're sharing. read more

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Wow what a restaurant! If you are looking for a place where to eat good and fresh fish, just come here! We were a group of 7 people: as the place is pretty tiny, I would suggest to come here early or be patient and be ready to wait more than 30 mins. We had fish tapas prepared by the Italian chef Mauro, drinking a decent bottle of Gavi. On average, great quality! You can recognize that the chef comes from Tuscany as some tapas pair fish with tomato sauce. Good price overall and good service. Definitely a must for any lunch or dinner in Howth! read more

Octopussy's Seafood Tapas - Fish tenders! - Tapas Bars Near Me - Howth, D

Top notch seafood and service with a view. A memorable meal from our visit to Ireland - highly recommend a day trip to Howth (for a beautiful cliff side hike) if you're in Dublin and a stop at this restaurant! read more

Octopussy's Seafood Tapas - Tapas Bars Near Me - Howth, D

This restaurant is little gem that has the best seafood! It is a small place with limited seating, but it's super cute and cosy. The food is simply outstanding. I have never had a bad meal here.....my problem is choosing what I want most at this stage! If your a lover of prawns, the pil pil are the best in Howth, even in all of Dublin, and the chorizo potatoes are to die for! Their paella is also spectacular! HIGHLY RECOMMEND read more

The meal I had at Octopussy's ranks in my top 5 of all time. I visited with my husband on our honeymoon after walking the Howth pier- it was recommended by some fellow travelers. The restaurant is tiny inside with a few picnic tables on the outside. They supply fleece blankets if you sit outside to combat the breeze which is adorable. It's a tapas- style restaurant with a pretty decent wine selection. We tried the chili prawns, crab claws, octopus and calamari with a side of garlic potatoes. The seafood was superb- supplied by the fishmonger located next door. The sauce for the prawns and the octopus was some of the best I've ever had, and thankfully they served it with crusty grilled bread to sop everything up. I highly recommend making a trip to Howth just to visit this restaurant- you will not be disappointed! read more

Definitely the restaurant I would eat in most often in Howth! Lovely staff, great atmosphere and fantastic value for seafood tapas! I also have a big soft spot for the desserts here read more

Octopussy's Seafood Tapas - Yummy Prawns - Tapas Bars Near Me - Howth, D

This place is amazing. Cosy with amazing food and great wine. Sometimes there are too many tourists but if you are keen to wait you will every single bit of this restaurant. Prices are good as well! read more

Tasty food, but the service was at best disorganised and at worst, just plain terrible. On this Bank Holiday visit everything seemed to go wrong - our drinks order being forgotten about (despite several reminders), a long wait for food, other tables being served before us and being told mid-meal that we'd have to share our table with another couple (I wouldn't have minded if that had been explained to us, but mid-meal just seemed odd). That being said, the food was good. Would I go back? Yes, but not during the lunch or dinner 'rush.' read more

We walked around Howth one sunny afternoon when we got peckish. We had a look at all the restaurants along the site but decided to stay here for lunch. It was such a good decision! Very good service, awesome food and a nice atmosphere. We will come back for sure! read more

We came here all excited for some fresh tapas and had heard some great reviews. Bad points: so busy it hurt!we only ordered 2 tapas and were waiting a solid 40minutes and even before that we had to wait another 20minutes to even order. The food when it arrived was literally tapas and quite small, the price isnt great and i wouldnt recommend it if you are hungry and want to eat! Good points: the food we did get was lovely and had fantastic flavour, the place has a really interesting and cool decor and you can eat outside Its a strange one...I wouldnt run back read more

This is simply my favourite restaurant. If you like seafood, you really can't go wrong. Everything on the menu is terrific and represents great value for money (Tapas range from a few euro for bread/olives to about €13.95 for the more substantial ones). The place is on the small side and they won't accept bookings until after 6.00pm, so on a busy weekend be prepared to wait a little while for a table. The kitchens are also on the small side, so on a busy day be prepared to allow a little time for your food to arrive as everything is cooked to order on a first come first served basis. A favourite with both locals and tourists, the atmosphere is always great so enjoy it while you wait knowing that the food will be well worth it. The seafood tapas are the stars of the Octopussy show. However, the Mediterranean Bread will become an addiction if you're not careful! Favourite dishes: Crayfish Cocktail and Dressed Crab but ask for the mediterranean bread! The Seafood Antipasti Platter is great for sharing. Or, if you're looking for something hot, the Scallops Octopussy Style and the Fish Goujons/Dublin Bay Prawn Scampi are great (they make the best tartare sauce). If you're hungry, the Seafood Paella and the Monkfish & Prawn Thai Curry are a bit more substantial than the regular tapas. Tip: Don't forget to check out their frequently updated 'Specials' board. Their most recent special of pan fried scallops wrapped in courgette with a lemon and parmesan sauce would rank among the finest scallop dishes that I have had. Overall, great quality food and service for great value in a great location! read more

Amazing food, amazing service....queue system is a NIGHTMARE! I am so glad I stuck this one out because my food was delicious and the service was excellent. I went out to Howth yesterday for one reason...Seafood tapas at Octopussy. I had noticed the place before but never checked it out, so since I was in the area yesterday I decided to try it out. I got there around 2:45 PM and asked for a table for two, but the waitress told me that they had no tables available at the moment but to come back in about 15-20 minutes. This was no problem, but I asked if we could put out names down for when we came back. She explained to me that they don't do reservations before 7:00 PM and that I would just have to come back around 3:00 because that's when they start to slow down. My question is - Is this just a luck thing that if you come back at the exact right time you will get your table you have been waiting for? And if you're just a few seconds too late then the people who only asked for a table get it instead of you? If I can't at least put my name in then am I just waiting in vain?! I just don't understand! What we ended up doing was standing outside with a few other parties waiting for our turn. I hate doing this when the restaurant has tables outside, I think it's so rude! You have to stand there while the people eating are trying to enjoy their meal. All the restaurant has to do is have a better system to get a table than this, it's better for everyone involved! Ok, now that I got that out of my system, on to the food. The food was so yummy! Delicous, fresh seafood tapas ranging from oysters and crab claws to creamy cod and prawn dishes. I had a really hard time not getting the lobster which was pretty good at 15 euro for a half. In the end we ordered 5 different tapas plates - the creamy cod from the favorites section, prawns pil pil, crab claws, calamari, and the scallops with chorizo. Every dish was fantastic and full of freshness and flavor. The creamy cod and prawn pil pil were my two faves and we ended up getting more bread to not let all the wonderful sauces go to waste! The waitress was a really nice girl who was very attentive and we were never left too long without her checking on us. I would definitely recommend Octopussy to anyone looking for good seafood in Dublin, but maybe go for dinner when you can get a reservation! read more

Octopussy's Seafood Tapas - Creamy cod - Tapas Bars Near Me - Howth, D

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Since it's run by a small family business I really wanted to like this place but I was quite disappointed. I think a place starts to lose its charm when hubris cascades. The chowder was overly thick and masked any fresh seafood aroma. The whiskey scallops (tapas portion) were cooked well but not well enough to value over 15 euros. If you happen to be in the area it makes sense to check out the menu depending on the queue but don't go out of your way like I did. read more

Super fresh seafood. Delicious tapas. Stumbled across this place when we came to Houth. Do glad we came! Very little seating but we managed to snag the nook. Really cute. The whole family loved the place read more

Stumbled upon this place on a day trip to Howth and loved it! Service was great. We don't remember our servers name but she was incredible! So funny and friendly. Food/ wine were great as well. Would definitely recommend the wings. A fun cozy joint right on the water. read more

I'm going to be rather quick, but straight here. It's small and cozy. nothing too fancy. Nice for a quick lunch for two or your at most people. Food is good. Main thing about the food here is sea food. Plenty of it on the menu. Lovers of sea food, don't hesitate to visit. One minus as for a "restaurant", which, probably, does not qualify for that title - no bear on the menu. Vine is your only option or water for that matter. Been here once, enjoyed, would choose other place for lunch or dinner. read more

Can't believe I didn't eat here sooner! We spent Saturday up in Howth showing J's family around. This place is always packed but I just assumed it was a typical tourist trap and didn't pay it much attention. For once they didn't have a long wait so we decided to give it a go. While we looked through the menu we ordered a bottle of their white wine of the week. I'm not a huge white wine person but this was light and not too sweet. When the waitress returned we placed our orders and set to work on the wine. A short while later the first couple dishes arrived. The oysters were super fresh and not overly fishy - really nice. The squid was grilled and served with chorizo. I wish it had been spicier but I still really liked it. The seafood chowder was superb. They make it fresh for you in a skillet and there are sizeable pieces of fish, prawns, mussels and squid. The flavour of the broth is fantastic and perfect for the chilly Irish days. After that the mussels came out along with one of their prawn specials. I'm not typically a mussel person but the sauce they cook it in is phenomenal. The prawns did not blow me away but they were still nice. Next came the two scallop dishes - one was the special and the other was a regular item. The special was king scallops served over a cauliflower purée. The scallops were perfectly cooked and so well seasoned. I loved every bite. The standard scallops were good but couldn't really compete with the special. We had a wonderful experience at Octopussy's from the service to the dishes and the view. It came at a hefty price but we had great variety and loved the food. Will definitely come back. read more

We both had a very good seafood chowder (thick but not too rich), with lots of delicious chunks of seafood. The service was very friendly and the place was lively. Not haute cuisine but for a nice casual seafood meal it hit the spot. Wish they'd had beer, but house wine was nice. read more

What an amazing place for seafood tapas our second time here and we love it. Always fresh and delicious ! read more