Came in on a Sunday afternoon and was in time to catch their early bird menu till 6:30 pm with three courses for around €35. The place had bright and vibrant lighting, delicate décor, and a good selection of background music for dining. Service was also very friendly and attentive. House bread: standard. House white wine: asked the waiter to recommend a white wine to go with seafood dishes and was served this house Italian sauvignon blanc. To the nose it emitted a pleasant aroma of green grapes, daffodil, and a bit of fruit honey. For the palate, an initial breeze of sweetness was quickly taken over by a vibrant push of rich leather and freshly cut oak timber, followed by a bit of cinnamon. At the finish, a floating level of grape juice sweetness gradually elevates from the depth of the throat. A very good companion for seafood indeed. Appetizer: mussels with spicy tomato sauce. Generous portion size for the price, the majority of mussels tasted creamy and fresh (save maybe two or three), the sauce packed savory and vinegarette tomato flavor but was a bit on the spicy side (could find some chopped chili chunks in the sauce). Anyhow, finished the sauce with the house bread. Main course: had the fish of the day which was cod. Cod could be a very tricky fish to cook, as it takes only a limited amount of time to go from undercooked to over and dry. But I had to say today the restaurant nailed the doneness. Flaky texture, creamy and buttery mouthfeel, a bit of fresh seawater aftertaste, not dry at all. My only wish was that the fillet itself could also be seasoned a bit more, even though the rich white wine sauce and a squeeze of lemon juice already offered exceptional flavor. Dessert: vanilla bean crème brulee. Very crispy top layer of sugar with silky texture sweet egg pudding at the bottom that literally melted in mouth. Pity that part of the sugar layer was a bit overburnt and had some bitter taste. Overall 4-4.5 stars. Food was nice, the white wine was excellent, and service was fine. All in all a very enjoyable meal. Not sure why this place was awarded such low ratings before. There are certainly room for improvement, but this place is definitely worth trying. read more

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Customer service is great, the atmosphere is nice. But the food is mediocre and it's pretty pricy. Our bill was ~€100 for 2. I tried the fish for my main dish and aubergine for my appetizer. My friend tried the chicken masala, she liked her dish. They have a lunch menu that is like a set menu, but also a A-la-carte menu. The drink had cotton looking things floating and when I spoke up, they gave me a cleaner replacement and said that the floating white specs are natural in the drink but also was made from my mouth because it's sugar. Like I didn't buy it, they didn't own up to it, and didn't make me feel good. But at least I got a replacement. All in all, not for me read more

Food was decent, the service was good, and the atmosphere was good. Would recommend if you'd like Italian. I had pork belly and it was good, the meatballs were also decent. My wife said the duck was very good, so perhaps that would be a better choice. In either case, recommend. read more

Picasso Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Dublin, D

Vernon Avenue in Clontarf is home to lots of lovely restaurants and coffee shops so you're pretty spoiled for choice if you're looking for a feed around the area. Not having eaten in an Italian restaurant in what seemed like forever we decided to give Picasso on the corner facing the strand a go, especially as the Early Bird was still running and seemed like really good value at €22.95 for two courses. The restaurant is on two levels and we were seated upstairs, though downstairs did seem cosier and decorated much nicer; the upstairs part seemed more like an afterthought in comparison though it is quite spacious. The service was very quick and attentive, and the water for the table was chilled and served with fresh orange and mint which was a nice touch. I had the melanzane formaggio to start and it was served with a lovely rich tomato sauce and plenty of baked cheese, which was mopped up with the contents of the bread basket...delish! The three starters that we had were really generously portioned and each of them were gobbled up as they were mighty tasty. For mains I had the pork belly, served with mash and a rich balsamic sauce. The main courses were accompanied by a platter of gorgeous vegetables to share; potatoes dauphinoise, green beans and broccoli, roast pumpkin and courgettes, peppers and aubergine. The vegetables were delicious and really added to the main course as there was such a variety of them. We also shared a bottle of the house red which was Sicilian and really excellent value at €24 - it was an excellent bottle for the price. There are so many nice restaurants in this neck of the woods, and Picasso can definitely stake its claim amongst them. It was one of the best Italian meals I've had in a long while. Belissimo! read more

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If you are looking for an amazing Italian Restaurant in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland. I highly recommended visiting Picasso located on Vernon Avenue. I went to this amazing restaurant with many many members of my Family. As soon as we entered the Restaurant we were made feel very Welcome and they gave us great seating in their dinning room upstairs. Our waitress made sure we had water and menus. Also she brought out fresh bread. We all ended up sharing various appetizers with our drinks. I ordered a peroni beer and it's tasted great. After our appetizers our entree's arrived arrived shortly afterwards. We all ended the night by ordering desserts and cappuccinos. The appetizer, Entree's, deserts and cappuccinos all tasted great and everyone enjoyed their meal. The staff were all very professional and you could tell they take a lot of pride in their jobs . They certainly know how to take care of their customers. Picasso Restaurant definitely rates ten stars and more!!! I definitely will be returning in the near future on my next visit to Ireland. Lastly it should be noted I am originally from Dublin, Ireland , Traveled all over the World with the US Marines and the United States. I definitely know a great Italian Restaurant from all my travels. A must visit when in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland. read more

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Stopped by for an early bird lunch special. Had a bit of a wait between courses. Lunch stretched out a little bit longer than I anticipated. The aubergine parmigiana was a bit tough (undercooked) and the waitress had a abrupt way of serving. Not sure why. It didn't seem to be that busy. The tomato sauce was fab the meatballs average but tasty and the fish dish nicely done. I would have liked some bread with meatballs maybe I should have asked. Maybe good I didn't and accept it as a low carb dish. read more

We came here late in the evening and asked if it would be possible to eat something. The very friendly answer was It's never too late! and were seated at a nice table. Afterwards we have had a very good seafood menu with a very good wine (taste the m mussels!). Though we were the last guests at the end, we got two espresso which finished the very good and tasteful evening. Thank you! Asked for the price I would say that the prices are not cheap but adequate regarding the good food and the friendly service. read more

Just had lunch here with DM, nice established Italian in the heart of Clontarf. I had calamari frittata to start, which was ok, a bit generic, but fine. DM had the same. I then had veal in crumbs with tomato pasta, which was excellent. Nice veal, nice pasta, excellent tomato sauce. DM had the salmon pasta which he said was very tasty. Nice lunch, sparkling water is a bit expensive! read more

Had a very disappointing meal with friends just over a week ago. Surprisingly so as its one of my friends regular haunts. Vernon Avenue, Clontarf has lots of lovely restaurants and coffee shops so you're pretty spoiled for choice. Italian is the last thing I would choose in Ireland but the restaurants itself is lovely and the staff are also great. Picasso is located on the corner facing the strand. They have an early bird special good value at €22.95 for two courses. The restaurant is on two levels and we were seated downstairs which was lovely. I had the meatballs to start and my friend had the pate. It was served with a lovely rich tomato sauce and plenty of baked cheese, which was mopped up with the contents of the bread basket...delish! The three starters that we had were good sized portioned and it turned out that this would be the best part of the meal. For mains my friend and I both had the fish of the day and accompanied by a platter of gorgeous vegetables to share. Her husband had the lasagna. He seemed happy enough. We also had wine. Disappointing was my final memory of it. The fish was tasteless and uninspiring. There are lots of good restaurants in this area. So Picasso isnt my top choice at all sorry to say. read more

Lovely foods. Lunch was Perfect. Stuffed Meatballs with Mozzarella were moist, fresh, juicy, tomato basil sauce perfect. Homemade Chicken Liver Pate was smooth creamy savory yum. Crostini perfect grill. Bolognese was tasty we requested the fresh pappardelle with instead of spaghetti, they accommodated graciously. Veal Milanese was juicy crisp and delightful. Sides of hand cut chips ridiculously good we ordered 2. As well as the spinach was just wilted and tasty. Drank a bottle of delicious Barbera. Will definitely come back again. read more

Pre theatre meal . This is a place we wanted to try for a while . A very rustic look decor wise with bare red brick walls a few paintings and a fireplace . Plenty of staff cosy bar . This is a popular place very busy but this did not effect the service as u were not waiting overly long between courses . Our table was on the ground floor . Friendly staff who were very attentive . An extensive menu with all the usual Italian dishes , lots of pasta and rice dishes eat and fish . We stayed with the early bird menu which was reasonably priced at €23 for 2 courses . There is a 3 course option also Drinks wise we had a few gin and tonics for my wife and Italian beer for myself . Menu wise for starters I had steamed muscles in a tomato and basil sauce . This was a starter that was enough for 2 which we shared . They were nicely cooked all opened . A really good dish . Other starters included a homemade pate , scallops , soup of the day , a salad and one or 2 others . Mains wise my wife had a fillet of hake baked in a white wine and garlic sauce , it came with seasonal veg and sliced potatoes. Fish was dry with not enough sauce . A fillet to me is just the meaty end that doesn't include the tail . So to me this is why it was dry and a bit over cooked . I had a seafood risotto in a tomato sauce . Unfortunately muscles were the dominant seafood with bits of squid and calamari . Really enjoyable dish , rice was nicely cooked and creamy . For both of us deserts , which we don't normally have , were the best dishes . My wife had a vanilla creme brûlée , nice and crunchy on top and creamy inside . I had a vanilla panacotta which if you watch any of these cookery programmers is difficult to cook . It was firm but had risen nicely with that little movement in it . A very light dish with just the right amount of vanilla and melted in your mouth . With tea and an espresso to finish . One thing we both liked that a jug of water was offered and brought to table without having to be asked . €88 , was it money well spent ? I don't know we enjoyed the food but it wasn't food that we would be coming back for soon . read more

Spent New Year's Eve with my family here in Picasso's and had a wonderful evening. The food was top class with a broad and diverse menu. The staff as a whole were superb. They were equally efficient as they were attentive and mastered the art of teamwork. A happy local family of 6 who will indeed be back again very soon. read more

Just had dinner here with my girlfriend. The food was okay and the service was terrible. We got the carbonara and the spinach and ricotta tortellini. They gave us the wrong bill (which was about €30 more).. This has never happened to me at a restaurant before. They never offered us water. The one beer they offer tasted crap. Won't be coming here again. This place should not be 4 stars, especially for the high prices. read more

The food here is A1. This Italian restaurant is really delicious. The price is reasonable, the menu is extensive and yum. You can hire the upstairs out for private functions. The management are friendly and helpful. There is parking outside the door and it is also on the 130 bus route. The atmosphere is very relaxed and enjoyable. There is nothing bad to say about this place. If you enjoy Italian food, then this place is a must see. read more

We were looking for a place today and stopped here as it was on the way. The prices on the menu liked really okay, not too high, from the inside it seemed rather posh. Food was okay, the staff was horrendously unfriendly though. You could feel that the waiter did not enjoy his work. We had to wait quite a long time for our good as well. Not worth it going there when you get treated badly. Would rather go to place where people are friendly. read more

Picasso is a superb Italian Restaurant, with amazing good and extremely pleasant and welcoming staff! If you want value for your money this is the place to go. A hidden gem in the centre of Clontarf. Never had a bad meal yet/ and they have a superb selection on the wine front too... read more

We went to this restaurant after a recommendation from our hotel. The service was AWFUL. Rude, unprofessional, and sloppy. The food was OK, but nothing exciting and way over priced for what you got. Very disappointed. read more

Rude service, unimpressive food and quite overpriced. The waiter even added on a generous "tip" for himself without asking.

Very disappointed. Had a meal with family before Christmas. My main course of veal was like cardboard. I sent it back. Other dishes were deemed to be 'only ok'. I won't be rushing back read more