My daughter and I had a lovely meal here. We both had the fish and chips which was so light and…read morecrispy, with a Guinness. Literally, a perfect meal for a dreary day. We started with the cauliflower, we devoured it. I am so glad we ordered the large. My daughter doesn't even really like cauliflower so you can imagine how yummy it was. The atmosphere was comfortable and casual. Our waiter was a delightful young man from Argentina.

We are new to the Goatstown area, and every time we walked by Farmer Brown's the energy looked so…read morefriendly and laid-back. We finally went and I was not disappointed! First, the variety of seating is great (outdoor picnic tables, transition porch with retractable roof, and very cozy interior). Service was fast and friendly, and I loved getting to visit the two donkeys after I ate. I am a vegetarian, so I was going to do my boyfriend a favor + the vibes and didn't anticipate really loving anything on the menu for me. I ordered the cauliflower wings, and they were some of the best I have ever had...plus the portion was generous! My boyfriend got the wings and was so happy (but he also couldn't stop eating my cauliflower wings!). Also, I highly recommend talking a walk along the River Dodder after!

Sometimes it's the food. Sometimes the setting. Today, it was Mike, our server, who made this a…read morefive star experience. He's worked there more than 20 years and had us thoroughly entranced with his personality and charms. Oh yes, there was food: a vegetarian boxtie and a corned beef boxtie. These were more like stews than a classic boxtie. We polished the plates off and finished with dessert. The toffee pudding was perfect; surprisingly the housemade ice cream sandwich had almost no flavor and was disappointing. The order of three Irish breads was a good appetizer and helped us understand the different styles in the country. The ambiance here is not classic Irish pub, which was good for dinner. !:)

Never had a boxy before and it turns out they come in different variants. One was creamy corned…read morebeef without a pancake, while the other had beef filet and mushroom sauce with a pancake. Both were excellent, as was the chowder. Service was incredibly kind and efficient, even as the place got very busy shortly after we arrived. Would visit again and appreciate a very solid intro to the boxy!

The authentic Irish pub experience - loud, crowded, lots of cheerful patrons, friendly service,…read moreplenty choices for drinks and large portions of delicious food. This was my first meal in Ireland, and my first experience of Guinness 0.0. We were lucky to be given the last table, as it was Friday night, and there were bus-loads of tourists (for upstairs space). Guinness 0.0 turned out to be too bitter for me, but my husband happily finished my pint, after finishing his own. I was then recommended to try their alcohol-free Chardonnay, which was very nice and more suited my palate. One usually goes to a pub to drink with friends, and wouldn't expect much from the food offerings, but this place obviously puts a lot of thought and effort into their cooking, both in taste and in presentation. Good drinks, good food, and good company, in a loud and happy space - a perfect Irish experience!

Very cozy interior that welcomes you in for comfort foods. I've had other seafood chowders in…read moreIreland, but Merry Ploughboy's might be my favorite! This rich and creamy soup if perfect to warm you up on a cold day. It is also served with two pieces of brown bread with butter. Makes you feel right at home!

Great food, fun atmosphere! Reservations are a must because this place is jam packed all the time…read more Wish we could have gotten dinner and a show tickets, or been there for live music. Cocktail service is a little slow, but understandable given they seat like 500 people

Staple of any visit to the area, had the pie, which was huge, and asked for boiled potatoes not…read moreroasted, all washed down with a stout. The potatoes were super, knob of butter, perfect. The pie, is a stew with a pastry lid, not a pie. Lots of meat, and a very rich, salty gravy. Not a fan, but others raved about it. Plate envy for the roast chicken meal, looked lovely. Will I be back? Oh yes, I'll try something else, there is plenty to choose from.

We had a wonderful dinner at this gem of a restaurant a short walk from Hotel Mespil. Highly…read morerecommend when in the area but make a reservation beforehand as there are only a small number of tables. Only a few photos taken but they should give a good idea of the quality and ambiance.

An utterly divine experience. I expressed this sentiment to the waitress by the way!…read more The quality of service, hospitality, and the lamb sheppard's pie created a memory of a lifetime. Thank you to the Sussex staff for this wonderful experience. Viva la Sussex

Stopped in for lunch and we're seated promptly at a table for two. Need to mention that seating is…read moreeither high top or booth and stool seating. Stools are ok but not super comfortable. Menu has a good selection of Irish dishes from seafood chowder up to lamb stew and pies. We ordered the potato soup, seafood chowder, 'banjo' burger with onion rings. The soups arrived first and the seafood chowder was loaded with huge pieces of fish, potatoes (not many) with a creamy rich base. Flavor was incredible and in itself a full meal. Served in a large crock style bowl. The potato soup was minus any whole potatoes. It was a rich creamy base with plenty of flavor and very hearty. The burger was really a double cheeseburger with plenty of cheese, grilled onions, what appeared to be a mayonnaise based sauce on a soft hamburger roll. Really tall enough that it was tough getting your mouth around it. Very well seasoned burgers and the onions were a nice touch. The onion rings were huge and had a very light batter on them. They served in a metal bowl to keep them hot. For dessert the apple crumble was ordered which was served in a large dish with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This could have been warmer but still was good.. The 5 star rating is for the chowder as it outshone the rest of the meal although the burger was definitely a close second. Definitely will return to try other dishes when we come back to the city.

Quick review for a quick lunch stop. We shared an Irish Lamb Stew: meat and vegetables in gravy…read morewith a layer of mash(ed potatoes) on top. The meat and veggies were plentiful, the portion generous, and it was tasty enough but maybe on the bland side? It was served with a side of braised red cabbage which we really liked: sweet but not sour like pickled cabbage. And house-made brown stout bread, also very good. The wife had a Guinness and I, thinking it too cliché to order Guinness as a tourist in Ireland, tried a different stout whose name I've forgotten from the ample selection. But comparing the two, so much better! The menu offers a wide variety of traditional Irish dishes, more than most of the similar pubs in the area. As well as the other expected pub type food: sandwiches, burgers, etc. As for desserts, if we were hungrier, the wife might have ordered the Irish Whiskey Bread & Butter Pudding. The hubby would probably get his dessert later, as the selection was limited and neither that nor the Apple Crumble appealed. Sitting at the bar we had a more personalized experience than were we at a table. The bartender offered to take a photo of me behind the bar which I of course accepted. We made the right choice in coming here.

I'm slowly exhausting all of the options local to me in Rathfarnham and Terenure... and most of…read moreRathgar too - except this little well kept secret. On Rathgar Avenue, just off the Harold's Cross Road, it's a spot I had never actually seen before so I wasn't sure what to expect of it. I was pleasantly surprised. Their website states the restaurant "embodies the conviviality of old New York" and I completely agree. The exterior is like so many neighbourhood restaurants you see on the tree lined streets in NYC, if you've ever stumbled across the Elephant & Castle in Manhattan you will know what I mean. Inside you get the same feel, tiled walls, dark wood, a casual and comfortable vibe... with a bit of class too. I especially liked the light seating area at the back. We stuck to the midweek Wine & Dine deal of €20 for 2 courses or €25 for 3. A decent selection of starters with 2 veggie options, some fish and meat choices. Similarly with mains, a choice of burgers, fish and meat options and a veggie pasta dish. It's always nice to actually have a choice of non meat dishes instead of having the only one available! As it happens we both went for the vegetarian options to start, the B & B Super Salad of spinach, pomegranate, feta & quinoa and the Soup of the Day which was Broccoli. That salad - absolutely fab! It was bursting with flavour from the pomegranate seeds and feta...If every salad were as tasty and good for you I would have no problem eating them all day every day :-) The generous serving of soup was delicious and served with crusty fresh bread. (Apologies for the messy pic, we sploshed it around a bit before I got a snap of it looking all neat and pretty!) For mains there was the much anticipated Mexican Bean Veggie Burger and the Indian Pale Ale Battered Fish & Chips. Again, very generous portions especially for an Early Bird - and neither main disappointed. Being someone who barely ever leaves food on her plate (awful habit I know!) I had to leave half my chips just so I could polish off every bite of the burger, smothered in guac.... amazing! Packed full of beans and veg and with some seeds thrown in for good measure, it was definitely the best (and biggest) veggie burger I've had. There was absolutely no room for dessert - but the Honeycomb & Toblerone Cheesecake has my name all over it for my next visit! I did fit in a lovely cappuccino before rolling out of the place though :-) This is a seriously great value for money deal - fantastic food, and lots of it, in really nice surrounds. Thursday is clearly the night to visit, when groups of 4 get a free bottle of vino...and I've heard only amazing reviews on their chicken wings - treat yo'self! :-)

Fantastic newly opened quirky little gem! Popped in for brunch with 4 friends, and sampled eggs…read moreBenedict, florentine, and 2 styles of pancakes. All delicious! Great coffee as well. Other details: nicely decorated, cosy feel, friendly staff! I'm deducting 1 star for a delay in being offered more of anything after plates were cleared ( we wanted another round of coffees) but I'm only nitpicking and we were able to get someone's attention very easily after we had waited for a bit! Well worth checking out!

What a perfect evening dinner! We started with cocktails at the bar. It's a small bar, but the…read morebartender is both very talented and nice. We had a great conversation while he efficiently made drinks. You can also relax on their patio outside with drinks before dinner (or after dinner). Then we had a lovely dinner. Our waiter was superb and recommended a great wine to pair with both my lamb and my husband's fish. During our dinner we began talking to a very nice couple next to us and ended up sharing more drinks and dessert on the patio. Highly recommend this restaurant! Note - it's a little hidden at the end of a small lane.

Delicious, I hope they're able to open again. They do an incredible job with many things that were…read moreunique!

First time here in ireland and its a great irish pub. The food was awesome and the staff were…read morewonderful. Its a geeat spot if youre traveling alone or in a group. We will be back

Came for a hearty meal and some Guinness and did not leave disappointed. Now note that we're…read moretourists. So temper your expectations of this review unless you are also a tourist. Food was good. Beer excellent. Prices reasonable. We ate on the second floor where it was quieter and easier to get the barkeeps attention. The live music was on the first floor so if you want to listen to that, stay there. Five stars is we'd go back again even if it were out of our way. No, but it's a solid four stars we'd eat there again with no complaints whatsoever.

We drifted in here about 5 pm and the place was hopping. Live music and a short wait for a table…read more Great, loud pub ambiance. We ate an early dinner, including lamb shank and beef stew. Both were good and exactly what you think of for Irish comfort food. Friendly, efficient staff. It's a tourist spot, but a fun one. Btw: the name is not racial. The original owner was Dorcas Kelley, nickname Darkie.

I'll start with the good: loved the vibes and look and feel and the fact that they do different…read morestyles of live music every night means I just might be back. The staff are also very nice and despite how busy it is, service was quick. Neutral: this place was smaller than I was expecting and could be cramped if you're trying to eat as well as drink Bad: the food left something to be desired. I tested bangers and mash and barely made it through one sausage as they seemed mushy and the texture through me off. Would return but not to eat