Our first stop in Dublin and it was a delicious one. Love love love the atmosphere. Whether it's sitting outdoor under the heated lamps, waiting for a table at the bar, or in the little nooks in the various floors, it's very cozy. The whole restaurant felt like a wine cellar from the red brick walls to even the exposed cement walls in the restrooms. The lighting is dim and all the tables are lit by a candle light. The variety of tapas was endless. We order the meatballs, chicken wings, paella, and salmon salad. For the two of us, we were very full at the end. I personally enjoyed the chicken wings and salmon salmon salad more, while my husband enjoyed the meatballs and salmon salad as well. And the all the tapas were very inexpensive, being no more than €5 or €6 a dish. And no surprise, the wine selection is infinite. But for someone in your party who does not desire wine, they do have one beer on tap, Estrella. I, myself, enjoyed the sangria. When my friends come visit, this would definitely be a place I'd bring them to. The atmosphere and the wine selection win me over. read more

I was so disappointed last night..; (.. They might have a new management.. The music was soooooo LOUD..you had to shout at each other..it is quite ridiculous in a restaurant..there is really no need for that..v tiring... read more

The restaurant is lovely, the food is fantastic but the music was so loud we couldn't have any real conversation. (There were 6 of us, so it was impossible to have a group conversation or even hear the person who was diagonally opposite.). It kind of ruined the night, we got out of there pretty quickly so that we could actually talk to each other. It was a shame. I definitely won't go there again, eating with friends is a social occasion and if you can't talk it defeats the purpose. read more

This place was once a sure bet: tasty food, good service and cool atmosphere. When I recently suggested The Port House for lunch for a visiting friend's only afternoon in Dublin, I ended up regretting this decision as soon as the first round of small plates arrived. The food was either soaking in a pool of grease (beyond the typical level of Spanish "oily"), or it was so bland from being previously frozen beyond recognition. The plates looked pretty but that's where the enjoyment ended. AVOID THE SCALLOPS The (obviously previously frozen) scallops literally had no taste, so much so I cautioned my party not to touch them. Of course, they did anyway and finished by spitting the tasteless, rubbery masses out. The service was neglectful despite the restaurant being nearly empty. I had to fetch silverware myself from another table. When the server was present, he seemed bothered that he had to work. Not cool. Please management, bring this place back to its former state! Stop serving frozen food, tone the grease levels down to let the food speak to the flavours and hire staff who, at least, know how to pretend they're not miserable. read more

I've always loved the tapas at Port House. The vibe here is nice as well - I've been seated both upstairs and down and both are nice. One complaint, it's too dark to take pictures of the food ;-) You're safe with almost anything you order but my recommendation is to definitely not miss the bravas (fried potatoe cubes) and choose the option for all 3 sauces. This way you can see which sauce is your favourite. Depending on when you go there will probably be a wait - we got lucky the last time we went but it was a Wednesday night. read more

I went there with my girlfriend, her best friend & her boyfriend, 4 of us. The waiter was horrible, he forgot 5 of our 13 dishes....brought me a €38 bottle of Rioja that was absolutely freezing, when I asked for room temperature, he directly refused & said all wines are like that. He came to clear the table, we informed him that 5 of our 13 dishes never arrived, he aggressively said to us, 'well I put them through', and then said we never ordered 2 of the 5, when I said the order straight to him & saw him write it down!? He was truly horrid, never apologised, but gave out to us & raised his voice at us, saying we never ordered certain things. This is something I have never experienced or would expect to experience from someone working in hospitality. We then asked could we receive the other 5 dishes, they came after about 15mins. The bill was €168, with only 2 of the 4 of us drinking, so not cheap. I wish I made a complaint to the manager at the time but I didn't want to cause a bigger upset while with friends, I sent an email expecting some sort of acknowledgement at the very least however never heard a word back. The food was ok, but the service did not match the price tag!! Will never eat there again and would not recommend unless you like abusive waiters. read more

It's possible I'm being extra generous by giving the Port House all five of my Yelp stars, but we ate the last meal of our trip here and it was the perfect punctuation to our travels (read exclamation mark). Took the tip of some locals friended the night before and tracked this place down. Clearly a popular place, we put our names in and waited 30 minutes for our table. The only negative for the evening was having to wait in the teeniest area and dodging servers and guests on their way in and out the restaurant. However, when the hostess lead us into the dining room I nearly gasped. Probably the most gorgeous atmosphere in a restaurant I've ever experienced. Too bad I was traveling with a friend and not my boyfriend (no offense, Kristen!), because this is the uber romantic kind of place where birds chirp over everyone's heads and you don't even need drink-goggles to fall in love. The wine (and list) was exquisite, the tapas selection was extensive and delicious, and our server spoke with the most amazing spanish accent. Sold. The room is lit by about a million tea candles and the walls are made of stone (probably 4th century stone because it seems like everything in Dublin is incomprehensibly old). There are even tables tucked away in large fireplace-like nooks. I have to admit, I wasn't expecting much from the food in Ireland, but the country won me over and the Port House on my last night sealed the deal. Go ahead, take my fifth star. Goggles or not, you deserve it. read more

This place was amazing! Best food we had the entire time we were in the UK. We ordered several different things off of the menu and everything was to die for. I now recommend to everyone I know who goes to Ireland. read more

Great food!!! Loved the duck and the sausage dishes! Everything we ordered was great. Love the tapas experience....similar to sushi where I go in hungry and order more than I can fit in, but love the variety of flavors. Service was great with solid recommendations for wine and food. Dark and moody inside, but outside patio available right in the heart of busy bar and restaurant area. Perfect area for a pint on a nice weather day. read more

As we walk in to this tapa's restaurant I think "have I been transported to Spain without knowing?" As you walk into this restaurant it takes a moment for your eyes to adjust. It is dark and you realize that this is probably going to be a good dinner. The atmosphere is romantic and dark. This would be a great place for a date or a romantic anniversary dinner. I fell in love with the Port House actually and would highly recommend it to anyone. There were even alcoves to sit in, it seemed like you were in a wine cellar in Napa... not in Ireland! And what about the food you ask? Well, it was also fantastic, otherwise this place would not be getting 5 stars! The food was delicious. The tapas were bigger than we expected. The salads were really good too. I recommend the cheese platter ["Plato de Queso"]. It was a good size and great for sharing as an appetizer. Unfortunately we didn't have any wine... since the night before we had too much beer and liquor in our systems. It just didn't feel right, not to have wine, but nonetheless it was a great dinner. What we had & loved: Plato de Queso Pepito Solomillo Tortilla Española Paella Veg. Ensalada de Pollo Ensalada de Queso read more

I've never written a review this way but its fitting for Port House... PROS: (1) Amazing food. Everything was so good we ate all of it! (2) Great wine list and service on that--uncorked at the table, put the top of the wrapper facing the table to see the label (3) Really romantic inside with the dark lighting and candles (3b) Nice outside area too! (4) I'm a fan of when they put a bottle of water on the table, and they had that too CONS: (1) Dine in Dublin had them listed as dinner, when I asked about it, I was told it was lunch and the waitress/hostess walked away (2) I know its Tapas, but when one person orders all vegetarian dishes, don't put the chorizo in front of them... (3) "Would you like desert" "Yes, Churros" "Churros, great" *goes to computer* *20 min later* "sorry, will the churros be soon? We have to leave soon" "Oh, you wanted desert??" He was very apologetic but I'm still confused about the first interaction... read more

Got two lunch deals to share here ; patatas bravas, beef pastry, chicken salad and risotto. All very nice and served with a glass of wine each but to be honest not enough for two people. I know it's tapas so I can't really say that, but when they're offering a lunch deal I would expect it to fill me. The patatas bravas which should, in my opinion be a tapas places specialty, were disappointing :( The atmosphere however, is wonderful. When you enter through the glass door you aren't expecting to walk into a candlelit cave. The room at the back is really intimate and small and makes you feel like you're underground. Would definitely recommend this for a light lunch with a date. read more

Went here on Tuesday, could not believe how busy it was for a weekday! Waited about 35 minutes for a table. A 3.5 person group that came in 15 minutes after us were seated ahead of us! Not a great start but we kept calm and sipped on our delicious sangria! When we eventually got seated, we got a nice little table up stairs although it was beside the "line skippers" ha ha!! Ordered a variety of tapas and the service and speed was excellent! I think they knew we waited so long and were forgotten about earlier!! I cannot fault any of the food and our waitresses was excellent! We cannot wait to go back here and try out even more of there delicious tapas!!! Also they do the nicest churros!!! read more

Since my friend introduced me to the Port House, I've already come back within the space of a week! Somewhat discretely located on the crowded South William Street, you descend from street level into a cosy, atmospherically lit basement restaurant. Bottles of Portuguese wine line the walls behind the bar, and the tables line the stone walls, with romantic illumination provided by tealights. This restaurant resolves the tricky dilemma I often find myself in, choosing somewhere suitable for both carnivores and herbivores (like me!). There is a generous array of tapas to choose from. I've tried most of the vegetable ones, and all were superb. You can also ask for a vegan version for those served with mayonnaise. The wine and port list is impressive, and there is also a board with some drinks specials. And the desserts! Having previously enjoyed the somewhat stingy serving of churros at Las Tapas de Lola, my eyes and belly throughly appreciated the generous serving of three large churros served with a rich chocolate dipping sauce. Perfecting for sharing (or not)! On the two occasions I was here, I couldn't fault the service, and they're open later than most restaurants. Its the perfect intimate setting for a date, or catch up with a friend. This has become a fast new favourite. read more

I Think this place depend on who is cooking at certain time (?). I was there few times and each time I've had different experience. First time I went with my friend, we've got a bottle of wine, goat cheese salad, some fish and some other plates and all food was really tasty and fantastically prepared. I was really enjoying the evening although I wasn't to crazy about those small doughnuts that my friend said she loves. Second time I've went with other friend for lunch and it was OK. She showed me that there's a non alcoholic wine which was very surprising to see in Dublin but the menu has been changed since the last time and the fish was different. Thank god the goat cheese salad was still there :-D. I also had some chicken which was a bit dry. The last time I've bee there was with my boyfriend. He didn't like it at all, he said that the chorizo wasn't fresh and overall, the quality is poor. I have mix fillings but I would come back for the goat cheese salad with those amazing nuts and honey dressing. Please don't remove it from the menu!! :-) read more

What a romantic little cave and wine cellar! I love this place mainly because of the unique dining area! It's a fairly small, underground restaurant that is made of stone walls and surrounded with candles! There are even some neat booths in the back with swinging tables. I was glad we got a sturdy table though! I took friends who were visiting to PH before a comedy gig and we were able to sit down right away at 6 on a Tuesday. The place filled up within an hour of us being there! Our service was very fast! We ordered in rounds as its all tapas and we were never waiting more than a few minutes. We tried the seafood paella, pimiento peppers, seabass, Manchego burger, chicken paella, bread and dips, olives, and goat cheese salad. I will be honest - the paella was ok and there were few pieces of chicken or seafood in the actual rice. The bread and dips came with 4 slivers of baguette, so after having those slices with a fraction of dip, we got some more. I would suggest: Manchego burger(pork patty and Manchego cheese), the peppers(roasted and mild), the goats cheese salad and the seabass for sure. Those were all clear winners for me! The rest were just ok! For dessert, we got the churros - they were fried perfectly but needed way more cinnamon and sugar. They weren't sweet at all and the chocolate sauce was a dark, dark chocolate so it wasn't sweet either. read more

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I've never been much of a tapas fan. Nor am I much of a Spanish or Portuguese food fan. So why would I go to The Port House? We wanted something small and quick and this place looked like it would do the trick. But it couldn't do that. I saw the tortilla, chicken wings and the chicken skewers. None of these were tasty and really the only thing they did was fill the gap after a long day or work. The stars are really for the nice staff and service. read more

Nice tapas (chickpea dish and lamb stew were gorgeous). Large selection of wines to choose from, but very few beers (just a few bottles to choose from, €5 each). The atmosphere was very nice, and had nice crowd with a short wait for a table on a Wednesday. Would be bad to get seated beside the toilets downstairs, and wasnt too pleased that I had a transparent plastic chair upstairs. Bill came to €45 for two. That was 5 tapas, 2 deserts, 2 coffees and 1 bottle of beer. Pretty good value read more

Being honest, I don't think this place totally lives up to the hype. I loved it when it first opened but I have become less enamoured over the last while. Good Points: The ever so slightly sexy and mysterious vibe. It's a rather enticing walk down those stairs. A wide range of tasty wines at tasty prices. The menu rapido of 2 tapas and a glass of wine for a tenner is great value (though I think you used to be able to get up to 3 with a set menu type option) Some of the dishes are really tasty, and they change things up regularly enough. Bad Points: While some of the dishes are really tasty, others are either salty or just greasy. The last time I was here to avail of the menu rapido, almost all the dishes tasted as if they had been reheated more than once. It was early in the day, too. If a friend asked me to go here for dinner, I'd happily go, but it's not a place I would suggest. read more

I keep forgetting just how much I like this place. Sometimes it takes a while but I always come back. Some friends say there's better tapas to be had in Dublin or cheaper or whatever but yadda yadda yadda I don't care, I love what they have and I come for the wine and the atmosphere, too. There's usually some waiting time but a friendly waiter will place you at the bar and talk you into your first bottle of wine and it's never too long until you get your seat. Ask for downstairs! Upstairs it's just run of the mill restaurant seating, downstairs you sit in a dimly lit cellar (I've sat in corners where you had to lift the menu to the candle to read it) - perfect for that third or fourth or fiftieth romantic date or a cosy chatty evening out with the girls. There's a good choice of veggie, fishy or meaty tapas and I've never been disappointed with the wine either. read more

The Port House - Pan amb tomaquet - Tapas Bars Near Me - Dublin, D

I was highly suspicious of tapas until one evening out with the girls, calamari, meatballs and patatas bravas were ordered and devoured and I realised tapas is really just another word for yummy food. I've been to The Port House, on South William Street, twice in the last couple of months and intend on continuing to go at least that regularly. On the first occasion we had to wait for a table long enough to sit at the 'bar', order a (large - 1 litre!) carafe of wine and some almonds dusted in something good. On the second occassion we waited only long enough to watch someone's crème brulée being bruléed. On both occasions we ordered calamari, crab claws, asparagus, chicken paella and patatas alioli. It had been so good the first time I couldn't stray from the combination the second time. The second trip dessert took precedence over wine, so the half litre carafe was ordered to keep room for dessert, squidgy, melty chocolate fudge cake and strawberries with cream and chocolate dipping sauce. I'd happily sit here for hours, until I was hungry again, so I could just keep on eating the yummy food! Not going to break the bank either, both trips left me with change from €60. Recession proof and ridiculously good. read more

Only being in Dublin for about a week, I still managed to make it to this place twice. They had really inexpensive wine that was actually pretty tasty. The tapas weren't amazing but they were inexpensive too and pretty good. The reason we definitely came back though, was for the atmosphere. When you walk down the steps into the Port House, you feel like you're really stepping into an old wine cellar in Spain or Portugal: totally intimate and beautiful. Also, the bathroom was really interesting, and I love a good bathroom. read more

LOVED the food here!! Was visiting Dublin for the first time and hit up my trusty Yelpers. It's located in a very hip area close to shopping and night life. Quick cab ride, although the driver wasn't familiar with it. (I would've walked from my hotel but my friends were running the Marathon, so any additional walking was out of the question! ha ha) I ordered a Jameson and they gave me the best pour of anywhere else I drank in Dublin. ;) Seems like one should drink wine here, as it's a wine and Tapas place, my friends indulged and were quite happy. The atmosphere is fantastic. We were seated downstairs in the "cave." The place was packed and once you were seated you really don't want to get up. Waiters barely have enough room to serve, but that's part of the appeal. You feel like you're dining in their kitchen. We had multiple servings of the lamb and the meatballs... YUM!! Will definitely make it back next time I visit. read more

2 different people told me about this place and boy am i glad they did! what a cute spot with all kinds of spanish tapas to choose from. we got like 5 different dishes and it was $60 but definitely worth it. the portions are not super tiny and the flavors were excellent. what a variety to choose from! the service was great and the server was knowledgeable in all menu items and drinks. read more

This was the coolest dining experience of my trip to Dublin! I went to the original on Hilliam and was very impressed. It took about 30-40 mins to be seated, but we had a couple glasses of wine while we waited. There isn't really a comfortable area to sit or stand and enjoy a glass so we spent most of this time dodging wait staff and other patrons during this time (the only negative about this place). Finally we were seated in the "Cave" downstairs and were blown away! This place looks like something straight out of a medieval castle with mock torch lighting, candles everywhere and brick/stone walls. We ordered several rounds of tapas with wine, and some of my favorites were the patatas, deep fried prawns and tortilla port house, but everything was delicious. Whoever told me food was not great in Dublin (you know who you are!) clearly never came here!! Can't wait to come back! read more

Second time eating here just as amazing as the first!! Food is SO EXCELLENT!! A must try!! Every dish was perfection! read more

The Port House - Tapas Bars Near Me - Dublin, D

I went i here on Saturday and was initially quite impressed with the place, it looked snug and the food didn't look bad. We were seated at the top of the main table in the centre of the room and when we came in they brought us over some water. Unfortunately all the staff seemed to forget about us at that stage, after ten minutes and the people who had been seated after us had their orders taken we decided to leave. I was quite annoyed and won't go back. Even as we left, the staff, who there were alot of, didn't question why we were leaving. There are plenty of places in town where you can get good service. I would advise people to try somewhere else. read more

It's a Spanish cosy restaurant on a busy street. They have a little terrace but I wouldn't go to this place because of the terrace because all the beauty is hidden inside. The room on the first floor imitates a wine cellar and is extremely cosy. The room on the second floor is less busy and crowded though. Goat cheese salad is amazing, gambas are really good too. Churros were ok, I am usually used to them being a big bigger. Home wine is good, not very intense. Overall, a romantic restaurant worth visit. read more

Terrible! Terrible Terrible! I used to be a big fan of the port house and went often- but they have done what many happens quite frequently to places when they get popular - they stop caring and treat their customers like dirt. I have given the port house about 5 last chances and sorry each time. these included-" - food never arriving. - the wrong food arriving - waiting an hour for food then asking and being told they forgot to tell the kitchen. - wrong bill. - portions getting smaller e.g. Iberico Ham- eur15 a plate- the portion has shrunk considerably since I first went there. the last straw was when we went there recently- busy night- queue as normal- no problem with that. Previously the kind of front of house person would take stock of who was in the queue where and you could order a drink at the small bar/waiting area. On our last visit the staff told us not to wait in that area till the front of house person got us in order which he eventually did but then brought people from the back of the queue to sit in the waiting area while the people ahead of them had to stand by the door in the cold. the couple in question seemed to have no manners and not mind that they actually had taken seats form an older couple at the front of the queue. the staff then proceeded to tell the people behind us that they would be seated first as they were a 3 and we were a two. now if we were a group of 8 or 9 i would understand that but the same table sits 2 as 3 most of the time. all in all they have lost all customer service- treat their customers like dirt- and have no problem with that as keep expecting people to go back. i did raise this with the front of house person at the time that he was giving this couple preferential treatment and what was the point if a queue and he was like so what- we're so popular- really arrogant and rude all in one slimy package. they are living off their previous reputation- and have gained celtic cub type arrogance- really nicer restaurants on streets nearby- don't bother with the Port House. read more

The portions are tiny. My appetizer of pastas bravas (which is a very basic and cheap dish), was about 8 cubes of potato on a teeny tiny plate with the tiniest bit of sauce. Salad was teeny tiny too. Wine was good. My friend ordered meatballs and there was three in some sauce. So if your there for dinner you'll have to order many dishes to fill yourself up. Everything is good quality though, and the ambience is good for evening dining (just not for lunch as it's like a romantic cave inside). read more

Well priced tasty tapas in a city central location. Perfect for a date or with friends. Setting is intimate but loud and noisey when busy. Especially liked the Seared Pork Belly. read more

funny, i've always thought this place was called "porto house"... i stand corrected. this was the first tapas place i tried in dublin. i really like the atmosphere. it's cozy, cave-like (in a good way!), with brick walls and romantic lighting. it's a really nice place to take a date. the way the place is set up, it's not really good for groups so it adds to the nice romantic vibe. as for the food, i kinda feel like the portions were a bit small for the price; but it's a fancy-ish sort of place so you kinda expect that. the food of course is tasty and the wine selection is decent. read more

Love the Port House, was there last night, amazing service, fab food and gorgeous wine! Nothing beats their patatas bravas for me and the chickpea and black pudding dish! read more

Absolutely love this place !! Last time I was here, I ate outside in the sunshine. There are limited tables but it was a great experience. This time, I ate inside. It's cave like with many lit candles. Very cozy and romantic. Incredible tapas and wine menu. It is definitely a popular restaurant. Loved the paella. read more

Absolutely delicious . I had my graduation dinner here and could not fault it . Each dish was as delicious as the last and the Creme brûlée was out of this world . We had a selection of their red wines and chose based on our waiters recommendations , the boy did good !! I will 100% be returning read more

delicious, wonderful Spanish tapas the 7 of us fit in a perfect alcove upstairs and had a feast! almost everything on the menu is gluten-free, which is a huge deal for us: the celiac and other gluten sensitive parties of our group ate without any problems! We had the Olvena cab with our meal: perfect pairing. get here before 7:30, or you'll be lining up on the stairs! read more

We ordered a few plates, like Spanish fuet, garlic prawns and more. Especially, we came for the lovely traditional sangria :) we really enjoyed it! read more

Beautiful food and friendly staff. Also excellent value for money! Great place to spend an inexpensive date night. Very romantic!

Ok, I am a fan and I keep coming back but that's mostly because I'm hopelessly in love with the thick red brick walls, the wax dripping from crevices and the candle-lit intimacy. The food plays second fiddle to the atmosphere but in theory, I think that's what tapas are supposed to be about; props to the mainstage act of socialising with your friend/ date/ self. The service is a bit erratic but in that friendly Iberian way that doesn't make you feel jilted. Go for a glass of cava and a little pick, revel in the atmosphere and expect to buy a bag of chips on the walk back home read more

Myself, my girlfriend and 2 of our friends visited The Port House on the weekend as we often do. It is one of our absolute favorite restaurants in Dublin. We ordered food and wine. When ordering the wine, we ordered a 2007 Rioja from the list. After opening and drinking the first sips of the wine, I knew that it was not what we ordered. Not wanting to be "that guy", we finished the bottle and I discreetly requested the wine list to double-check my purchase. I found that I had ordered a 2007 and a 2009 was delivered to the table. I promptly asked the server what the story was regarding the situation. He got a sheepish "oops - you caught us" look on his face and said he would find out. He returned to the table with another wine list and showed us in very small print on one page where it said "wine vintages are subject to change". I wasn't too happy about this and I stated to him that I felt he should have told us if there was a change. He barely apologized and brought us the check so we could leave. I spoke to a manager about this, and she repeated the same line adding an apology but not really taking any sort of responsibility. I feel that the customer service is starting to really lack and it's definitely showing. This is a restaurant where in one other separate visit, they forgot to bring a salad and then ended up comping half of the bill and were extremely apologetic. This is one shining star which may be beginning to fade. read more