The It List’s Favourite Special Occasion Restaurants in Dublin
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Listing some of our favourite spots for marking special moments from graduations, promotions, anniversaries, birthday’s and beyond. We are blessed as Dubs withsome phenomenal restaurants on our doorstep, here is a good place to start!
Delightful bistro style restaurant nestled at its beautiful basement location on St Stephen's Green. A longstanding favourite restaurant of mine as it manages to provide the perfect setting for family nights, date nights, friends nights and work nights. White tablecloths and a gentleman’s club décor design without fussor pretence. My favourite time of year to visit Peploes is in the winter when you can enjoy a class of Kir Royale before tucking into delicious hearty food. My menu go to’s are the Dublin Bay Prawns to start and the chicken parmigiana for main with a delicious rocket salad.
Dress Code: Cocktail
Price:€€
The much-adored Italian hot spot tucked away amidst the chaos and vibrancy of Dublin’s Temple bar. Known for its superbly presented fresh fish offerings and delicious and authentic home made pasta dishes, the food is knockout, but the extensive wine menu/library will be enough to delight any wine lover. A really cosy but luxurious setting enabling the perfect date night or celebration with friends, the staff are full of charm and energy so it is no surprise that their customers return again and again. We noticed that the Maitre D was on a first name basis with many customers around us which is lovely to see. Menu highlights are the special prawns or the beef tartare to start, The Lobster taglioni or tagliatelle with white ragu and nduja for main, the fish of the day is worth considering also. Although you may be stuck for room, the twix white chocolate dessert is a real treat and they do a mean tiramisu. Finish the night with a limoncello or espresso martini and you will almost feel like you have been transported to your favourite Italian city for the night.
Dress Code: Cocktail
Price:€€€
An intimate Dublin 4 restaurant boasting exquisite Modern Irish Cuisine from the wonderfully talented Grainne O’Keefe perched above the French Paradox wineshop, so as you might expect – the wines are to die for! The menu changes regularly but after three visits I have never been disappointed, in fact, consistently wowed. Mae is named after Grainne’s granny Mae and the menu has a unique and adventurous yet homely and warm feel to it. For special occasions treat yourself to something lovely from the aperitif menu, I’d highly recommend the Kir Royale to set the tone for the evening. Every course is a delight including the bread!
Dress Code: Smart causal
Price:€€€
Pichet
Award winning contemporary bistro fusing both French influences with modern Irish cuisine. The food always being the centre of attention and so the perfect destination for those who take their food seriously! Every visit has welcomed a relaxed buzzy atmosphere with groups and couples alike tucking into the delicious seasonal food and wine menu in the heart of the city, the beef was exceptionally tasty on our last visit. Cocktails are top notch too! Their lunch menu offers a more affordable but equally interesting experience, if you can skip out of the office on a Thursday or Friday afternoon.
Dress Code: Smart Casual – but anything go’s
Price:€€
Warm and inviting family run restaurant just off the canal on Sussex Terrace. A delightful spot for an occasion date night boasting stand-out food which you will be talking about for a long time to come. The evening menu commences with a “surprises from our kitchen” which really set the tone for the evening, and delight and excite the palette for the courses to follow. On our last visit we opted for the vegetarian main as I didn’t eat the meat on offer, and it was up there with the best vegetarian dish I have tried. Every mouthful from the bread to the sides are simply delicious. Dinner menu is about €84 a head but they also offer a great lunchtime €39 two course menu if you are looking for a special lunch spot that won’t break the bank.
Dress Code: Anything goes but I feel the food deserves a little effort!
Price:€€€
Even for a born and bred Southsider, Mamo Howth has captured my heart and always makes the modest trek from Dublin 6 to beautiful Howth, oh so worth it. A modern Irish neighbourhood restaurant with a well thought out emphasis on sustainable ingredients, its seaside, harbour picture-perfect setting lends itself to an always memorable special occasion dining experience. My “Northsider” brother and his wife introduced me to Mamo, and he even chose it as the restaurant to celebrate his 40th birthday with friends. Ran by a delightful couple Jess and Killian who have really finessed a family feel restaurant in great style. The food is oh so Instagrammable (to my delight!) as presentation is paramount with every dish, but this is no style over substance experience, every detail is well thought out and serves a purpose. The cod chip on the nibble menu is chef’skiss! (can I have some chip with my vinegar please!) and the Cotes de Boeuf is stand-out.
Dress Code: Relaxed
Price:€€
Situated in the opulent surroundings of Dublin’s Westbury Hotel, Wilde is the perfect dining experience for those looking for a great night in great style. Nestled just off the inviting and buzzing hotel lobby, guests can have a pre-dinner cocktail in arguably the best bar setting in Dublin before seating in the beautiful Wilde dining room. Wilde is the perfect destination for group dinners and date night’s alike and the menu boasts a fuss free and always delicious offering including burrata and a Dublin Bay prawn cocktail to start, excellent quality steak and fish options, blackened miso salmon and my favourite, the spatchcock chicken! (If it aint broke…) as well as an array of indulgent sides. I find myself regularly recommending Wilde for a stylish girl’s night too.
Dress Code: Cocktail
Price:€€
Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud is a two Michelin star restaurant in Dublin city centre beside the 5 star Merrion Hotel. The cuisine is contemporary Irish with French classical roots and it is acclaimed both nationally and internationally and needs very little introduction. For me, Patrik Guillbaud’s is synonymous with some of my favourite special occasions, and life’s special moments to date including special birthday’s, family events and the perfect luxury Christmas dining experience. The service is always impeccable and with both a tasting and A la carte menu, there is something to suit everyone. Their lunch menu is also amore affordable offering with the same standard of service and attention.
Dress Code: Cocktail/Formal
Price: €€€
Neighbourhood dining done so well! Situated on the canal in Dublin’s much loved portobello district, Locks provides a calming and elegant setting for a superb dining experience. Boasting an always tempting small-plates menu including delicious Guinness bread, a great selection of appetisers including castletownbere crab and hearty mains including Donegal Cod and Achill lamb with beef fat roasties on the side. A chic and charming experience and a little outside the madness of town to just get stuck in for a cosy evening. They do a great Sunday lunch from 12-4 at €49 per person.
Dress Code: Relaxed
Price: €€
Worth the Hype! As a Londoner for 9.5 years, I was very excited when I first heard that Hawksmoor had its eyes set on a Dublin branch for the renowned New York steakhouse, which my husband and I frequented in Covent Garden. They nailed the location, set in the mesmerising surrounds of 34 College green, the former National Bank building, there is no restaurant like it in Dublin, and I truly feel it is a welcome addition to the Dublin foodie scene. A New York style cocktail bar upon arrival, before walking into the most impressive dining room in the country which provides the perfect sanctuary for a night of overindulging. The menu is no joke with the most extensive steak and oyster menu, but for me the sides are my favourite part of any Hawksmoor experience featuring beef dripping fries, macaroni and cheese and the most delicious, creamed spinach! You can even order half a native lobster as a side! The sauces are also a stand-out, with the porcini hollandaise and bearnaise being a favourite of mine. Hawksmoor is a really fun and indulgent experience with really charming and knowledgeable staff who are always up for a chat.
Dress Code: Anything goes – but weekends can be glam!
Price:€€ or €€€ if you are ordering the half lobster as a side!
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