Brioche

I had been wanting to go here for ages. We went one Friday night we recieved the warmest welcome from Anna we had a drink and sat down to eat. The waiter was really rude and made our night start out badly. The food was ok. Nothing that I would rush back for.

Yes, as good as it gets in Dublin.
There is a lot of talent in that kitchen, and everyone makes the effort to show you a good meal. When I say good meal, it probably undersell what you will get at Brioche.
Oh, I forgot… Brioche you will really see as you sit down, they give you a lovely individually baked one with butter to savour !
We went for lunch, and saw all the prep going on (open kitchen, not much F word heard though).
These Guys are up to something, and that could easily be a Michelin star in the next year or two. I’ll definitely try it in the evening…

Where do I begin?
Tuesday evening. Ranelagh. Sunshine. Time to celebrate a buddy’s birthday. The four of us had a light lunch that day as we were planning a proper feast in the evening.
We walked past Brioche by chance and noticed their 3 course early bird (23 €) is on for the full evening on both tues– and wednesday. WOOHOO, it was our lucky night! The restaurant was almost fully booked, but they could JUST squeeze us in .
By the time we were sat down (8.15pm) our tummies were rumbling and to still our hunger we were served freshly baked brioches straight from the oven and still warm. Such goodness. It took quite a while before our drinks were served (Kir Royales for 7,50 € only! !) to quench our thirst.
At least 30+ minutes later (and our tummies rumbling even louder) our starter was finally there. When I saw it approaching from across the room to our table I let out a squeal of happiness, but when it got closer this squeal turned more into a snort of disbelief. My foamy artichoke soup was served in a teeny tiny milk can and poured over some teeny crunchy apple crisps and other small undefinable bits (arranged quite neatly I have to say — which is a skill in itself) Sorry guys, no picture, I was so ravenous at this stage and devoured my 3 spoonfuls in 3 seconds. My friends had the cured salmon, beautifully presented but just as tiny.
We got a hunch seeing these quite artistic and small starters, we were not in just any restaurant. Nope, after some investigation, we found out we were in a MICHELIN RECOMMENDED restaurant. Ooh la la, foodwise it might just even get better. We waited in high anticipation for our maincourse.
And waited, and waited. Waited some more. An hour later we dared to ask the friendly waiter (but who looked like he was avoiding our table at all costs all evening)…and we were explained there was one man down in the kitchen, they didn’t expect it this busy, blabla. Sigh… Since we finally got his attention, we ordered another Kir royale. And hey! What do you know, we got this one on the house as we had been waiting so long. Fair play and Merci!
Just when I thought I could not take it anymore, and was about to take a bite out of the table, our Daube of Beef arrived, and wow it was good. We had been told this piece of beef was slow cooked for 17 hours and it was just melt in the mouth. Impressive stuff. Good enough size portion as well.
After this we waited about 45 more minutes for our dessert. A chocolate mousse with raspberry sorbet and popping candy. It was a true piece of art (see photo) No wonder it took a lifetime to come out, it was serious craftmanship.
Well what’s the verdict? Food wise definitely 5 stars. An amazing value dinner /​drink menu. We would have loved another drink or coffee, but refrained from ordering as we just could not bear to wait another lifetime. The whole evening turned out a little stressful, our patience was tested to the limit, but we failed miserably. Such a shame.
The waiter assured us this whole waiting game was not the norm. Hence, I would recommend this restaurant, but I’m sceptic going back myself

The last place I ate in 2014 was Brioche, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I was a bit late to the NYE party when I started making calls on the 30^th to see who had available spots for NYE dinner. As expected, most places were fully booked so I was thrilled when Brioche informed me that they could fit us in.
They were offering a set NYE menu so the waiter asked that we take a look and inform him of any dietary requirements. I only have one food allergy that was of course in the first dish on the menu (no pine nuts for this gal), but he said it would be no issue to modify it and he promptly headed to the chef and made them all aware. We ordered a bottle of Crianza and the waiter dropped two pieces of brioche with butter to kick things off. Given the name of the restaurant, it was no surprise that the brioche was delicious. So light and fluffy and really didn’t need the butter at all.
Just as we finished the bread, the amuse bouche arrived. It was a beautifully presented in a small glass dish with a round piece of salmon rolled in fresh herbs and topped with roe and a few dollops of sauce. The flavours were so tasty and we decided that we had made the right choice in coming. The first course was the wild mushroom tortellini with a roast garlic dressing and parmesan foam. The flavours were so nice with hints of truffle and garlic. Next up was the foie gras terrine on toasted brioche with relish. I always feel a bit guilty eating this but their version was delicious. After that was a scallop carpaccio with a lemongrass broth and pickled carrot. The scallop had an amazing texture and they didn’t ruin the natural flavours with tons of seasoning. The dish that followed was the roast partridge with vegetables, game chips, and bread sauce. The meat had good flavour but I don’t think partridge is for me! Next in the line up was the slow braised beef with pomme purée and glazed carrots. Hands down, the best braised beef I have ever had. Truly melt in your mouth.
To end a perfect evening was a warm apple fondant with ice cream. Great flavours and the perfect portion to leave content but not stuffed. When we finished the fondant the waiter dropped off bittersweet chocolates. I initially didn’t want one but J had such a big smile on his face after his that I couldn’t resist. So very nice. At € 75 a person for just the food, this was a pricey meal but I can honestly say that it was worth it. Each dish was perfectly presented and we in no way left hungry. Luckily their standard menu is al a carte so we don’t have to wait until NYE 2015 to return :) Thanks Brioche for a great night!

I want to give a little disclaimer first of how I had very high expectations for Brioche from my multiple visits while it was located temporarily on Aungier street. I will go so far to say it was my favorite restaurant at one point. So when I visited its new ranelagh location and it didn’t live up to its former self, I can’t contain my disappointment.
The restaurant décor was lovely and bright a very art deco vibe, it was also such a beautiful day the restaurant really looked stunning. We sat at a table in the middle of the restaurant. Straight away the friendly waiter came over to give menus and water. A good start. The menu was much more limited than the previous location and the prices jacked up (averaging ten euro for a tasting plate) probably to meet the new lease costs so I didn’t mind that too much.
While we waited on our order fresh warm brioche was serviced, which was a nice touch. To start I opted for the Pea cassoulet. It was a mix of beans and peas in a creamy pea soup. It was very fresh and creamy tasting but that was the extent of it. Nice for a fork or two but then after that it was just a little plain. I was left eyeing up my fellow diners plate of black braised pork. Both dishes being the same price I felt like I got a raw deal. I realise simple food can sometimes be the nicest but this missed the mark.
My next dish was beef onglet. It was served rare, the way I like it. It was just a little tough though. I realize this is something that can be beyond the control of the chef but again I expected better. The table across from us when asked how their meal was, mentioned quite politely that the beef was a little on the tough side. This was met with an explanation that the meat was cooked for a certain length of time and the tone was a actually quite rude. Don’t ask if you can’t handle feedback.
We asked for some additional water, which took a very long time to get to us, despite the restaurant being half empty. The deserts in its former location on Aungier Street were to die for. So I could resist going for one. I opted for a panna cotta, which I was really looking forward to. It was a tiny sliver of panna cotta and various other chefy bits that were no better than meh!
Finally, I normally would never comment on this but the toilets were poorly designed and not very clean. There were only two, one male and female. The men’s was fully open exposing the urinal. I am sorry maybe I am being fussy but I really don’t want to have to see that. The sink is also shared and no table or adequate mirror which makes it very awkward if you want to freshen up yourself after the meal.
I think they have missed out on all the points that made them fantastic in trying to fit the formula of so many other restaurants. It is a really pity.

Top quality place. Friendly eager staff, lovely location, good vibe in the place. Wine list is a bit limited, however what is on it is good. The food is fabulous, though a few things need to be noted. I think some of the plates are a little pricey and minor things like seasoning and balance of flavours need to be addressed. I like the concept of ordering small portions, means you can share and taste a few dishes. This can run your bill up quite quickly though as you seriously want to try everything!
I think 5 stars would be deserved also if a few minor things were tweaked. Lovely to sit outside also to finish off a bottle of wine after the meal.

These guys had a pretty special celebration of rare breed Irish pork from nose to tail one midweek night. A perfect treat for the holy feast of my birthday. The dining room feels more wealthy Scandinavian granny than French fine dining, but the food is bang on the latter. I’ve never had coddle like this. The pig’s head croquette was alarmingly good. Every sauce was plate-​lickingly moreish. A second restaurant in Ranelagh that really knows about cooking meat for a feast. Will definitely come back. And soon.

Very enjoyable experience, staff were very helpful and welcoming, and food was delicious! We had five plates between two of us but I could have happily had more, the wild mushroom tortellini being especially good!
Our waitress recommended us a glass of processo to start and was very helpful advising us about wines and popular dishes. Great experience overall! Can’t wait to go back and try more