Chapter One

This place is fantastic. We went with another couple and had the tasting menu with the pairing wine menu and it was absolutely fantastic. Staff were friendly and helpful but not over the top the food was to die for. It was not cheap but oh so worth it. I really felt like I had a treat like a mini holiday :) we booked for 7pm and did not leave till 12. I could find no fault.

Had a fab meal here before going to the theatre nearby. Concierge recommended it and got us a table. Steak was perfect and our server was fantastic.
One of the best meals we had in Dublin !

In a word, service.
We did a pre-​theater dinner because we were, well, pre-​theater.
They asked if we had our tickets and when we said that we still needed to pick them up, they went and got the tickets for us. Really?
The staff were relaxed and very fun. The food is French yet the staff are so very pleasantly Irish. How refreshing. And I think they had the same number of staff as guests on a busy night! The restaurant has a small, cozy feel.
The food?, oh yeah, it was 5 star. Drinks? The same, 5 star.
This is a must for visitors and Dubliners alike. Best.

I absolutely adore Chapter One. Not least because it’s Michelin star dining at an affordable price.
The extremely well priced pre-​theatre menu is excellent, and the staff don’t make you feel rushed which I’ve found to be the case with a lot of other pre-​theatres around town. Not only were we made to feel welcome on both occasions we went for the early menu, but we were made to feel welcome and like we belonged. As a young, not terribly well off foodie this makes a huge difference to me. On my first visit with a friend, the maitre d brought us in for a tour of the kitchen and introduced us to the chefs which was really special.
The overall experience aside, the food is to die for. Chapter One is the ideal spot for a special occasion, but don’t wait for the excuse to visit!

Not often I refer to a restaurant visit as an experience, rather than just a meal but Chapter One certainly delivered!
The lunch tasting menu and pairing wines was superb every step of the way. The beau and I found it hard to pick our favourite course but the cured mackerel with crab salad and smoked haddock were particularly outstanding.
The wine with each course was beautifully matched and generously poured, with names we found harder to pronounce as the meal went on… #tiddly
Service was friendly and good-​humoured, which was a relief as overly formal waiters stress me out — «should the fork be pointing up or down?!»
We enjoyed ourselves so much that we have agreed to make this an annual event!

I still can’t get over this place! This is literally the mother of all restaurants in Dublin! Very dressy and very exclusive! I’ve been here for a meal with my parents, I had no idea where this place was. It’s just opposite St. Stephens green covered in ivory. When you enter they will ask for your reservation (as you only make a reservation to dine here). The restaurant is on the second floor and it’s quite intimate space decorated in early Georgian interior. Each table has their own waiter for the evening. The staff were so lovely and the food was amazing! Though small portions your still full after this amazing meal! I would recommend anyone to go here! I felt like a queen!

2^nd visit on December 23^rd so I guess it’s become a Christmas tradition. We even had the same table (table 9 which is in the corner and so quiet and private)
We decided to go for the tasting menu with wine pairings. What a feast! The portions don’t look that big in the photos but after seven courses I was definitely stuffed leaving. Not a bad thing eaten but my highlights were the smoked haddock, the deer, buttermilk ice cream and the Irish coffee.
OMIGOD the Irish coffee. They bring out a trolley with a stove. A copper pan is placed on the stove and sugar is heated. When the sugar is ready coffee is added to the pan. For theatre whiskey is added and that’s a bit of theatre!!! The Irish coffee is then assembled and a hint of nutmeg is added. I think the server probably had the attention of the whole room! Best Irish coffee ever!!!
The staff are amazing. Attentive but not intrusive and there’s no stuffiness. Marina was the name of the girl who mainly took care of us during our visit. She was brilliant — explaining the elements of each dish and the paired wine.
Yes it is expensive but I love everything about here. I definitely suggest here if you’re looking for something special.

Now a Christmas tradition. This place in my view as good as it gets. Michelin star food and service without the pretentious stuffiness you get elsewhere.
We had the tasting menu paired with wines which was so good and so well orchastrated. Finished with a table side Irish Coffee which was the best I ever had.
A wonderful experience which isn’t cheap but well worth it. Looking forward to next time.
Btw table 9 is a lovely 2 seater and quiet. We book it for that reason

This is one of my favorite places in Dublin what with the décor, the staff, the food, the chef, and an amazingly funny maître d’.
The food I had was great, to be honest I picked a few dishes to mess with my wife but also push my palate a bit: P. The wild game terrine with blackberry sauce and a bit of crunch was just amazing. Essentially the starters were just amazing and could honestly be the mains on their own. I also had the deer (never said venison on the menu) which was to die for, it melted like butter in my mouth. To top the night off, we had ice cream with real honeycomb which if you have a sweet tooth, you MUST have; Don’t think about anything else for dessert, that honeycomb is amazing!

This is the best restaurant in Dublin.
I love everything. The décor, the staff, the food, the wine, the chef.
If you want a memorable dining experience of contemporary Irish food then this is the place to go. The lunch tasting menu is a steal at € 55 and it would be a sin not to add on matching wines for around € 40.
Thoroughly recommend!

Came here for a lovely dinner. Very nice atmosphere with the loveliest waiters and waitresses. All of them were really warm and helpful and even brought us around to see the restaurant. Was contemplating hard between the tasting menu or the 4 course. Finally went ahead with the 4 course menu.
Appetiser
— chestnut soup with an freshly baked onion brioche bread: the perfect warm start to a cold winter. The soft pieces of chestnuts would slightly melt in our mouth before softly biting into them.
— feta cheese mousse: the creamy texture of the mousse paired with the most beautiful crunchy texture of the walnut and the sweetness from the beetroot at the bottom was a party in the mouth!
First main
— cured salmon with Atlantic crab: the sweetness and freshness from both the seafood was simply amazing! With the slight tinge of sourness from the cheryblossom dressing really gave it the oomph factor!
— cured duck breast with marinated foie gras: the duck breast was sliced so thinly and was really good. The smoked taste from the duck complemented the soft emulsifying foie gras. Though I felt the dish was overwhelmed with the nuts and was rather a heavy dish for a first main!
Second main
— venison: the best dish for the night. Seared beautifully on the sides and topped with a pinch of salt. Over a bed of wonderfully cooked and seasoned cabbage. Rustic taste of the venison paired so beautifully with the elderberry sauce to add sweetness to it.
— halibut: the fish itself was crispy on the outside. The mushrooms were definitely the star in my opinion! Succulent mushrooms together with the shrimps to add that flavour to the fish.
Both main came together with a side of creamy mashed potato infused with mushroom and a slight truffle. It was the best mashed potato I ever had! The other side was just broiled potatoes which was slightly less amazing since the mashed potato was already so good!
Desserts
— milk ice cream: the meringue drizzled with honey was really good. The honey itself was the star of the dish. It went really well with the milky ice cream. With the additional texture of the meringue
— potato pain Perdue: warm «bread-​like» toast with milky ice cream and toasted oats. I really like the play of texture. The sweetness was then contrasted with the buttermilk around the plate.
A really good dinner set meal for € 70/​pp! I thought it’s amazing! P. S. Do book at least a month in advance! The place was packed and I booked it about 5 weeks in advance. Was also greeted very warmly by the chef himself during dinner. He’s really friendly! :)

Great food, great service. This one-​star michelin star restarant used to be the home of Jameson, and definitely worth checking out if you are in town. We came for dinner on a thursday night without reservation and were promptly seated. We had the 3 course pre-​theater dinner for EUR 37.50, which was not bad at all.

Dublin usually is not known for Michelin dining, but Chapter One really pushes the envelope when it comes to fine dining that boasts locally inspired flavors and ingredients. Service was impeccable, as is expected from a place is this caliber. I can’t comment too much on the dishes, because I know they are always in rotation based on seasonal ingredients. The most memorable dish of the night was a mushroom tapioca. The post meal sweets were also fantastic. Although wine seems to not have as much traction in Dublin, Chapter One definitely has an impressive selection of vintages.
PROTIP: Please ask to take a gander at the cookbook. You will not be disappointed with the photography.

Amazing restaurant. Gorgeous space, perfect service and incredibly creative and delicious food. If in Dublin, it is a must. Beyond impressed!!!

We were visiting Ireland/​Dublin over my birthday and after reading a Food and Wine magazine article where Chef Cathal Armstrong (
)advised Chapter One was one of the best in Dublin for fine dining, I decided this would be the perfect spot for my birthday dinner.
I called a little too late to get a dinner reservation, but was able to book the pre-​fixe theater menu dinner for Friday ⁹⁄₁₁. My husband and I visited the Writer’s Museum located above the restaurant prior to dinner, which was an interesting
Upon entering the restaurant we were greeted warmly and taken directly to our table despite being a bit early. They also kindly checked our «brolly» so we did not have to worry about a wet umbrella at the table. The restaurant was beautiful with dark gray walls and clean white décor. We were seated in a nice corner table and immediately provided with bread (I LOVE BREAD! Always a bonus and Ireland had the best bread and butter ever!) from the bread cart.
Our drink and food orders were taken promptly and the meal was nicely paced despite the 5:30 — 7:30pm window for the theater pre-​fixe. We did not feel rushed at all. Below is what we had and I can honestly say it was my favorite meal in Dublin, if not one of my favorite meals EVER. I highly recommend Chapter One to anyone looking for a lovely fine dining experience!
Sean:
Beverage: Jameson, neat.
1^st Course: Irish pea soup, fricassee of fresh peas with smoked rapeseed oil
2^nd Course: Achill mountain lamb with broad beans and salt baked celeriac, Madeira sauce with caper flowers
Dessert: Irish sourdough cheesecake with muscatel gel, malt ice cream and rye tuille
Mary:
Beverage: Fatalone, Primitivo, Gioia del Colle DOCG 2010
1^st Course: Terrine of rabbit with apple purée, beluga lentils with mustard and hazelnut dressing, onion bread croûton
2^nd Course: Loin of rare breed pork with pata negra crust, creamed cabbage, fricassee of vegetables and smoked buttermilk mash
Dessert: supplemental cheese plate consisting of:
+Cashel Blue
Produced by Jane and Louis Grubb, Cashel, Co. Tipperary (A cow’s milk blue with a pleasant firm and cream edge, and mouth-​watering tanginess)
+Coolea
Produced by Dick Willems, Coolea, Macroom, Co Cork
(Pasteurised Cow’s milk, classic Gouda style cheese, almost toffee like flavour and crystalline consistency)
+Hegarty’s Cheddar, Whitechurch Co Cork
(Traditional cloth bound cheddar, a distinct earthy flavour and a pleasant crumbly texture)

Emailed them about a month in advance for reservations and managed to get the 9pm slot for a Friday night. We had the 4 course for 70 euros pp and it was well worth it! It was a lot more food than I had expected. The place is very unassuming from the outside. Go down a couple steps and you’ll find someone opening the door for you from the inside. Surprise! You’ll be led down a corridor into a bar area. You’ll notice that there are NO windows here, which might’ve bothered me anywhere else but for some reason, it just made the dining experience more intimate and exclusive. We had a glass of prosecco while waiting to be seated. The staff here are VERY attentive and polite. We were given menus while waiting to be seated at our table probably because we had a late dinner. A seasoned man came and shook our hands and took our orders.
For food: (I am oversimplifying the ingredients so my brief description won’t do it justice)
–japanese mushroom tapioca pearls (think risotto and cheese, but less heavy)
–feta (this was all I remember from this dish but it’s DELICIOUS! Great combination and refreshing. Great way to start the meal)
–duck and cabbage (my favorite part of the meal! Light and savory, great textures from the cabbage and the sauce is awesome)
–poached oysters with roasted seaweed (if you’re a fan of oysters, you must get this! HUGE pockets of yummy deliciousness)
–lamb (unfortunately I didn’t get to try this because I had to work on my own plate. Mind you we’ve already had a ton of food! Portions here are pretty substantial for a 4 course. Anyway the lamb was done 2 ways. Shoulder and rib. Boyfriend was very happy with it)
— I asked what they recommended and was told that the rabbit was the star and I must say it was. Rabbit loin wrapped with pancetta, with sausage and carrots and risotto. YUM. Cooked perfectly!
–lemon curd (beautiful plate, tart and light)
–chocolate coffee mousse (awesome flavor combination)
–we were also given complimentary chocolate truffles with thin sheets of cookie
To drink–
— prosecco
— Bordeaux medoc
— Sauvignon blanc
— tableside made Irish coffee! Really great way to end the meal! He grated nutmeg in a pan, then caramelized brown sugar, added coffee to it, then 2 shots of Jameson. Fire! Then he poured it into a glass and topped it with fresh cream. Yum!
We were offered a tour of the kitchen after our meal. Chefs had went home already at this hour (11:45?) the kitchen was spotless!
After given our jackets, our waiter got us a cab! Again, impeccable service. Food is fantastic. Space is quaint and intimate (we sat in the alcove where the whiskey used to be stored) a well deserved Michelin star restaurant!

Première Michelin star restaurant that I’ve gone to in Europe, and what a treat! Booked their pre-​theatre dinner for a Saturday a little less than 2 months ahead. Certainly worth every day of waiting.
Started off with their asparagus and home made ravioli with 25 y Parmesan. When cutting through the ravioli, the cheese melted down on the perfectly a la dente asparagus. Mm. Me and my sister were in heaven.
As main, I had the Ray fish — something typical Dublin I learned but for me it was completely new. It was white and flakey, twisted into a round shape. Soft, well seasoned. As a side was a deep fried potato with cheese — it was delish but little too heavy for my preference.
Finally dessert. At this point we were both really full, and if it wasn’t for that we’ve already ordered a three course meal, we would probably have skipped it. But happy that we didn’t. My sister had the chocolate dessert with ice cream. It was served on a cup, nicely presented, and wow. Warm chocolate, very rich, with that ice cold ice cream. I am willing to say this was the best chocolate dessert I have had. Ever.
I went for the ice cream and honey comb treat, delicious as well but in a different league than that chocolate dream. The waiter even came to our table, noting my obsession with my sisters dessert and asked if I wanted to switch. Now that’s michelin service (a politely rejected his offer, too embarrassed to have almost two desserts since we were close to finish the honeycomb one).
For a total of 120 euro for both of us including a bottle of wine, I would go back any day of the week. I actually just made another reservation. In two months.

Had the pleasure of dining in Chapter One last weekend and it was an absolute treat from start to finish! The front-​of-​house are on another level — charming, courteous, super-​efficient — they are superlative at what they do. We went for the pre-​theatre option, which comes in at less than € 40 for three courses… it’s basically an absolute steal for the dining experience that you get here! Myself and my partner were headed for a show in the Abbey at 7.30pm and the hostess assured us that they’d have us fed and watered and ready to leave in plenty of time to make the curtain, which they managed to do without making us feel rushed in anyway –as I said, the service is just outstanding!
Now for the food — as expected, it was beautiful… precise, elegant and cooked to perfection, everything that you’d hope a fine-​dining meal would be. My starter of asparagus with a ravioli of aged parmesan and a lemon sauce was the highlight of the meal for me — the light, fresh, asparagus that was blanched to perfection married beautifully with the richness of the cheesy al dente pasta, which was undercut by the light citrusy sauce. It tasted like springtime on a plate, and I was sorely tempted to lick the plate it was that good! Thankfully I’d spared a bit of the delicious sourdough bread that we’d been served before the starters to mop up the sauce, it was too good to miss out on a single drop.
Mains were also excellent — my duck was served with a stuffed purple carrot and was as beautiful to eat as it was to look at. The Asian inspired flavours of the dish were really well suited to the duck which was succulently cooked. My partner raved about his dish of rare-​breed pork and having tasted a bite I could see why — the pork simply melted in the mouth, it was soft and buttery and you could have eaten it with a spoon — a real delight! It was my dessert of hot chocolate mousse with coffee ice-​cream that won the dessert round though — it was simple, elegant and packed such a flavour punch that it left the other dessert of a citrus white-​chocolate bombe a little in the dust. It was a lovely dessert but lacked the intensity and exquisite balance of flavours that mine had in abundance.
The most deliciously decadent Irish coffee I’ve ever had the pleasure of drinking rounded off the meal for us… made at the table, with the method explained by the waiter, it was the undoubtedly the best I’ve ever tasted. The fresh nutmeg and mace added a new element to the drink and really complimented the whiskey — my mouth waters at the memory of it — this alone would be worth a trip back! I couldn’t recommend Chapter One strongly enough, it’s definitely the place to go for a special occasion and I cannot wait for my next visit.

Had a wonderful time dining at Chapter One last week! Hoping to eat at a Michelin-​rated restaurant while in Dublin, I had emailed three weeks in advanced for reservations. Luckily, I was able to score the day and time I had wanted without any difficulty.
What makes this place really special (on top of the food that is), is their approach to settling you in. Before being seated directly at your table, everyone is directed to the bar area for your first drink. At the same time, the menu is given to you for your review. Your order while sipping on your drink, and soon enough you’re escorted to your table. It’s all very causal yet still very formal. No time is wasted at the dinner table which was actually really nice. All in all the restaurant is very professional, yet not a stuffy as you would imagine.
For those looking to dine here for dinner, the tasting is 7-​courses for 85 Euro; 70 Euro for 4-​courses if you happen to decide on a la carte. My boyfriend and I had decided that the 4-​course a la carte would be the better option. Having selected all different dishes, combined both his plates and my plates, that would have equated to 8 dishes, one dish more than the tasting.
Superb service, crafty cocktails, delicious food, and probably the best Irish Brown Bread around. Chapter One will not disappoint.

I had took away a star as my John Dory was grossly overcooked and my dirty martini was extremely yucky but everything else I ate was so bloody delicious That it hurts for me not to give them 5 stars.
The ambiance of the restaurant is so romantic. Everything is so understated that it’s elegant and modern, which is hard to achieve. Service was terrific from the beginning with the maitre d looking after each table personally. We were well looked after without being over serviced which is great.
The bread service is lovely as you get a selection of brown bread, sourdough and onion. It’s € 70 for 4 courses which yes it’s expensive but it won’t break the bank! We also ordered a bottle of Pinot noir tat was just fabulous with everything we ordered… Where do I start? I’ll try to be succinct as 4 courses 2 people. 8 dishes to describe can be daunting to read.
Starters: Japanese tapioca balls with mushrooms– an extremely creative and modern take on mushroom risotto. I love the slippery feeling of the tapioca balls over arborio rice now. I’m ruined.
The beet starter– not that impressed. Just a standard roasted beet with goats cheese mousse. Pass
The mallard– divine… Just simply divine. Perfectly roasted mallard breast with a chocolate sauce that didn’t taste like chocolate and just enhanced the protein.
Venison with foie gras– I boycott ordering foie but if someone else orders it, I will taste it and it was so buttery and little pieces of heaven actually, that paired perfectly with the perfectly rare venison.
Mains: I got the John Dory with barley and razor clam risotto. My fish was really overcooked. I didn’t complain as I hadn’t had John Dory in a long time so thought maybe that’s how it was supposed to be. I regret it but the risotto and jus it was served with was sinfully delicious.
The beef main was served to the perfect medium rare and was such a dream to eat. Tender and full of flavour, which so many places seem to forget that is how a beef should be prepared. They totally respected the cow that had to die to feed us. I love that. It makes me feel less guilty!
Dessert: a chocolate mousse which was rich and yummy but it pales in comparison to the white chocolate cone… The white chocolate cone is a sugar crispy cone filled with a white chocolate mousse served with candied blood orange… I could’ve eaten 5 plates of this… It was perfect. In fact it may have been the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my life. Yes… It’s true.
If I was rich I’d eat here once a week. This is one restaurant that def lives up to the hype.

Wir wurden hier sehr freundlich begrüßt und durch eine kurze Besichtigung der sehr sauberen Küche auf das Sterne-​Menü ein–
Gestimmt.
Das in einzelne kleinere Bereiche aufgeteilte
Restaurant in einem alten Gewölbe, ist gemütlich und stylisch zugleich.
Das Menü war sehr abwechselungsreich und beeindruckte durch besonders gut kombinierte Aromen (z.B. Vanille-​Trüffel).
Die Weinauswahl ist ausreichend und die Preise sind angemessen.
Ich habe zwar in Deutschland in der Sterne–
Gastronomie schon besser gegessen,
aber die großartige Gastfreundschaft, wie im Chapter One habe ich so noch nicht erlebt.