Cleaver East

Yesterday I went for a bottomless brunch for my friends birthday in Cleaver East. I was delighted with my bottomless mimosas as I haven’t come across anywhere offering this deal since I moved back from New York in September. The décor and ambiance is very glam and on trend. The service was excellent, our waitress was so friendly and was topping up our drinks non-​stop so we could fully avail of our boozy brunch. The only thing I was disappointed about was the portion size of the eggs benedict. At the cost of 11.25 euro it was not value for money.

Meh. I don’t know what happened between my first visit to Cleaver East and my latest but something is not quite right there. We had the worst service, the atmosphere was close to non-​existing and the food was not good.
The menu we got on a Sunday afternoon had a choice of 2 courses for 25Euro or 3 for 30Euro. We had two starters, three mains, 1 desert and cocktails. Both starters were boring and bland. They looked good on the plate but that’s where it ended.
The eggs benedict starter was alright and my mushroom risotto balls were over– fried (is that a word?) and tasted of frying fat.
For our mains we got the burger, monkfish tacos which really only tasted of mayo and the chicken quesadillas. The quesadillas were the nicest dish. Chicken, avo and cheese in a tortilla wrap. Bravo!
The burger meat was not great, some gritty bits in there, urgh.
For desert, after trying to get someone’s attention for ages, my friend picked the pannacotta which was runny and therefore in a bowl with some passion fruit purée on top.
I’m not gonna comment much on the service as it was dreadful. Having our order taken took forever, waited for the food unusually long and never once were asked whether everything was ok. We sat with an empty water jug for most of the meal, our cocktails also long gone.
Overall, a really disappointing visit that’s not gonna be repeated any day soon.

A late edition to my journey through the gastronomic delights of Dublin and of all times to make that choice New Years Eve.
Booked for the early sitting so as to take the stress out of evening later on.
Presented with the dreaded «Special Menu», anticipating a diluted A la Carte only to find all the signature dishes present and no (2.50) after the steak offerings.
So many establishments create there own demise with the dreaded «brackets“on there menu.
The staff were engaging from the off, Maitre d led us to our table and the staff took control from there.
Beautifully presented starters of the Goats cheese and the Carpaccio opposite, each mouthful asking a question, the carpaccios more simple than the Goats cheese.
Once the perfect time had elapsed our main course arrived, Fillet of beef, simple, but so many get it wrong.
So confident was the Chef of his main product, in my mind the lambs lettuce looked like the centre piece.
Standing firm, not like a just another garnish but, something to enhance the dish.
Untouched by the drizzle of House dressing, a bite of it creates a creaminess one has to experience, a flavour your foodie buddies tell you about, a better understanding of the humble garnish by the end of the evening.
But to distract away from centre piece, any chef would simmer to boiling, the steak was in my mind a two stage process.
The exterior, was stage one, sealed, crusted, flavour sealed in and then from there, the heat the kitchen applied to it created the most on point medium/​rare filet ive ever been presented with.
Even with the first cut, it held the jus, the confidence from the chef in the Kitchen, knowing that the time from ‘The Pass’ to the plate is the most important part of the dish…
Simple sides of sweet potato fries, that held there crunch right to the end and the rocket with an aged hard cheese just tied it all together
From door step to plate, the experience will not let you down.

Had a dinner here with a table full of food bloggers. The place itself is gorgeous. I loved the décor and vibe and lighting. It was really welcoming and warm and made you want to linger at the bar. The food was from a set menu at € 30 each. The food was good but the veggie options were a bit disappointing. The starter and main veggie option were just both very similar. I had wild mushroom risotto balls to start and they were ok. Good sized portion and presented well. I had the venison as my main dish and again it was ok and cooked well. The side dishes were very tasty and creative and really elevated the whole meal. The dessert was absolutely delicious. The warm raspberry brownie with raspberry sorbet and caramel popcorn and peanut butter mousse was decadent, pretty as a picture and just tasted amazing. Will be heading back here soon but won’t be getting a set menu, I want to try the regular full menu. I hear the Pornburger they do is also very good.

Me and 4 friends came here for brunch last Sunday and we were expecting good things. Unfortunately we got off to a bad start. One of our friends is coeliac and there was not one single item on the menu that was gluten free. This let to an awkward conversation with the hostess about what could possible be amended and the fish tacos were suggested as they could be made gluten free.
I meanwhile ordered the crab cakes with poached eggs, and at € 13.50 I expected there to be an abundance of at the very least, the ‘Asian slaw’. but what arrived was a tiny lump of measly carrot and red cabbage, with not an Asian taste to be seen! The eggs were tiny, but then that might have been an off day with the chicken, and the crab cakes tasted mostly of crunchy potato. I was robbing chips off everyone to try and feel full.
What arrived for the ‘gluten free’ monkfish tacos was fried plain fish on gluten free bread, with tomatoes… it bared no resemblance to the dish on the menu at all. It was sent back and in fairness the hostess was so apologetic and said she spoke to the chef about getting gluten free options on the menu. She offered us free drinks or deserts for the table. But when the menu for the deserts arrived, no gluten free options there either, not even ice-​cream… and the deserts themselves were dreadful — I got glorified banana milk, there was no shake about it, and for € 7!!! Who are they kidding!
Really dreadful altogether!

Had a fabulous brunch here today! Porn burger, ultimate breakfast donut and eggs benedict were all demolished! Bottomless cocktails were indeed bottomless! Portions were a nice small size which left room for dessert so ferraro roche cornettos all round which were every bit as tasty as they looked! Nice and friendly staff too means a return trip is a must!

Went here for brunch yesterday. Had been looking forward to it for some time, as I’ve been hearing a lot about it! I have to say that it was grand. Not amazing, not bad by any stretch of the imagination.
The food was lovely — really artfully presented and all the flavours were there, though maybe not as punchy as I’d like them. Portion size is also pretty meagre. With the exception of the burgers, all of the other meals ordered (4 out of 6), were tiny, and needed sides to supplement them. The eggs Benedict in particular was very small which you wouldn’t expect.
Having said that, this did work well in that it left lots of room for desert, which was the star of the show. The upside-​down ‘Ferrero Rocher Cornetto’ is extremely filling — there’s definitely enough there for two, and I loved the combination of the little bursts of creamy mousse with the crunch of the biscuit and nutty bits.
Why only three stars then?! It’s one of those unquantifiable things. Atmosphere. I can’t quite put my finger on why it’s so lacking. Music plays a bit element and I found the music in here to be a little elevator-​like. The place was half-​empty — again, another factor. And staff. They were all perfectly pleasant and on point, don’t get me wrong, but they didn’t look like they were having fun. It seemed very staid and forced. Very quiet. No real chatter. And a major thing — no thank you or goodbye when we left.
All in all, it was nice, but not somewhere I’d be rushing back to.

Just happened to see this place while waiting to go on a pub crawl and ducked in. It didn’t disappoint. Top notch service including getting our food out quickly so we wouldn’t be late for our pub crawl. The food was delicious and again the service was fantastic. If you’re in the area worth checking it out.

I was at here for brunch recently, and I have to say that this place may have just become my new go to. We arrived with a group of 8 people, which was NO problem, because surprisingly NO ONE was there! And we had arrived at 12:30, it’s not like we were super early for brunch or anything.
When we arrived, we looked over the menus, which had loads of options for people who wanted both sweet and savory things. I went with the «#PornBurger» (there was literally a hashtag on the sign for the special, ha ha). They have a «porn burger» which is essentially a monthly rotating special. While i was there, it was a mexican themed burger with loads of queso, beans, salsa, corn, beef, etc. It was fabulous! It didn’t come with any sides, but to be honest, you didn’t need any. I was PERFECTLY satisfied afterwards. Not too full, but not craving more.
Additional bonus if you’re feeling fancy… 15 euro bottomless mimosas and bloody marys!
The only downside was, that because there was no one else there, it was lacking a bit of atmosphere. But perhaps people just don’t know yet about how fab their brunch is!

Met a few friends here for brunch a couple weekends ago. The menu looked amazing and the reviews were great; so I had pretty high expectations. Sadly they were not met.
I had the crab cake eggs benedict with a side of truffle creamed corn. We also ordered the red velvet pancakes for the table to try. The presentation was great, but my eggs benedict was very basic as well as being more of a sharing dish size rather than a main. The corn lacked any hint of truffle flavour and tasted like it came straight from the can. I hoped that the pancakes could turn things around but they were dry and kind of crispy.
A few other people in my group seemed to like their dishes (especially the brunch burger) but given that all three things I ordered were bland, I don’t plan on returning.

Finally got to visit this place. I’d heard lots about the infamous «bottomless» mimosas (and bellinis and daiquiris) so when a friend mentioned Sunday brunch to stave off an imminent hangover I was quick to accept!
The menu is so good for brunch. So many choices, I really struggled with my choice and I need to go back to try the other 4 options I really, really wanted!
I chose the red velvet pancakes with bacon and maple syrup because it sounded different!
They were light, fluffy and gorgeously deep pink in colour, the bacon crisp and the maple syrup the perfect accompaniment.
I opted for mimosa and it was delicious, made with freshly squeezed orange juice and indeed bottomless with a very patient and pleasant waitress looking after a large party.
I really enjoyed it and hope to return soon.

High tea.
Ok so when I walked in here. I didn’t think that this was the place to have high tea. It is loud and boisterous and not your usual place for high tea.
When we arrived we were shown a place which was under a stairs and was pottersque in the extreme. We asked could we sit somewhere else. We were shown to the bar which dominates the room.
Now, our spirits were not exactly elated when we’re were left waiting for at about 10mim before being acknowledged by the barman.
But, this isn’t a true reflection of our time here
The staff are so welcoming and warm. The atmosphere is very enjoyable, even if it is loud.
But the food.
It is the best take on a high tea I have encountered in Dublin. The selection of savoury and sweet was brilliantly balanced. The presentation was fantastic and have such a communal feel to the eating experience.
The bottomless mimosas … Well let’s just say they are pretty bottomless.

The appetizers (red pepper tomato soup (5) & citrus salmon (5)) were quit nice. Then the steaks (21 day fillet (5)& ribeye (4)) were very good. The dessert (sponge cake with banana ice cream (3)) was average. Service was very good (4) although I don’t know why all th patrons were seated on one side of the room together when the other side was empty (3). The price € 97 without & € 110 including voluntary tip/​service was on the high side for 2 people (4).

#pornburger this has to be one of the best burgers in our fair city.
The sweet potato fries are so good my partner is waiting on a second portion.
The staff are very attentive and friendly.
We will be coming back soon, with friends.
The taste voucher: € 20 for two porn burgers is well worth it.
Keep up the good work Chef.

Had lunch in Cleaver East in January — maybe it was due to the time of year then that the restaurant was empty except for one other couple even though it was a Saturday. It’s a trendy little space, with a nice big bar at its centre so it was a pity that it was sorely lacking any buzz. The food was great, presented beautifully on really nice dishware — my partner’s starter of whipped goat’s cheese with beetroot and candied pecans was so prettily positioned on its turquoise plate that it momentarily alleviated the sense of January blues that seemed to pervade the dining room — it really was a beauty! Mains of southern-​fried chicken for me (sinfully moist and succulent, perfectly accompanied by crunchy carrots, velvety root vegetable purée and crispy little potato croquettes) and a risotto for him went down well — but they weren’t as well executed as the other courses I felt.
My dessert stole the show for me — it was so decadent and rich, perfect after my light chicken dish. Rich dark chocolate ganache was dotted around the plate along with peanut butter and marshmallow mousses, all this deliciousness was topped with a biscuit crumb that added a nice textural contrast to the other elements. Being a lover of chocolate desserts, I can tell you, I was in heaven!!! My boyfriend’s dessert wasn’t as successful — he felt the deconstructed carrot cake didn’t marry well with the pistachio ice-​cream which was served up alongside it, turning the sponge soggy and obliterating its delicate flavour. Beautiful food, wonderfully presented but shame about the atmosphere, or complete lack of it to be precise!

We visited Cleaver East on a trip to Ireland that I extended over the weekend so I could get some downtime. This place was highly recommended by a colleague that I trusted, so i booked a table at 9pm on Saturday night through their website. It’s located in Temple Bar, but it’s no low-​quality Temple Bar tourist trap. It immediately reminded me of one of our favorite restaurants back home in NYC’s East Village (Saxon+Parole) — well designed, hip, great lighting and a busy buzz.
We were seated promptly and ordered cocktails — one was great (Rosemary Old Fashioned) and the other, not so much (The Cleaver East signature cocktail — maybe it was off that night?). We decided to go ahead with the chef’s selection tasting menu for 50 euros which, in retrospect, was worth every penny.
I will say that every dish presented to us was beautiful and delicious. I don’t think I can say one bad thing about the food. Highlights included a delicious goat cheese flan to start, an amazing duck breast and an excellent duo of desserts — six courses in total. To finish, we were presented with fresh chocolate pots with orange, which I thought was pretty damn uninventive upon initial inspection. I was wrong, however — I’m not sure what was in there, but it was the most delicious chocolate pot I’ve ever had. I wanted a second one before leaving.
I think it’s a solid 4-to-4.5 star review, but falls short of 5. Service was VERY friendly, but it was slow at times. We felt the pace of the meal could have been a bit quicker and our server could have been a bit more accessible (she disappeared for long periods of time). None of this was too critical, however. The overall experience was fantastic.

That was a great diner.
We went there with my mom and my boyfriend (again), because I thought the place looked really nice from the outside.
So the place inside is awesome as well, I love the ambiance, and the music and everything were perfect.
We first all had cocktails because by seeing all the bottles in rooms we were really tempted to try, plus they had a nice cocktail menu. I took the cleaver east special, a bit spicy and very surprising, I took a passion mojito after that, a bit more to my taste, and actually really delicious. My mom had the passion mojito, she loved it too, and my bf a classic mojito that he found great too.
I first took the citrus salmon, this was SO GOOD ! Even my mom who usually hates salmon loved it, she said it was the first time in years that she enjoyed it salmon. Then I had the venison with mushroom croquettes… I’m seriously still dreaming about it. My bf had the rib eye, he really loved it too, and my mom the lamb, what she found awesome too. We all had an amazing time eating these meats.
Finally, we took a carrot cake to share, but I actually end up eating it all by myself because it was so good I couldn’t help myself, yes, that may be a bit selfish but OMG this was so good.
Now I dream about going back there…

I finally made it! As Cristin mentioned I had planned to attend the ladies brunch but had a death in the family and missed it. Granny was a pioneer, hmmmm, suspicious…
I got around to the brunch here yesterday, and I was really impressed. There is a breakfast desert menu! How could I not, and the bottomless mimosas just keep flowing, with no need to ask or feel you are begging or irritating the waitress (ours was the sweetest and loveliest girl) it just kept filling up every time it looked like one of us may be at risk, however small, of dying of draught.
I had mac and cheese with truffle, and unlike so many places, I could actually taste the truffle. Diving — but small! Plan on getting a couple of bits if you intend to make it a substantial meal, and then got brioche with nutella and banana ice cream — again — breakfast desert!
Really enjoyed it and I will be making here a regular haunt, once my liver holds!

Excellent Sunday brunch here at Cleaver East.
The lovely Aoife M organised a ladies only boozy brunch with the emphasis on the boozy part. It’s the bottomless mimosas you see, 15 EUR and your glass is indefinitely topped up throughout the whole dining experience.
Unfortunately Aoife could not attend, but the rest of us enjoyed the brunch on her behalf.
I ordered the Eggs Benedict, which was divine. There’s not much of it, but then again it’s a tasting plate restaurant, so order some bread and sides to ensure you don’t leave hungry. I didn’t order anything on the side, mainly because I was still a bit full from a light breakfast earlier in the day.
But this meant I was able to order a dessert and I opted for the Tiramisu, as is my want when I see it on any menu. It was flipping excellent. So so good. Highly recommend it and it was the highlight of my whole meal. It came with a chocolate macaroon on top!
The mimosas were nice and duly topped up regularly. Even after we asked for the bill AND after we paid. Fair play. I like their style.
The staff were very nice with our tables waitress being especially lovely. Chatty and friendly. Made the experience even better for me.
Only problem I had afterwards was the affect all that orange juice had on me. I’ll leave that thought there…
Very nice experience. I look forward to going back.

How can anyone give a less than 5 star review for this place? The ambiance is trendy without being pretentious, the space is large and airy, service: courteous, efficient, and caring, the food… Oh dear the food. It’s amazeballs. It’s phenomenal. It’s simply orgasmic. I asked if it was Oliver Dunne himself was cooking my lovely dinner to which I was told he was not but his other half who is also a Michelin star chef (I think our drop dead gorgeous hostess said his name was Kenny or something) and that we were in good hands… And we were.
My dinner companion and I both agreed that the salmon dish was our least favorite but still yummy. I just don’t like the texture of sous vied salmon but that’s just me. The chicken, lamb, and lobster dumplings were out of this world. But to end it all off… The panna cotta… OMG… If I could bathe in it I would. The honeycomb it was garnished with was also phenomenal.
I can’t wait to go for brunch… Or dinner… Or even just cocktails. Loved everything. GO!