La Mere Zou

My fav restaurant in Dublin. Love the salad and the veggie lasagna was sublime.

Had lunch in La Mere Zou for my birthday with my family and it was a treat from start to finish. The restaurant is intimate and cosy, with a real Parisian bistro feel, and the staff were attentive and very efficient. To start, I had the Toulouse sausage on a bed of green lentils. It was a really generous portion and the lentils were delicious, so much so that we all sopped up the juices with the remnants of the bread basket.
For my main I had the hake with chorizo, asparagus and a fondant potato. The portion this time was quite small but for this I was thankful as I had a bellyful of lentils and bread by this stage! Again, the dish was awesome, really well-​cooked and delicately flavoured. To end, I plumped for the lemon posset which was velvety smooth and had just the right balance of tartness and sweetness — it was a little winner. I really couldn’t fault any of the courses and would definitely return for seconds given the opportunity!

The menu and wine list are very French, quelle suprise: p. We dined on a Friday night, the food was superb, service was great and the quality of the food was excellent. Atmosphere/​ambiance is classical and very pleasant.
one caveat. this is not a place to discuss confidential business or whisper «sweet nothings» as it is a small sized basement venue and the tables are very close to each other

Arrived in Dublin last night and came upon La Mere Zou. We had a wonderful meal. Every course was delicious and beautifully presented. Highly recommend it.

French cuisine was satisfying but not memorable. there are nighlty specials listed on the chalk board. i had the steak on the menu, a good portion but a bit chewy. The early bird menu is a good value.
The ambiance is nice although tonight was very loud due to a couple of large parties. Because of the large group the service was a bit slow. The wait staff were from France which added to the atmosphere but overall a 3 star experience.

Eine angenehme Atmosphäre sehr zuvorkommendes Französisches Personal. Das Essen hat nicht den französischen Standard aber die Nachspeisen waren hervorragend.

I simply urge you to go to the Pearl Brasserie or Les Freres Jacques, if you want a decent French dinning experience.
I was here with my girlfriend and unfortunately we had not had a good experience from start to finish, the staff was not very welcoming and placed us at a table in between two larger tables, room was not enough and the noise from both parties was very distracting. People was a bit too pretentious and you just don’t feel comfortable.
Not that I really mind this but the main thing I came here for was a total total disappointment. The food was so ordinary and over-​cooked, it felt like it was done by an amateur. Compare the price you pay here you would understand my introduction paragraph above — plenty of way better French restaurants around Dublin, very close to la mere zou in fact.
If I was to give this restaurant a one-​liner, it would be «Let down»

I wanted to like this place. I really really did. Things got off on the right foot with the soup, but after that — downhill on a slippery slope.
I don’t want to say too much, as most all would be bad, but a few points — 1) smoke from the patio is sucked in by the kitchens fans. Keep the door closed when smokers are performing their ritual. 2) It is customary to offer coffee or tea with desert. 3) If your patron does not eat much of their dinner, you might politely enquire if there was a problem. 4) (now this is nit-​pickey, I agree) You might inquire if the patron was done with the bread and butter before you remove it from the table after starters and before mains.
So — Soup: outstanding. Bread Good. Service: not good. Food: so-​so. Price: too high

Had a late lunch there in early December — group of 8 people. We were made to feel very welcome and the service was good. Food was OK to good, but we thought overpriced for the quality. Ordinaire house wine (by the half carafe) very expensive. See their web site for prices. Really good ambiance and we enjoyed the afternoon. Would I go back? Probably!

A few weeks ago I went for a business lunch to La Mere Zou. It was not the first time I was going there for lunch, but everytime is a new experience !
What is it? A few meters away from the Shelbourne, the Conrad and the Fitzwilliam hotels, the French restaurant La Mère Zou, opened in 1994, offers a very high end French cuisine. Also, I love going there for the relaxed atmosphere and the delicious food !
What about the food? I love how they prepare salmon and their crème brûlée is just awesome ! The prices are fair if you take into account the high quality of the food, wine, and service.
What about the people? The waiters are French but they speak perfectly English. They have a very professional way to explain and present the food. It feels like a luxurious restaurant though the prices are lower. For more information, check this link :
Anything else to add? La Mere Zou has all the advantages of a luxurious restaurant with a fair price. I love going there because I am French and find the tastes I am used to in France. In addition to that; this restaurant gives a very good overview of what French cuisine is about ! If you want to prepare for a trip to France, go to La Mere Zou and you will be well prepared !
«I am French but I want to prepare before going back to France» says my best friend. All right; get your whistles ready, I am taking you to La Mere Zou. XD

I’ve been to La Mere Zou twice now and both times I’ve been disappointed. Indeed both times I found myself surprised that the restaurant has anyone in it, let alone the high number of people that seek out dining there.
First to say that the quality of food is not really terrible or anything, but for the exorbitant price I would expect something better. The menu is French but doesn’t come close to the type of French food I know and love, rather it seems to fall into the stereotypical notion of overpriced, snooty French cookery where your dinner is more of a penance than an enjoyment. Portions tend to be small and the food is nothing to write home about, which for 25 – 30 euro for a main is practically a crime. The first time I went to this restaurant with two friends all three of us ended up stopping at a chipper on the way home: not a good sign.
The second time I attended this restaurant was a work dinner, and while I tried to set aside my first encounter as perhaps an off day at the restaurant, I continued to be underwhelmed by the food there. I will put a word in for their soups. which are up there with the best soups you’ll ever have, but that isn’t enough for me to pay that kind of money. It seems that the name means more than the food, and it’s a continual surprise to me that people still go there.

La Mere Zou do an early bird menu from Mon-​Sat from 6 – 7 and Sunday all night, € 26.50 for 3 courses. This means you can treat yourself to some of their fantastic French food at a fraction of the price.
The menu is decidedly French, featuring dishes like trout rillette, Pork and apricot terrine, tarte tatin and crème brûlée. The flavours are amazing and you get just enough food in each portion. However what won my heart was the baileys and cranberry crème brûlée, definately one of the best desserts i have eaten in a long time. The staff are good and the atmosphere relaxed.