The Cellar Restaurant

Amazing location and service. The entrée selections were uniquely prepared & presented, the desserts were amazing, and service was top notch. Recommending the #IrishStew

One bad experience shouldn’t make a poor star rating, but that’s all I have to go on and unfortunately I won’t be returning in a hurry.
For an evening meal, its one positive for me was the subterranean, cavernous layout, which affords privacy, unlike so many overcrowded restaurants closer to city centre where you feel you might as well introduce yourself to your nearest neighbours, as you’re as good as sharing a table.
Aside from that, and the fact that I was in fabulous company so little could spoil my enjoyment, the restaurant experience itself was a let down, both food and service.
White wine not chilled enough. Service slow — a tummy-​rumbling gap between lacklustre starter and main course, no explanation. A main course — tortellini pasta — that was so al dente as to be inedible. I mean, truly impossible to even eat half the bowl, so challenging was the pasty chew. And then to be told when this is reported to the chef that this is how it’s meant to be… Maybe so, but then maybe it’s not working either.
Despite taking away an almost full plate, it did appear on the bill.
All in all, it felt as though the lights were low, and no one was home.

Here’s a brief update after the owner comment (see 1^st review):
Your response highlights the exact problem I had with your restaurant and service. Pointing out time limits, and your virtual stopwatch of events, shows that you are more focused on getting customers through a process rather than providing a high level of service.
My issue (TO BE CLEAR) is not the timeline, but rather an attitude I received. Your staff’s tone and behavior made it clear that my business was not welcome. I came in for a leisurely dining experience at a purported high-​end establishment. What I received was crude behavior from a flip and disrespectful waiter who seemed to think my presence was an interruption from his day.
Your response only exaggerates the issues displayed in my review. I was unhappy, I chose to leave. YOU, as a manager, chose to highlight and seem to think it appropriate to shame a customer by trying to point out what you perceived them ordering.
You FAILED to grasp what true service and exceptional quality is really about. It is about subtly, patience and above all, discretion. The first two qualities your staff epically failed at. The third (discretion) you have only served to further confirm my impression.
Further, I was quite anxious and excited to enjoy the menu and this visit was highly disappointing to me. Your response is a further disappointment.

Stopped here for breakfast. Very nice ambience, silverware, prompt and courteous service and a tasty Irish Breakfast. Sausage and Blood pudding were tasty; kept me satisfied all day (allowed me to skip lunch).
Not cheap, but it IS the Merrion!
Would recommend this if staying at the hotel or living nearby and looking for a nice breakfast /​brunch alternative.

We stayed at the Merrion for 2 nights and had breakfast and dinner here. Breakfast was underwhelming especially we were hoping for it to be overlooking the Periods garden…
As for dinner we were surprised on the upside. The mozzarella with balsamic reduction was delicious (I would ask for more of that reduction), their super salad was amazing, and I also love their sea bass. Hubby thoroughly enjoyed the calf’s liver as well.
Dessert — the chocolate mousse is out of this world… The rhubarb one was ok and strawberries and cream — can never go wrong.
The restaurant is a bit on the dark dungeon side but we didn’t mind it for one dinner I guess.

Sought refuge in the Merrion having failed dismally to find any space in Doheny and Nesbitts so close to Christmas. Hadn’t been here before but the bar was busy (but not D&N busy) and service was friendly and attentive. We decided to stay for dinner and had a couple of excellent burgers with perfect fries and with an equally quaffable Merlot and all for € 60 including a generous tip. Not cheap but then it is the Merrion Hotel. Acid test: would I come back? In a New York minute. Lovely location, friendly staff, a hearty meal and great company. What’s not to like?

I hosted my birthday celebrations in the restaurant 2 months ago for a gathering of circa 40 friends & family and I have to say the service provided by all the staff in both the bar & restaurant was fantastic.
Everyone was very well looked after and compliments to the chef & kitchen staff as the food was really really good with a wide variety to choose from.
I had done a blind wine tasting beforehand with my wife to choose the accompanying wines for the dinner — thanks to the restaurant manager who understands good customer service !
The bar is surprisingly quiet as it’s a bit off the main streets of Dublin — but it’s a great place with a wonderful ambience to hang out & relax with friends in.

My stars…(5=epic «best of») (4=really tasty and want to go again and again) (3=good and will go back once in a while) (2=fair, might return for a visit if there was some glimmer of hope) (1=avoid at all costs)
Go or No? GO!
Tease: The Cellar is one of the best restaurants in Dublin
Why I went: We were in Dublin, and my wife and I wanted to try something fancy!
When: Summer 2011
Food: Sadly, I cannot recall what my wife and I ate here. What I do recall is that it was amazing! Perfect! The food was incredibly delicious, well presented, and perfectly paired!
Service: Beyond amazing! We were treated better than family! Everyone at the establishment made our experience wonderful!
Hints/​Final thoughts: If you are in Dublin, and you are willing to spend a bit for an amazing dining experience, The Cellar is really a must.

‘White’ comes to mind when I think of The Cellar, it was very white. The ashen décor however, I can confidently say did not bear resemblance to the multihued menu, awash with colourful options — vibrant, yet never ventured too far from long-​established Irish cookery, staying true to it’s Dublin locality. I have been to The Cellar before and enjoyed an impeccable Sunday brunch, served 12.30pm-2.30pm, yet more recently took advantage of the recent promotional offer of the Two-​Course Lunch Mon-​Fri for a miraculous € 20. This saw me indulge in a mouth-​watering Roast Breast of Monaghan Chicken with Swede Mash, Glazed Beetroot and Salsa Verde. The salsa was a particular revelation that saw it’s piquant taste compliment the more pallid chicken beautifully. For dessert my friend and I each enjoyed Iced Banana Parfait, Chocolate Feuillentine and Caramalised Bananas. It was a conscious decision on our parts to opt for something that wasn’t chocolate and try different things, and we were not repentant. By layering ice cream with granola, nuts, yogurt, syrup, liqueurs and fresh fruit, the parfait proved nothing short of downright lip-​smacking. The waiting staff were excellent, and one elder lady in particular who took our orders before each course was an absolute sweetie. The quaint disposition of The Cellar only accelerated when I noticed a mini-​crèche in the corner. Despite some diners perhaps perceiving this to be a turn-​off I found the mere existence of it really likable and felt it acted to nicely curb any sense that the restaurant, despite the elegant food, may be too ashen. As an entity on to itself the crèche almost gave the room a pulse, an effervescence of sorts without doing anything to dent your comfortable dining experience. All in all, I highly recommend you journey below street level to experience the excellent chow offered up by this underground vault of secreted treasures.

The Cellar Restaurant is probably often overlooked because it’s a little hidden. But it’s a really, really nice restaurant. Hidden below the Merrion Hotel and with the cellar feel that you’d imagine, it makes a cosy venue for a romantic dinner or an intimate setting for a private group. We had a family reunion here and had the place to ourselves, it was great fun.
We sat on for ages and really enjoyed our meals. The food is delicious but very expensive. However the service is top class. And they still didn’t throw use out even when we started doing party pieces.

The best time to go to the Cellar is definitely for Sunday lunch. The food is really good, although its a bit on the pricey side, and if lunch doesn’t catch your fancy they also offer dinner. Its a quiet place, and as you can expect, since its a cellar it can be a little chilly!
Worth a visit, if nothing else but for the maze-​like walk to the bathroom.