Top 5 Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurants in Dublin, Ireland

Opened in 2009, Pichet is a fabulous award-winning restaurant on Trinity Street in Dublin. It is described as a modern take on a classic brasserie that combines French influences with contemporary Irish cuisine. The establishment received its coveted Michelin Bib Gourmand within six months of its opening and again in 2018. Pichet’s dining area is divided into three parts: the front room is spacious and airy, the main hall offers a front-row seat to the culinary action, and the quaint conservatory in the back presents guests with a more intimate set up. The interiors have a chic and sophisticated decor, complete with classic French bentwood chairs, tobacco leather furnishings, checkerboard flooring, and a marble-topped cocktail bar.

The kitchen is run under the guidance of Head Chef Stephen Gibson, who creates an innovative menu of gastronomic delights. Indulge your palate in specialty items like roasted halibut with lentils topped with smoked bacon cream, chargrilled salmon with mussels fritters, ribeye steak served with roasted onions, and butternut squash risotto with trumpet mushrooms in sage brown butter. Pair your meal with their extensive drinks menu of cocktails like mimosa and spicy bloody mary.

Set menu – €68.50

Situated just outside the city center in the lively district of Portobello, Richmond is a neighborhood joint that offers up an array of contemporary cooking. It is a bustling and buzzy place with an inviting and sleek interior. This Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded restaurant possesses a welcoming and rustic atmosphere achieved using vintage furnishings, bright red leather banquette seatings, characterful wooden flooring, thick curtains on curved copper railing, and white brick-lined walls. The exterior is also elegant and beautiful, with the name Richmond spelled out in fine gauge red neon light.

The kitchen creates a modern gastronomic experience of Irish cuisine brought to you by Head Chef David O'Byrne. Visitors can relish scrumptious flavorful dishes, such as ham hock and rabbit terrine with curls of root vegetables, roasted cod with tandoori cauliflower, pumpkin ravioli with sundried tomatoes in burnt sage butter sauce, and dry-aged strip loin with shiitake mushroom in glazed ox cheek onion sauce. In desserts, do not miss out on their fantastic praline panna cotta with honey tuile and date pudding with gingerbread ice cream.

Average bill – €63

If you are a fan of Spanish tapas with some fine wines, then Uno Mas is the place for you. Located in the heart of Dublin city, it is a Mediterranean restaurant owned by Liz Matthews and Simon Barrett who are also the brains behind the Michelin-recommended Etto. Uno Mas is a stripped-back casual bistro with a Bib Gourmand for serving high-quality value-for-money delicacies. It has a welcoming and upscale decor made up of simple white walls, teak wood tables, dark green leather-furnished chairs, modern ambient light fixtures, a large wine map, and a cocktail menu blackboard.

Start your food journey with nibbles from the para picar section with small plates like Iberico chorizo, shishito peppers, Cantabrian anchovy on a toast, and cecina (salted meat) croquetas. Next, move on to the main dishes, such as beef carpaccio with pickled mushroom, saffron prawn rice with basil, bluefin tuna with jalapeño, and pan-fried cod with sweet corn in tarragon sauce. The Spanish vibe has also inspired the wine choices highlighting fino sherry and vermouth by the glass to complement your meal.

Average bill – €69

Nestled in a historic area of the city, Spitalfields is a vintage traditional-looking Irish pub that boasts a vibrant 80s theme. It is a beautiful venue that was taken over by husband-and-wife team – Chef Stephen McAllister and Andrea Hussey – in 2019 and was transformed into a culinary gem. The charming place has a nostalgic and cozy vibe created using design elements like polished paneled floors and roofs, redwood furniture, bright lamp fixtures, black chairs and tables, an open bar, and a vinyl player with the 80s music.

That said, it is not just the sound and decor that give you a nostalgic feel, but also the menu. Diners can enjoy good old classical delicacies like devilled eggs, pork schnitzel with white gravy, ribeye steak with chips, slip sole fish in browned butter with lemon, grilled leek with burrata, and oxtail with beef marrow and sourdough bread. The drinks list consists of tap wine starting at €26.95, craft beers, and a good mix of traditional and renowned labels like Chateau Lynch-Bages Pauillac 2010 and Domaine Burle Vacqueyras from the Rhône region.

Average bill – €58

Volpe Nera, meaning black fox in Italian, is a beautiful neighborhood restaurant nestled between Blackrock and Foxrock in Dublin City, hence the clever name. It is the first solo establishment of the ex-Etto chef, Barry Sun, serving an Italian-Irish fusion cuisine with the occasional Asian influences. The place is split into two floors: an upstairs seating with a plush feel and a lively downstairs area with an open kitchen. The ambiance is lavish and elegant, consisting of polished wood-paneled flooring, modern ambient light fixtures, velvety soft furnishings, and fabulous French windows.

The kitchen team under the guidance of Chef Sun, invites you to relish a menu that evolves with the seasons and mixes Mediterranean staples and Asian accents. Some of the exquisite specialty dishes you can sample here are cep (type of mushroom) dumplings with aged soya, crispy cod with lentils, fried zucchini flower with truffle honey, bluefin tuna with black sesame in ponzu sauce, and grilled wild halibut with kohlrabi. Volpe Nera also boasts an eclectic and interesting wine list offering vermouth, white vinho do Porto, and a selection of sherries.

Average bill – €72

Dublin is a vibrant and bustling capital city with an ever-changing space where you will never be short of a new adventure. With the youngest population in all of Europe, it is no wonder that the place is always abuzz with activity and fun. From great food to perfect pints of beer, Dublin is a travel destination just waiting to be explored.

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