Bastible (Dublin)
After two somewhat underwhelming dinners in Dublin, I could feel the doubt and cynicism begin to creep in. The evil leprechaun on my shoulder started whispering crazy thoughts in my ear.
“Ditch that restaurant reservation for your last night in the city, Dan. It will be another disappointment.”
“Opt for a ‘Guy Dinner’ instead.” (This is similar to the concept of ‘Girl Dinner.’ Except instead of a Girl Dinner’s no-frills, protein-less pasta vibes, Guy Dinner is a well-balanced meal consisting of no food and approximately four to fourteen pints of Guinness).
Well, I can now say that I am VERY glad to have stuck to my guns and kept the reservation, which will no doubt be one of my favorite meals of 2025
Named after a traditional Irish cooking pot, Michelin-starred Bastible highlights Irish proteins / produce with an additional emphasis on fermented and pickled ingredients (made in-house and showcased in bottles / jars all around the kitchen). An eight course dinner runs you about $100, which is wild given the quality of cooking here. Let’s get into it.
Ratings / scores here, as with other postings, will be out of 25 possible points to allow for a more standardized framework and comparability across restaurants. 15 possible for food (both taste and presentation), 5 possible for service, and 5 for ambiance / atmosphere.
Food / Drinks (13/15):
The highlights were easily the crispy mushroom custard with brisket, and the pigeon with salsify and Madeira
The mushroom custard alone is reason enough to come here. They could have just served me this and then kicked me out right after and I still would have been happy with the meal. Perfectly cooked brisket, deep, rich sauce, crispy mushrooms. Wonderful (and visually striking as well)
I rarely order pigeon. It’s hard to dispel the image of eating something that was eating soggy bread out of a garbage water puddle and pooping on people’s heads before it hit your plate. But that’s not fair, obviously. The chef isn’t running around trapping pigeons in the subway and then serving them to you. At least I think…
Anyways, this pigeon dish in particular was beautifully done. Perfectly cooked (melted in the mouth) with a rich, complex, salty and sour sauce made from Madeira and the bones of the pigeon itself.
Honorable mention dishes:
-Cured sea bream with horseradish, grape fruit, and pickled carrots
-Irish seeded sourdough loaf + cultured butter (their addition of caramelized yeast infused a tangy, cheesy flavor to the butter that was completing addicting)
On the cured sea bream dish, the pickled carrots and horseradish were the stars. I’m probably a bit biased because I love horseradish and wasabi, usually putting them on my food (when available) in quantities that have likely burned a hole in my brain and nasal passages. Here I was worried that they would be too timid with it (put a jar of horseradish on a counter and wave the dish over it, kind of deal), but they actually went for it and took it right up to the edge of being too much!
My only complaint, and the reason for knocking two points off, is that the other seafood dishes didn’t really shine. Great ingredients, prepared well, but lacking flavor and seasoning.
Service (4.5/5):
Friendly and knowledgeable without being overbearing. Excited to talk about the food and their signature dishes when engaged with, but not about to stand there and talk at you for minutes while your food gets cold (which I appreciate).
Atmosphere / Ambiance (4/5):
Nice open kitchen concept. Small space but doesn’t feel cramped, due to large windows and lots of natural light. Felt a bit empty on a Wednesday night but it was also the last seating of the evening, and they said it’s usually a madhouse on weekends. So hard to judge based on that.
Overall (21.5/25):
Strongly recommend to those traveling to Dublin, if you’re in the mood for more of a formal / sit down meal. As mentioned, price per person is reasonable for what you get and the experience isn’t stuffy or overly long / drawn out. It is a bit outside the city center (about a thirty minute walk to the south and east), but well worth the trek. Just stop and grab a pint along the way!
