Patrick Guilbaud Dublin Review, 2 Michelin Stars

This Review of Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin, which has 2 Michelin Stars, is from our summer trip inspection in Ireland. Stay tuned for an upcoming review and video of The Merrion Hotel, a Virtuoso property in Dublin. Patrick Guilbaud is the only restaurant in all of Ireland with 2 Michelin stars.

Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud Location and Hours

The restaurant is located at 21 Upper Merrion Street in Dublin, to the right of the Merrion Hotel, and has its own entrance. While it is mentioned on The Merrion Hotel Web site, it is separately owned, hence gift cards for The Merrion Hotel are not valid at Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud.

The restaurant serves lunch Tuesday-Friday from 12:30pm and Saturday from 1pm (last orders at 2pm), and dinner Tuesday-Saturday from 7pm (last orders 10pm). In December the restaurant is also open Monday for lunch and dinner, but note that the restaurant will close for the holiday season starting December 24, 2018, reopening on January 4, 2019 for dinner.

Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud Menu and Food

If dining from the more extensive a la carte menu, you may opt for a two course (appetizer + main) for EUR 90, a 3-course including dessert for EUR 120, or a 4-course appetizer, fish, meat and dessert for EUR 150. In addition to the a la carte menu, however, there's a special lunch prix fixe for EUR 50 for two courses, or EUR 60 for 3 courses; we chose the 3 courses, since my son was eying the cheese selection, which was possible to choose in lieu of dessert.

After we'd chosen our selections from the menu, we were offered bread: baguette, walnut, bacon and onion. All were fresh and delicious.

The amuse bouche was a refreshing embodiment of summer: tomato sorbet with fresh basil, basil oil and homemade buffalo curd cheese.

Patrick Guilbaud Dublin Review-Amuse Bouche

For my appetizer, I chose the “Tarte Provencale,” a tomato tart with Vacca Rossa Parmesan with perfectly ripe tomatoes on a creamy, cheesy base in a crisp tart shell. Delicious!

Patrick Guilbaud Dublin Review-Tarte Provencale Appetizer

My son's Scottish wild salmon with nori and avocado puree, accented with crisp and sweet Bonito apples, was superb as well:

Patrick Guilbaud Dublin Review-Salmon and Nori Appetizer

For my main course, I chose the Roast Wood Pigeon with Smoked Almonds, Grelot Onion and York Cabbage. This dish was extremely flavorful, and the pigeon was cooked perfectly, although a little hard to cut, just due to the nature of the meat. Our dishes were brought with silver domes, and with perfectly choreographed service, the domes were lifted at exactly the same time.

Patrick Guilbaud Dublin Review-Wood Pigeon

My son's Faro Island Wild Halibut was also perfectly cooked, and came with a highly addictive miso infused eggplant puree that I couldn't stop stealing bites of. Normally I don't care for halibut, but if it could always be prepared this way I'd happily eat it anytime.

Patrick Guilbaud Review-Wild Halibut-Miso Aubergine

After we'd finished our main courses, our plates were cleared at exactly the same time, and the tablecloth cleared of crumbs.

It goes without saying that Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud offers an excellent assortment of French and Irish cheeses. My son, who prefers milder cheeses, chose a mild goat cheese, a Camembert, a Pont l'Eveque, another creamy cheese whose name escapes me, and a 20 month aged Gruyere. Some wonderful Irish brown bread, oatcakes, quince paste and fresh grapes accompanied.

Brown Bread-Oatcakes-Patrick Guilbaud Dublin Review

I chose the Pear and Caramel Croquant, which included a crunchy caramel cylinder filled with cream and Poire William Sorbet. An added bonus was the chestnut cream adorned with cubes of pear, flecked with edible gold leaf.

Patrick Guilbaud Review-Dessert-Pear Caramel Croquant

The mignardises included a peach macaron, coffee petit four, and a raspberry white chocolate tart, all very good, if not as impressive as the dessert itself. It's nice that the prix fixe lunch menu includes coffee or tea–the espresso I ordered was wonderful, and the perfect way to cap off one of my favorite Michelin star meals anywhere.

Patrick Guilbaud Review-Mignardises-Petits Fours

The Verdict

We were blown away by not only the cuisine at Patrick Guilbaud, but also the superb service. On the formal side, yes, with synchronized unveiling of the dishes, but there was warmth as well, in addition to the consummate professionalism. The setting is also beautiful, with natural light from skylights, fresh flowers, high ceilings, and Bernadaud porcelain. EUR 60 for such a wonderful 3-course lunch, which also includes an amuse bouche, mignardises and coffee or tea, is well worth it. And of course for those who wish to have more choices beyond the lunch prix fixe, there's the full a la carte menu, albeit at higher prices. If you splurge at only one restaurant in Ireland, Patrick Guilbaud is the one to dine at. Just be sure to make reservations well in advance.

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Disclosure: We paid for our own meal at Patrick Guilbaud.

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