Bunsen Temple Bar — Restaurant in Dublin

Arrived at Bunsen on Saturday evening and the staff informed us that there would be approximately a 30 minute wait time for a table. This was fine and we proceeded to give a name and phone number to be contacted on when our table was ready.

An hour later we were still being shown as '#1 in the queue' on DOJO and I used the chat function to ask for an update twice, which was ignored. I then decided to call the restaurant and ask for an update. An incredibly unhelpful lady answered, she informed me that I should have received a text message twenty minutes ago and that our table was now gone. She said if I wanted a table, I would now have to come back to the restaurant and wait for one. She said I must not have received my text due to a glitch in the system and they were far too busy to accommodate us and offered no apology or solution. She then cancelled our table and place in the line on DOJO.

What is the point in the Booking system if it doesn't work? We were incredibly disappointed in the staff's response and the fact our time was wasted waiting on a table, only for the solution to be an even further wait, in person.

I have attached screenshots of our cancelled booking and proof we never received any update...

One star for the best customer service ever. The food? Probably still great, I’ve had it at other Bunsen locations, but I didn’t get to experience it here.

St. Patrick’s Day, busy day, and we’re a group of ten, not the easiest to accommodate, fair enough. They inform us upfront that splitting the payment isn’t possible, so we suggest splitting into two tables. Simple solution, right? Apparently not. Instead of a reasonable explanation, we’re met with rudeness and a flat “no.” When I mention to my group, “Alright, let’s split up and come back later,” the staff’s response? “I’m not stupid, if they come later, I won’t serve them.”

So, to be clear: the issue wasn’t logistics, space, or policy, it was pure attitude. No explanation, no effort to communicate, just pointless arguing until it escalated to “I will not serve you.”

I get that St. Patrick’s Day is hectic. What I don’t get is the complete lack of professionalism or even basic courtesy. If we had walked in as two separate groups of five, it would’ve made zero difference. So, what exactly was the problem? Still waiting on that answer.

If you’re in the mood to be treated like an inconvenience, this is the place for you. Otherwise, I’d suggest trying your...

Our experience at this restaurant on Saturday, November 23rd, was appalling and unacceptable. We were a group of five, hoping for a pleasant evening, but instead, we witnessed discriminatory and disrespectful behavior from a staff member. The waitress managing the reservations, a woman with straight dark hair, treated one of our group members, who has darker skin, in a completely unacceptable manner.

The most shocking incident happened when this individual went to the restroom. She stopped him and demanded he prove which table he was sitting at, something she did not ask of any other customers. This behavior was blatantly discriminatory and cannot be ignored. It was humiliating and deeply upsetting for all of us.

The food might have been decent, but the experience was entirely overshadowed by this unacceptable treatment. No restaurant that tolerates such behavior deserves anyone’s patronage. I strongly urge the management to take immediate action to prevent this kind of discrimination in the future. No one should ever feel targeted or humiliated because of their...