Chapter One Restaurant — Restaurant in Dublin

A Hidden Gem That Redefines Irish Fine Dining

When one thinks of Ireland, the first things that typically come to mind are lush landscapes, warm pubs, and hearty plates of potatoes, peas, and beef—not necessarily fine dining. But tucked away on a quiet Dublin street behind an unassuming façade is Chapter One, a restaurant that completely reimagines what Irish cuisine can be—and then some.

From the moment you walk in, you’re welcomed by a team of genuinely kind and attentive staff. Many Michelin-starred spots can lean toward cold or overly formal, but here the service strikes the perfect balance of polished and personable. It’s the kind of Irish warmth that instantly makes you feel at home—without sacrificing professionalism.

The interior design mirrors the culinary experience: elegant yet grounded. You’ll find a tasteful mix of exposed stone, contemporary art, crisp white tablecloths, and soft lighting that sets the stage for a meal that’s both refined and comfortable.

Now, the food. We began with a handcrafted cocktail featuring kumquats, which was vibrant, citrusy, and perfectly balanced—a playful and refreshing start that set the tone for the experience to come. My fellow diners also ordered cocktails and different apéritifs, and not a drop was left—everyone raved about how expertly mixed and flavorful they were.

Every dish was not only beautifully presented but also deeply rooted in Irish ingredients and storytelling. A beetroot amuse-bouche shaped into a glossy little orb, a punchy cheddar cheese wafer on wheat cracker, and a bread service so good you consider canceling the rest of the meal just to ask for more butter and carbs.

Highlights included a refreshing bite of gelatinous peas paired with smoked eel and celery ice cream (yes, somehow it works!), flaky lobster with roe nestled in a sea of delicate peas and carrots, an incredibly rich carrot soup, and a venison loin so tender it made us question every other meat dish we’ve had. Dessert was a full production—flambéed meringue, sculptural sweets that looked straight out of a gallery, and a final parade of handmade chocolates that ended the night on a literal high note.

To be honest, many Michelin-star restaurants can feel overhyped. There’s often something that falls flat. But Chapter One? It overdelivered on every front—ambiance, flavor, creativity, and heart. In fact, it might just deserve another star for being that exceptional.

Bravo, Chapter One—you’ve truly written your own chapter in the book of Irish cuisine.

And as the Irish might say… “It was pure...

Starter: Super delicious marinated scallops (attached photo) with mussels, horse radish. Well done!

Main course: Again very soft and nicely grilled John Dory fish alongside delicious mushroom paste, and placed above delicious spring onion bed. The portion of the fish is very small though, it is just a small strip... The main course can be eaten in max. 2-3 minutes.

Desert: Warm and cold, sweet and salty, soft and crunchy at the same. All sensations are stimulated simultaneously. Well done, really amazing chocolate mousse.

Service; Very attentive, kind and nice staff. Obviously they are asked to take care of all customers very well, I appreciate the assistance and the service provided.

However I find this much of attention and staff running around the table bit too intense, you can't relax. The whole concept is to make you feel special, a game of medieval aristocracy everyone calling you sir etc... super European concept. You can enjoy a nice meal and have a delicious food without treated like a feudal lord. I prefer places with genuine hospitality...

I am giving 4 starts because in the end this is not a museum, not a theatre but a restaurant and one of the primary missions of a restaurant is to fill people's stomach alongside other things (service, appeal to eye, entertain etc). Since the main course was not big enough and can be eaten in 2-3 mins I have taken 1 star down.

Places can be still "classy" and serve decent portions.

I am challenging the status quo and all-accepted values of fine dining. Restaurants should brake their chains from this restrictive and royal tradition of "small portions for prominent people" principle.

The history behind this is that royal people believes that they are so much liberated from their animalistic needs such as hunger (farmer thing to have) that they can nibble on tiny bits of nicely decorated expensive stuff of an awkwardly big plates and show how aristoricatic they are. The empty space on the plate on the table is more important than what is actually eaten. This tradition is very much in conflict with Irish cuisine and history therefore I expect Irish restaurants to have their own version of fine dining and fill the plate!

Delicious food, great service but a follower of mainland Europe fine dining tradition of...

This restaurant from start to finish lives up to its best restaurant in Dublin and beyond reputation. I have dined in Chapter One a couple of times and the creativity, taste and standard of the food is second to none. I also cannot emphasise the top service received in the whole process and am blown away with how lovely our dinner service and food quality/design/presentation and extensive drinks selection was (the non alcoholic wine is the nicest I’ve ever tried and I don’t think I’ve ever had a nice non alcoholic wine prior to this. Mocktail selection gorgeous along with classic beautiful wines and cocktails that the rest of the group absolutely loved. The tasting menu was so good a big variety of top quality colourful and varied dishes with something for everyone). The ambience of the place itself is beautiful. The team here go above and beyond and I also had a recent experience with a reservation made, and in my error made it the day after it was supposed to be scheduled and needed to move it. I don’t know how they managed to save the day but can’t thank the lovely manager of Chapter One Juba and Flavia in accommodating this request and trying very hard to - it meant so much. If the team in Chapter One can assist they will and it makes all the difference. Amazing place and people all round and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend for a memorable experience with the highest standard of service, and...