Drunken Fish — Restaurant in Dublin

My partner and I recently visited Drunken Fish (Sunday, 22nd of December 2024) for the first time, hoping for a pleasant dining experience.

Unfortunately, we left feeling disappointed and uncomfortable due to how we were treated by Drunken Fish service.

We kindly requested to sit at a table with a better ambience, as we were discussing upcoming business, and were told by the waitress that the corner table was “too far.”

We were confused, as this table was set up for dining, and it seemed unusual to be told it wasn’t suitable. We thought perhaps the restaurant was busy, so we let it slide.

However, moments later, another couple arrived and asked the same waitress if they could sit at the very table we had requested. To our surprise, she happily accommodated them, and they were seated there without any hesitation.

This made us feel uncomfortable and unfairly treated, as we are both of Asian descent, while the other couple was white.

Additionally, we noticed that the waitress seemed tired and visibly sweating, and she appeared to be unwilling to accommodate us.

While we understand that everyone can have a tough day, it’s important that staff feel supported by their team, as this directly impacts the customer experience.

If a team member is overwhelmed or not providing the best service, they should be given the proper support or training to handle the demands of the job. It’s crucial for both the staff’s well being and the customers’ experience that everyone on the team is properly taken care of.

As first time customers, we would have appreciated being treated with warmth, orientation, and kindness. A simple introduction, including a more considerate explanation of why certain tables might not be available, would have gone a long way. First impressions are important, especially for newcomers, and making everyone feel welcome is key to building trust and a loyal customer base.

We left the restaurant feeling discriminated against, and it was a truly disappointing experience.

We hope this feedback helps the restaurant recognise the importance of treating all customers equally, regardless of their background, and ensuring that the team feels supported to provide the best possible service.

For anyone looking for a better and real authentic Korean dining experience in the Dublin city area, we highly recommend Arisu Restaurant or Kimchi Hophouse. These places have consistently provided great service and welcoming atmospheres, making them perfect alternatives for those looking to enjoy delicious food...

Intro Summary: Restaurant and Pub in Historical Former British tax Excise Buiding, presumably for the boats. Relaxed attitude, good food upstairs and downstairs restaurants seating areas, with free do it yourself karaoke in the bar lounge area, often attended by small groups. Stars removed for lack of bar staffing and security, as well as the lack of substantial smaller options in the bar menu.

Popular spot for food in the restaurant Upper as well as Restaurant Lower areas. Seating was visibly 80% full one Saturday night. Which beat the other restaurants on the street.

The bar is quieter though and could be improved and more popular, if there were more bar staff, floor staff cleaning tables and door security. At over €15 for any main meal, the bar menu could be more reasonably priced for casual bar and lounge dining, with more protein and carb €12-15 main course options and an option for a substantial protein based burger equivalent at €6-€8 - with currently only chips in sauce at around this price point. A new bar menu would also take advantage of proximity to the NCI college. Larger chicken wings and chips platters are available. (Avoid Chilli sauce on chips option, which as a stirfry condensed sauce is too strong, with negative consequences for days.)

Beer is average to reasonable in price, from 6-7 euro. .

Security is too laid back at times, with no security bouncers. People walking in off the street. Only one bar staff downstairs who is stressed stretched, trying to be security as well by keeping an eye out, as well as this one staff even trying to act as floor table cleaning staff. Whereas the Harbor Master pub up the road, has three or four bar staff for the same size place, with three ir four floor staff servers and cleaners, as well as a door Host monitoring people entering. There is a difference between the Harbourmaster's quality Western standards and an over emphasis on under staffing for maximum profit in the Korean restaurant bar, at the expense of customer safety, staff happiness and customers' table needs in the lounge, which would help general atmosphere. There is more profit and popularity for any place, if basic levels of staff are maintained.

Conclusion: The focus of this place is on the restaurant, with less staff given for the large bar Lounge. A quite fun place which supports live karaoke that gives an opportunity to mingle between groups and...

We called up and reserved the Korean BBQ for Monday evening as we were intrigued by the concept, and it was our first time trying it. Upon arrival, we were shown the food selection for the BBQ. Unfortunately, the experience quickly became disappointing. Although there are “ventilations” in place, they didn’t work, so all the smoke from the grill clung to our clothes and hair.

The BBQ selection itself was underwhelming. There was no seafood available despite it being advertised online. The dessert bar was completely empty when we arrived, and although the waiter said they would stock it soon, it remained unavailable for most of the evening. They also had a sign for a “summer special” peach oolong cocktail, but when we ordered it, the staff didn’t know what it was and later told us it wasn’t available yet it still appeared on our bill and had to be requested to be removed.

When we asked about the seafood and if it would be available, the waiter was unsure if or when it would arrive. Eventually, it was brought out and they let us know, which was a nice gesture. However, because it was missing for so long, other tables quickly emptied it out. The “unlimited sides” were also disappointing — only dried scraps of kimchi rice remained, and when asked if it would be replaced, the staff didn’t know. For €70 for two people, it felt poor value to be left mainly with thin cuts of meat.

The cooking setup was also messy, with oil overflowing from the small cups provided. When mentioned to the waiter, they seemed unsure how to deal with it. At the end of the meal, we checked the dessert bar again and found it had just been stocked with carrot cake and eclairs which were both completely frozen when we bit into them. Overall, this was a very disappointing first experience. For a restaurant advertised as an “all you can eat” with seafood, sides, and desserts, the lack of availability, poor organisation, and high price that does not reflect the food in the slightest, we would...