Kaldero — Restaurant in Dublin

I had heard great things about Kaldero and was excited to try some of their Filipino-inspired flavors, but unfortunately, my experience fell short of expectations.

Ambiance & Venue The decor is stylish, and the lighting creates a pleasant atmosphere. However, I was surprised that a restaurant advertised as a premium Asian eatery didn’t have a cloakroom or even coat hooks. I had to drape my long coat over my chair, which left it dragging on the floor—hardly ideal for a “premium” experience.

The Food We followed the waiter’s suggestion to order two small plates each and one large plate to share. Unfortunately, the small plates were both expensive and very small. The table we were seated at was cramped, so we couldn’t have all the dishes at once for a proper shared dining experience, which was disappointing. • Sticky Pork “Gula Melaka”: By far the highlight of the meal! The pork was incredibly flavorful, but it felt incomplete without rice. We added some, which made it even better—it could easily stand as a main dish. • Crispy Jackfruit Chicken: Just okay. The jackfruit felt like an afterthought and didn’t add much to the dish. • Lobster & Prawn Spring Rolls: Bland and underwhelming, especially for the price. They desperately needed a dipping sauce. The wakame edamame salad served alongside them, however, was a pleasant surprise—bright, flavorful, and refreshing. I’d trade it for a good sauce though. • Sizzling Seafood Clay Pot: Tasty, but not substantial enough to call a “large plate.” It also wasn’t ideal for sharing.

Drinks & Dessert The ube mocktail was a letdown—bland and uninspired. The absence of calamansi-based drinks on the menu felt like a missed opportunity for more authentic flavor options. The panna cotta dessert, on the other hand, was delicious. Unfortunately, it was served in a cracked glass, which marred the experience.

Other Notes The restroom had a code on the door, which I understand for security reasons since it’s near the street. However, having to hunt down a staff member for the code was inconvenient and detracted from the experience.

Final Thoughts Overall, Kaldero has potential, but it feels mismatched. The food portions are small, prices are high, and the dining experience lacks the polish expected of a premium establishment. While there were some highlights, the overall experience didn’t justify...

Hey hey! New menu alert for Kaldero! One of the first few things I looked for when I moved here in Dublin was good food and one of the names that came up on Google was Kaldero. I never got the chance to come over until recently, I learned that there was a take over/ do over of the menu by Chef Riggz Castillo (pinoy roots) and boyyyy they did not disappoint.

This is gonna be a long review! Have not done food review in a long time!

We ordered most from the menu because I was so lucky to get to eat here with my fellow foodies.

Let’s start with okoy, this is a vegetarian appetizer! Traditional vegetable fritters that’s crispy fried. Could have been better if the veg was cut a little bit thicker to have the feel of the vegetable.

Kilawin/Kinilaw- this is smoked trout in coconut milk, vinegar and some aromatics! refreshing to the palate! My personal bias too because I liked anything kinilaw! Haha 10/10!

Next is sinigang, batter coated mushroom that was fried and served with mayo with a hint of tamarind. Could have been better if they used another type mushroom that does not absorb so much liquid when fried.

Chicken inasal skewers- classic inihaw na manok. Please include the skin! Hehe

Kare-kare- loved this! Easy favorite and good pair with rice!

Tortang talong- i liked goats cheese pesto sauce on the side

Sisig- easy favorite too but I would stick to the classic parts of the pork used with the traditional recipe (pig ears, face) and I’m looking for the kalamansi hint in it.

Adobong pusit- i have no words but ang sarap!

Bistek steak— this is an international take to a classic Filipino dish! Ang sarap! Easy favorite for me.

Overall, its pretty decent by bridging classic Filipino and the international palate together. Would love to try the other items on...

Visited for the first time on Saturday night with 3 friends, 7pm booking. Overall, the experience was hit and miss.

Chicken skewers, Sinigang (tempura mushroom) and Tiyula Ithum (BBQ courgette) were great (we ended up ordering extra Sinigang). My friends enjoyed the Sisig (pig's ear) and I quite enjoyed the tender, flavourful lamb ribs (Tupa). The squid (Adobo) was cooked nicely but flavours a bit one dimensional. The garlic rice and Cavolo Nero sides were welcome pairings but the stir-fried greens recommended by staff was very disappointing, particularly as we ordered two portions. White Irish savoy cabbage was undercooked, greasy, mostly uneaten. Okay (leek) was similarly disappointing, the tangy dip was excellent but not enough to offset the stodgy, fried nest.

We had a mix of cocktails and wine by the glass, both of which were fine. While we acknowledge the apology for delays, the service was just not where it needed to be for the price point of the menu. It sadly reminded me other Press Up (Eclective's former guise) experiences where service was so lacking it detracts completely from the food and puts me off recommending or going again for a while until I hear there have been positive changes. We had planned on going for drinks afterwards but it was so late by the time we finally got our food and the bill, we just went home.

Decor is quite standard issue overall (usual dark plank wall panelling, dark laminate floors, paper lampshades) – it's fine. Oddly drafty for a basement, booth-style seats that cater to up to 6 people opposite the kitchen are probably the best spot to be in for a bit of a buzz.

Hope it improves, it would be nice to have...