Old Mill Restaurant — Restaurant in Dublin

I went to this restaurant with a friend and my girlfriend. The food was good and atmosphere was nice. However, we had reserved a table, me and my girlfriend arrived 15 minutes early and they told us to wait outside, nothing wrong with that, it's a busy place so clearly there were people finishing up. But when the time came, my friend was 2 minutes late and they gave our table away. Maybe this is their policy, I have worked at restaurants myself and we usually let the people who have arrived hold the table for 15 minutes before giving it away. I think they should change their policy, it's always good to give the customer the benefit of the doubt in this situation, no-one I've heard of takes up places in a restaurant just to irritate the staff. In the end, this was also not such a big issue since we got a table about 10 minutes later. I would like to add that the floor manager was being a bit rude during this time since we were "blocking the way" inside the restaurant, they should really expand their waiting area or remove the option to walk in because there were people waiting all the way out to the street and very difficult to get in even though we had a reservation. After this, they were quick with taking our order for drinks but after we had ordered, two more people came to take another order for drinks, there was clearly a lack of communication between the staff. Once we ordered food, it arrived quickly and everyone was happy. After we were finished, we barely had time to finish the last of our drinks until they asked us to leave, I also think this was okay since there were a lot of people waiting in line for a table. Something that really bothered me though was when I double-checked the transaction. When the bill arrived, everything seemed to be alright but service were not included so I asked them to add 10%, the bare minimum possible, because if you add everything up with the service, it was at maximum alright. But they charged me15% instead of 10%. For me this is not okay. Rating just the service it's the worst experience I've had, but considering the food was good all in all it's barely 2 stars. It's clear that this is a very touristy restaurant since they cannot possibly get any...

What can I say?!? We are traveling with twin toddlers and had spent the day touring Dublin. We wanted to eat dinner in the Temple Bar neighborhood before calling it a day. The twins were not in the best of mood and kid friendly in America seems a bit different than kid friendly in Dublin. Lots of small restaurants and not much room for buggies and toddlers. First two restaurants we tried were just not good. My wife found The Old Mill, it was near our car in Fleet Street and I figured, worth a shot. We got the restaurant and a staff member on the street gave us a menu. Then I noticed the stairs. I try and be very respectful of staff and other patrons. Bringing cranky kids into place of business can be tough. Lugging the days stuff upstairs was daunting. The hostess insisted we would be fine and we would just need to fold down one of the buggies. She had staff help us up with our stuff and they got us seated. The Old Mill was about half-full. The waiter came and got our food and drink orders. The staff paid lots of attention to the boys and generally kept us all entertained while the establishment filled up. Our food came out (kids meals, my wife got their lamb, and I got the two course special, simple burger and garlic bread). The meals were terrific. The twins had their first fish and chips and loved them. My burger was juicy and the large strips of bacon added salty, fatty amazingness. The brown gravy was a wonderful touch on the side. My wife's lamb was perfect. Juicy and falling off the bone. To be completely honest the staff was so amazing, the food could have been inedible and I would still rate highly. But the food was sooooo good. On our way out the manager helped me carry our louds to the street, we chatted for a few minutes, and I felt as if I parted dinner at a distant relatives home. The Old Mill turned our evening around and put what was turning out to be a miserable evening into a very pleasurable...

We arrived at The Old Mill just after 2 pm on a Sunday without a reservation, only to find it was absolutely packed. After a short 15-minute wait on the stairs, we managed to secure a table.

The restaurant itself is compact, with tables placed close together, creating a lively atmosphere that felt almost communal. Space is at a premium, so expect to be close to your neighbours – not an issue for us, but something to be aware of if you prefer more privacy.

Service was attentive and swift, keeping up well despite the busy crowd. We started with a Guinness and a Rockshore shandy, both served perfectly.

The menu offered a wide variety, and we opted for the beef burger with peppercorn sauce and the Cajun chicken burger with garlic sauce, each accompanied by a portion of chips.

The beef burger was fresh but slightly overcooked for my taste, resulting in a bit of dryness. However, the peppercorn sauce was a saving grace, adding a rich, flavourful boost that transformed each bite. On the other hand, the Cajun chicken burger was fantastic – full of flavour with a nice kick, while the chicken breast remained moist. The garlic sauce complemented it well without being too strong.

The chips were well-seasoned and delicious, rounding off the meal nicely.

The total, including two Guinnesses, two Rockshore shandy, both burgers with sauces, and a tip, came to €75 – reasonable for a hearty meal in a busy setting.

If you’re in the mood for a lively atmosphere, good service, and satisfying food, The Old Mill is worth a visit – just be prepared for a bit of a wait to...