Old Music Shop Restaurant — Restaurant in Dublin

What can I say words nearly fail me. I was in The Oil Music restaurant for my birthday Saturday 5th Dec 2020. The menu on line says they cater for Coeliacs well that is not the case. I had to suggest the maybe the chef could just do up a nice salad for me, this is after exhausting all other options, though when I say options there were none !!! I got a bowl of mixed leafs with so much oil on it my lipstick came off, in the ''salad' there was ONE fig cut into 4 pieces and 1 little with of broccoli. When it came to dinner the only thing I could have was the turkey and ham option , I had to ask if the mash had butter or milk in it because I am lactose intolerant also (I mentioned all this to the waitress when we sat down) I asked if I could have chips or roast potatoes in place of mash and was told they had none but could have baby potatoes which I said yes to. So our dinners come out my friend got his mine came out without the potatoes, the brussel sprouts where so under cooked and the shaved carrot's where cold. I called waiter explained . he took my plate away then brought back with potatoes, all the while my friend had nearly finished his dinner, ( he could have just brought the potatoes on a side dish) So I start on my very dry dinner as they had no gluten free gravy not even cranberry sauce !!!! And what do I find but stuffing between the meat, so to be on safe said called waitress to make sure it was gluten free, it wasn't so off my plate went again,,,,,,,,only to come back reheated dryer that the 1st time well as you can guess at this stage I couldn't eat it. The waiter in charge ,said he would get us a drink on the house as an apology, I told him we were still waiting on the previous drink we had ordered !!! I also told him they had ruined my birthday dinner so he agreed to take it off the bill. I am full aware that restaurants had only opened back up the night before and that they were under pressure, but their quality of staff really needs to be looked at so unprofessional. What if I had a nut allergy, I may not be here writing this...

We booked an afternoon tea for two at 3 PM at The Old Music Shop in Dublin, and from the moment we arrived, we felt genuinely welcomed and cared for.

While booking online, I requested a window table if possible — not only did they accommodate this, but they went above and beyond. We were greeted with a big smile and such a joyful attitude that it set the tone for the entire experience. I had called earlier to say we might be running late, and instead of any stress, they completely reassured us — no pressure, no problem.

The staff was outstanding. They created a warm, personal atmosphere, always making sure we were comfortable and enjoying ourselves. I wish I had caught the names of the team (two hostesses and a host), because they absolutely deserve to be recognized. At one point, the owner, Finn, came over to check on us 🤯 — and we made sure to tell him just how fantastic the team had been.

The room itself, part of The Castle Hotel, is beautifully decorated and has that quiet, timeless charm that makes you want to stay for hours. Natural sunlight poured in through the windows, adding to the peaceful and elegant vibe.

The menu matched exactly what was shown online and exceeded our expectations. We started with a generous selection of flavorful sandwiches, moved on to fresh scones (oh god 😍), and ended with a delightful variety of desserts — chocolate mousse, macarons, and more. The tea and coffee selection was great, and we were even offered free refills after the first round, which was a lovely touch.

We’re not experts, but we’ve had our share of visiting cafes, restaurants, etc. — and this place gave us far more than we expected for the price. Honestly, I’m worried I won’t have such a good experience again for a long, long time. My mother was beyond happy, and I know she’ll treasure this day for years.

A heartfelt thank you to the entire staff for such a memorable evening ❤️ — and to Finn for checking in and making us feel like more than...

We booked afternoon tea with the living social voucher for Friday 4th November for 4pm we booked it a couple of days prior (Wednesday 2nd) when we arrived the staff in the cafe told us there was no booking the female waitress was extremely rude, when we advised we called to previously booked she answered ‘what do you want me to do’ I bought this voucher for my mams birthday and I took the day off work so we could go. The female waitress was very stand off ish and repeatedly said what did we want her to do and it wasn’t her fault. She went to the kitchen to see if there was anything the could do but they couldn’t as the afternoon tea is made fresh to order. That is understandable but we made the booking. The male waitress Brendan was extremely nice and couldn’t be any more helpful he told us to take a seat and brought us some prosecco and advised us not to worry that he will sort something. He brought us over scones and tea and even offered us some toasties. He kept checking in to make sure we were okay and advised he was extremely sorry. He said the issue may have been when we called to book we got through to the hotel and they never passed on the message to book us in. I can’t fault Brendan at all he was amazing. As for the female waitress I wish I got her name she was extremely rude and has no customer...