Pickle Restaurant — Restaurant in Dublin

This restaurant experience fell far short of expectations, particularly for a special birthday celebration. The booking process itself was unnecessarily complicated. Initially attempting to book for six online proved impossible, requiring a follow-up phone call after successfully securing a table for four. On the day, our party grew to include one additional teenager who last minute accompanied another couple. Despite a seemingly available table for two remaining unoccupied beside us for our entire two-plus-hour visit, the restaurant claimed they couldn't accommodate the extra guests due to being busy, resulting in our group of seven (with kids ) being uncomfortably squeezed onto a small table. This discomfort was compounded when the bill arrived, including a 12.5% discretionary service charge based on the incorrect assumption that we were five-plus adults (despite the cramped seating arrangement and kids ). The birthday celebration aspect was also entirely overlooked. While we ordered dessert, including a cake, there was no acknowledgement or small gesture like candles, a stark contrast to the visible birthday celebration at a neighboring table occupied by other patrons. This differential treatment was disheartening. Furthermore, the service was consistently lacking. A bottle of wine we ordered was simply placed on the table, requiring us to serve ourselves after the initial two glasses were poured. There was no follow-up from the staff to offer refills for anyone at the table throughout our meal. Or even repeat purchases etc... While the food itself was palatable, some dishes, notably the Bhindi Masala, were excessively oily with visible oil floating on the surface. The atmosphere was also quite noisy, which was manageable and we had no issues as with our children present we were noisy too but would certainly detract from an experience intended for conversation, so if you wanna have a chat or business meeting not sure how it will end as it was noisy. Basic aspects of service, such as friendly and attentive waiters who smile, were noticeably absent. Overall, this experience was a significant disappointment, especially considering the cost of over €300. The combination of a difficult booking process, cramped seating, inaccurate billing, differential treatment regarding the birthday celebration, inattentive service, and overly oily food makes it difficult to reconcile this experience with a restaurant that should warrant any mention on a platform like the...

Disappointed. This was my birthday, and we decided to treat ourselves to a Michelin star restaurant that we had wanted to visit for a long time. We had heard and read really wonderful things about this restaurant. However, our experience was incredibly disappointing. I do wonder why it's getting such great reviews.

We decided on the tasting menu, which started off interestingly enough with some homemade crackers, tamarind sauce, and a green sauce both nicely spiced. I loved the tamarind sauce I had never had this before.

Pani puri was the first official dish of the tasting menu and a dish I had never had before, served on a bed of grains, a small jug of pea water, and some more tamarind sauce. These were interesting and tasty. I would recommend and would have again.

The second dish was tiger prawns, which seemed tough and a bit overcooked on a nicely spiced bed of crispy rice and peanuts.

Then the third dish was duck with a tandoori sauce, the duck was still quiet fatty, and I personally do not think it went well with the sauce.

After about a 15-minute wait, the fourth dish was brought out. This was a lamb chop on a bed of minced goat and pea sauce. This was served with fresh naan and rice. I was unable to finish this dish, but from what I did have, I do not believe that such strong flavours go together. Having now looked at the regular menu, I do think a tandoori chop was just placed on top of their goat keema pao with very little thought, and it just was not good. The flavour did not marry together well at all. The naan was fresh but a little bit oily, and the rice was fluffy.

The dessert was a trio, which consisted of gulab jamun, which was delicious. A scoop of saffron ice cream (could have been sorbet) and chocolate ferrero.

All in all, for the price of €90 per person, this was not worth it.

As to the service, I get the feeling that no one really wanted us there or themselves. There was an air of arrogance that i couldn't get by.

I can only give my opinion of the food we ate. We have not tried the other menu dishes, and these may be what people keep going back and rave about the restaurant.

Their drinks were on par with most other establishments that we have been to. However, their aperol spritz was quite expensive compared to other restaurant we...

I have been a regular visitor to this restaurant, having dined here several times before. However, my recent experience has left a sour taste in my mouth. While the food quality remains good, the overall visit was marred by a few disappointing aspects.

One issue that struck me was the presence of subtle elitism, reflected in the numerous clauses and restrictions imposed. From a minimum order of Euro 35 per person to a requirement of at least two main courses, it felt as though they prioritized profitability over customer satisfaction.

Despite the abundance of excellent Indian restaurants in the area, I expected this establishment to take more care in maintaining its reputation. Unfortunately, my recent visit did not meet my expectations. I had specifically mentioned that we were celebrating my wife's birthday during the booking, but the restaurant made no effort to make the occasion special. It was disheartening to see other tables receiving attention from the manager, while we were seemingly overlooked.

The lack of personalized service left me questioning whether our patronage was valued. It seemed as though success had gone to their heads, resulting in a disregard for regular customers. Such an attitude can be alienating and detrimental to a restaurant's reputation.

While the food remains enjoyable, the recent decline in personalized service and attention to detail has significantly impacted the overall dining experience. With the abundance of alternatives available, it is essential for this restaurant to reassess its priorities and remember the importance of valuing every customer.

In conclusion, while the food is still of good quality, the overall experience at this restaurant has deteriorated. The subtle elitism, the lack of effort in making special occasions memorable, and the feeling of being unimportant as a customer were disappointing aspects of my recent visit. Considering the competition in the area, it may be worthwhile for the management to reflect on these issues and take steps to improve the overall...