The Bull & Castle — Restaurant in Dublin

We dinned here on a Wednesday night in November 2023. Locally advertised and proclaimed as "6th best steakhouse in the world", these guys delivered the best atmosphere, steak and overall dining experience I've had in a very long while.

Building: Clean! When younwalk in, you'll see richly dark wood trimmed throughout. Tastefully decorated with their principle food item, steak. Low light, soft music. Another reviewer on another shred complained about music too loud, perhaps this is a hopping place on a Saturday night...?

Staff: very open and welcoming, very friendly. Menu presentation was a hit. Waiter was patient as we said a lot of, "can you say that again?" to each other working through accents.

Food: if you didn't read the business name, thus coming here for a steak, then I can't help you... the meat is aged 28 days and the selection is spot on, every cut of meat you could want. I took a T-bone. Now I'm from Texas and my favorite cut is T-bone. I have always loved my local joint in Texas...until now. They have a LOT of work to do. The Bull and Castle is far and above every steak I've had. It was 1.5 to 2 inches thick, at least. Cooked to medium, the meat was easily cut. The fat was charred brilliantly with the spices they use and made for an incredible savory meal.

Drinks: dozens of beer choices. Dozens of liquor choices. Whileni am no expertnin spirits, we watched a well versed bar tender mix exotic drinks all evening. Think smoke under glass mixed drinks and other types garnishments and prepared with all manner of technique.

Location: right in the heart of Dublin. Easily get to and from the Bull with a taxi ride or a short walk from the bus. If you're in a car like i was, garage parking a block away.

Desert: vanilla creme brulay was the answer to our evening. I am typically not a fan of this dessert but then I've never had it from here before. An amazing finish to the meal.

Cost: for 80 euro we split easily one meal that I can't for the life of me see how one person could eat it all. We had drinks, a la cart side dishes too... very satisfied.

10/10, folks, Cheers to the Bull and Castle. We...

Food Quality: 3.5/5 While we were hungry, the steaks we ordered were merely satisfying and didn't reach the level of outstanding. The oysters and steaks, along with the accompanying sides like matched potatoes, chips, and fried onions, all scored a 3.5 out of 5. I must agree with Michelin that this steakhouse falls short of deserving an entry in the esteemed red Michelin guide for Dublin.

Service: 1/5 Regrettably, the service left much to be desired, earning a mere 1 out of 5 rating. The wait staff went as far as to deceive us about the origin of the beef being served. Initially, I was informed that the beef was Belted Galloway from the Brits Estate in Ireland, but a different server later claimed it was Angus. When I questioned this inconsistency, the same server had to check and eventually informed us it was Hereford. When dining at a steakhouse that prides itself on top quality and commands premium prices, it is essential to be transparent about the ingredients. Sadly, the staff of this steakhouse failed to uphold this basic expectation. Furthermore, the waitstaff repeatedly lagged behind with wine pairings. Despite ordering oysters as an appetizer with Chablis, it took them over 10 minutes and several reminders to bring the wine. Moreover, the steaks were served without the accompanying red wine, which only arrived late and after numerous reminders.

Our order consisted of oysters as an appetizer paired with Chablis, main dishes of t-bone with Lanesan Pinot Noir and ribeye with Mercury LE Hardi Burgundy. We also ordered sides of matched potatoes, chips, and fried onions for the total of 169 Euros for two.

To provide some context, I have had the opportunity to savor the finest cuts of beef in various countries, including Argentina, Colombia, Italy, France, Spain, Scotland (Angus certified in Scotland), USA (U.S. produced wagyu), Uruguay, and Japan...

It’s hard to be perfect. Somehow this place manages.

Starters: we tried all of them. Not too big, perfect size, tasty, mix of classic with interesting touches. Classy, but in finesse. Posh “yum”. All of them. Variety. Excellent execution. Hard to get excellence on such palette.

Mains: meats obviously of excellent quality. Cooking to perfection for everyone in the table of 10. Not always easy. Perfection here is a good sign. Sauces, might be a detail, but also telling: excellent.

Sides: very good. All of them. I’m not a fan of chunky chips, but the ones I tried were very good (creamed spinach, side salad)

Wines: good (of course? Choose accordingly)

Service: sublime, suitable recommendations, relatively fast for a large table and a steak house. Excellent suggestions. Plates delivered to the right seat every time without having to ask who ordered what. Nice professional touch.

Deserts: blue cheese cake was just a slight hint. Unusual, but very successful. Master chief balance. Browny: deliciously decadent. Crème brûlée could have been warmed before caramelised, so the cream doesn’t contrast too much with the heat of the crisp caramelised sugar, but it impacts consistency, so it might just be the personal preference of the person who tried it. I like it either way. I have confidence I what the chef did and I’m agnostic about this, just a consideration.

Summary: 5 out of 5 I would come again with...