Buglers Ballyboden House — Restaurant in South Dublin

The chicken must have crack in it, it's that good. And you can get mesmerized watching them slowly rotate in the rotisserie if you sit in the covered outdoor space. The smell of them roasting is...I can't think of a word that describes the scent of chicken, coated in herbs wafting through the air as you sip your crisp beer and anticipate your order's arrival.

But! Don't be lead astray by the best tasting chicken known to man, with it's crispy herbed skin, moist tender meat, and gravy (GET THE GRAVY!) cooked by the gods, because let me tell you about the fish and chips.

The fish has a thick, crispy batter that tastes like your ancestors came together to create something that tastes like all your grandmothers are surrounding you, basking you in love and comfort, hugging you and encouraging you to eat the meal they spent all day in the kitchen making for their favorite grandchild. You are Home.

The fish is perfectly cooked, and served in generous portions - I was grateful for the takeaway box they provided, because I could only eat half, and there was no way I was going to leave the rest behind. The portion you take away is perfect at midnight, fresh out of the air fryer, for cheeky munching before bedtime.

You're given a choice, but choosing the chunky chips is the only real option. Ask for extra of the tartar sauce they make - you will not regret slathering it on any edible surface provided on your plate. Eat the salad that comes on the side. I know salad seems a waste of the quickly filling space in your stomach, but it's good for you and the dressing is really nice.

SO - what to do about the chicken-or-fish dilemma? The perfect solution is to order one portion of the chicken for the whole table - don't forget to ask for extra gravy - then get the fish and chips yourself. Having a chicken for everyone to pick at and enjoy is a bonding experience for the whole group. It'll get the conversation flowing and make it feel like those holiday meals where everyone gathers and everyone is reaching across the overflowing table to help themselves to their favorite dish while laughing and chattering and basking in the warmth of companionship.

The staff are lovely. Friendly and attentive without hovering or being obtrusive.

It's a feast worth lingering over - finish your meal with a coffee; it's better than any I've ordered at Costa or Starbucks. The lattes and cappuccinos are as enjoyable as the meal itself.

I can't say anything about desserts, because anyone who can stomach anything else after the sheer amount of food you just devoured is a braver man than I. There's no shame in putting half your plate in a takeaway box, of course, if you want to enjoy a course of something sweet to round off the festivities.

The bill is quite reasonable for the quality and quantity you've been served. The chicken and fish easily rival what is served in an upscale white tablecloth restaurant that puts all the menu items in French and has a sommelier who suggests wine pairings with your selections.

TLDR: Go here. Eat chicken and fish. Drink cold beer and coffee. Feel happy and satisfied. Good...

You can put lipstick on a pig as the old saying goes and this is unfortunately accurate of this local Rathfarham establishment.

Today I went down with my mother and father for a bite to eat and a drink for fathers day.

The long and short of it was the service was very slow and my dads fish and chips came out "lukewarm at best" to quote the man himself (on bleedin' fathers day of all days, my mam and me milling our food not a bother on us ). It was politely sent back to the distressed and under pressure lounge girl and no food ever surfaced again, the fish and chips were ultimately taken off the bill.

To be clear and fair, this is not a dig at the staff working on the floor as it is obvious as day that the pub is massively understaffed.

Sadly this has been pretty consistent with the past 3 or 4 visits to this pub, management need to sort it out, not fair on their customers as well as there staff being so stretched.

Shame cause the decor of the pub is quite nice and the food we received was good.

Still left a tip cause we're sound like that and fair play to the staff for doing their best but ultimately it was not and has consistently not been a good experience...

Booked a 50th here. Spent over €450 on food let alone drink and were treated terribly by two male members of staff. We were regular weekly customers here but won't set foot in the place again. Awful way to treat customers. Repeatedly told to be quiet when all that was happening was people laughing. No shouting, singing or any sort of aggression. Literally getting given out to for laughing too loud at a 50th party with over 50 people. Could not be more disgusted. Tried to speak to a staff member and said sorry can I speak to you please and he dismissed me with 'No' and stormed off. I then spoke to who I presume was his manager and he was defensive and rude and told me to stop mentioning the amount of money we had spent there. You literally couldn't write this. Shocked. Completely ruined the end of the night. The person who's birthday it was was so upset by it we just left and certainly...