Ian's Kitchen by Mateo — Restaurant in South Dublin

I attended Ian's Kitchen today (Sunday morning) based on a recommendation, being forewarned there may be a queue.

My friend had just gotten a table before I had arrived and given there was going to be 3 of us we were given a table of 4. As I sat down, we were immediately asked if our 3rd friend was in fact coming, which she was. After 2-3 mins we were asked to move to what was a table for 2 people and they would add another seat. Given we could see a queue forming we were happy to accommodate. Unfortunately, staff chose to do the same with another 2 seater table on the other side of the room resulting in no space for the staff to access the tables beyond, therefore they repeatedly bumped off my friends seat and kept asking her to move in.

While the food took 20-25 mins to arrive which was fine, and very good, essentially once it did arrive the staff were edging for us to leave. I was still eating when we were asked if it was okay to give us the bill. We had full drinks in front of us and I still had food on my plate and we were paying the bill!

We effectively had a staff member hover nearby waiting for items to be finished so they could be moved off the table. This wasn't to provide an excellent customer experience, it was to move us along.

This is such a shame as I don't enjoy giving poor reviews to small businesses, quite the opposite small businesses need local support but there seems to be a lapse of judgement in the customer experience, as a result Im afraid I wont...

On a blustery cold and rainy Sunday morning, we sought shelter from the storm in Ian’s kitchen in search of a cozy and comforting brunch to warm our souls and stomachs, and were not disappointed!

Mateo was a warm and welcoming host, leading us to our table tucked away in the corner. He got us settled and brought us our coffees (with a side of some humor) which provided the caffeinated brain power allowing us to explore the vast and tempting menu. While every option looked equally delicious, we decided to order the famous lemon meringue pancakes and the buffalo chicken eggs Benny. The food came out quickly and with immaculate service, where the pancakes were thick and fluffy, stacked high with a mountain of lemon curd, berry compote and meringue. The portion was so sizable it was like a tower of tastiness that one was required to share (despite wanting to keep them all for oneself). As an American, I’d say these pancakes would outrank many of the stacks I’d receive in a diner back home.

As for the buffalo chicken eggs benedict, they were a pleasant juxtaposition of sweet and spicy. The creamy and thick hollandaise was perfectly complimented by the zingy and piquant buffalo sauce, providing a harmonious symphony of flavors in every single bite.

Overall, Ian’s kitchen was sensational and we can’t wait to return...

Felt a bit like a brunch conveyor belt. Told when we sat down that they had a 45 minute rule per table to order, have coffees, eat and pay up and leave. Felt like we were being rushed the whole time and were checked in more than once to see if we were finished and ready to pay.

We spent €45 for less than an hour brunch and although we got both sets of tacos and they were tasty, this is not a relaxing place to go/ catch up. Won’t be back unfortunately.

EDIT TO ADD IN RESPONSE: Hi,

Thanks for your response. I think the 45 minute rule is an important policy from your restaurant to highlight for customers, especially if they frequently must queue for a table.

We continued to order after knowing your policy as we thought there might be some leeway on the timing, with some empty tables still in the restaurant.

I don't think many tables of people would agree this is enough time allocated, especially on a Saturday morning/ early afternoon.

I appreciate as a small business/restaurant owner it is currently a very challenging environment in Dublin, however I can think of many nearby restaurants (including Mayfair, FivePoints, South Bank and Two fifty Square to name a few) which are absolutely similarly...