Dobbins

Staff: 5 stars
The staff were well trained and polite.
Food presentation: 5 stars
Beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous!
Deep fried goat cheese: 5 stars
They were off to a great start. Deep fried goat cheese stick on a bed of mango salad was a delicious mix of flavor and texture. I absolutely loved it and will never look at cheese sticks the same again.
Lamb rack: 3 stars
The dish itself would have been 5 stars if the meat was cooked to order. I asked for rare and got well done. My colleague asked for medium and got medium. Its possible our plated got switched in case this is the first restaurant to consistently overcook their meat. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it because I was out with colleagues, but I would have normally returned the plate.
Lemon tart: 3 stars
For me, it was much too sweet and had no tartness that I would want from a lemon tart. It was plated beautifully and everyone else liked their desserts so perhaps I will order the sticky toffee pudding as recommended by the waiter next time.

Dobbins is an institution, it has been around for years serving up some of the best food in the city in a diner that is both old and stately with heavy drapes and dark booths but with some fresh modern and bright touches so you know you are not eating in the mid 80s.
Our last visit had me eating tempura fish and loosing myself in a truly excellent sticky toffee pudding, wine flowed, Q too flowed… out the door, with a smile on my face and loud promises of a revisit.
Yup, definitely worth a shot.

«Faultless»
Faultless from the food to the service. The summer value menu for 35e is excellent value and the quality of the food along with presentation well executed. They have a varied wine list priced well for all types of guests. I would return and will recommend

This is by far the best food I’ve had in Dublin, and I’ve been living here for six months. I moved from new York, so I must say that my standards are high, but Dobbins fit the bill.
Came here for my birthday dinner with my beau, they gave us a booth for just the two of us, which felt private and cozy. Gave us a change to have good intimate conversation.
Now onto the most important part of this review — the food. We started witht the duck leg. DO NOT MISS THIS. My boyfriend felt this was the best duck he ever had. it was tender and flavorful. They also have a main of duck, which I want to try based on how good the appetizer was.
I had the monkfish and my partner had the hake. Both were flakey yet firm as fish should be. Sauces complemented the flavor of the fish, but still allowed the fish to shine. His came with a small crabcake — which was not too impressive, but I’m very picky on crab cake, and mine came with prawn tortellini which was yummy — there is a whole prawn in each tortellini!
Dessert was lemon tart, which was good but more the consistency of cheesecake than a lemon tart as I expected in my mind. The partner got the stickey toffee pudding, which was really tasty. My desert also came with a cheeky candle, but no singing as I requested when they dropped it off. They did sing for others that night however, so you could go either way on that. I was happy enough with the candle and special attention rather than embarassment.
In any event, if you are celebrating something special in Dublin, I highly suggest Dobbins.

Went there for lunch today, Easter Sunday. Was delighted with the variety of choice in both starters and mains. We were very happy with our dishes. They were well presented by lovely friendly staff. Only disappointment was the lack of soya milk for my lactose intolerant daughter. We did get a diet drink for a diabetic member of the group. All in all, Dobbins is a great old chestnut. Always there, reliable and at the ready.

Hadn’t been here for some time but had always enjoyed it previously. Again, Dobbins didn’t disappoint. Friday evening after the 1^st week in the New Year demanded something substantial and comforting. Myself and companion feeling sorry for ourselves opted for substantial steaks –as you do. Cooked to perfection but served with a miserable 3 (yes 3) chips, a side order of sautéed potatoes was necessary to assuage the hungry beasts. Other than that, the meal was sublime. We ordered a very acceptable New Zealand Pinot Noir, not cheap at € 40 but we had it because we’re worth it. We will be back — but 3 chips!

Dobbins is a bit out of the way, but it’s a great place for some lovely food. As Grainne said, the atmosphere is nice and welcoming and the service is great. I’ve only ever been here for lunch, but the three-​course set menu is quite reasonably priced at 2 Euro and the food is really yummy and the portions are very generous. The duck is absolutely amazing and I like the chicken breast as well. The sticky toffee pudding is amazing and nearly worth the money by itself. I’m planning on trying the mixed berry tiramisu at some stage, but I might need to leave more room in my tummy for that.

Went here last night for dinner as part of a hen night (or «soakage» if you prefer). We had a private room upstairs and ordered from the á la carte menu. It’s a bit hidden on Stephen’s Lane but very central really.
The downstairs restaurant is intimate and it was busy on a Saturday evening. Staff are welcoming and there is a good buzzing atmosphere. Our room was a nice size and we were very well attended to with no huge gaps between courses. It’s pretty pricey-​starters from € 9.95 to approx € 15 with mains around € 20. Portions are generous though and my meal was definitely tasty! I started with beef wrapped in filo pastry on a bed of noodles which was very tasty with lots of duck. I moved on to beef fillet which was delicious… with sides of chips, potatoes and carrot and parsnip mash. I managed to force down some of my dessert… sticky toffee pudding. Deliciously decadent but was soooo full by then! Less enthusiastic reviews were given to the foie gras starter by my friends. The salmon and mackerel main courses got the thumbs up. Pavolva was tasty, as was the mango and coconut mousse
Overall was very happy. It was not a cheap dinner by any means, but I felt I ate well and the service was very good-​attentive without being intrusive. I noticed they have lunch and early bird options for € 25 and would definitely return to sample the menu for them! (Salivating over the sample menus on
) I also have to make a better attempt at the sticky toffee pudding…

This is a great restaurant, it has a wonderful atmosphere. The restaurant is usually packed, but the staff cope very well. This place was recently renovated so you can see into their open kitchen. The food is good and they have a great wine list and you have plenty to choose from on the menu. Sunday lunch is great value at under 30 euros a head. They also do reasonably priced offers on certain days. Dobbins is definately worth a visit, but you should plan your route or get a taxi down there as it can be a little hard to find.