Disclaimer: This review is based on attending the Friday night vegan food evening. Other nights don’t feature food. I’m a big fan of places that are endearing for reasons I can’t quite pin down, or for reasons that are a little unusual. And the Paris Wine Bar has a lot of quirks that make it one of my favourite new places to eat and drink in Dublin. A small space(booking is essential!), accommodating staff The place is tiny — I’d say the maximum occupancy is roughly in the region of 35 people and it always seems to be buzzing, so booking is essential. My past visits have involved groups of 5 or so people arriving at peak times and the staff were really enthusiastic about reconfiguring tables to suit us. For such a small place, the wine selection is superb — there are usually around 10 different bottles on offer, with a heavy rotation keeping things fresh. I was very pleased to see a dedicated vegan wine list appearing last time I was there. There are lots of other things I could gush about — the lovely staff, the charming décor, the suspiciously reasonable prices(more on that later), but the real appeal for me is the food. My god the food. Getting specialist vegan food in Dublin is so unusual that seeing the menu here left me a little panicked — what do I get? This choice thing that I’ve heard about is terrifying. The resident chef(operating under the name Sova Food Vegetarian Butcher) is(I think?) Polish and so there is an occasional surprise appearance on the menu — my favourite is the vegan smalec, a(traditionally lard-based!) chunky paste, spread onto thick bread and studded with pickles. The«Bushido code» «mince» gyoza plate seems to be the most consistently appearing main, and once you’ve tasted it it’s obvious why. They’re more subtly flavoured and more meaty than most vegetable gyoza I’ve had. Another dish that stands out from memory is the«kebab», complete with delicious vegan coleslaw and nutty, chunky pieces of meat. The desserts are not to be sniffed at either, proving to be tasty without being overly sugary(not getting in the way of any of the wine, of course!). The three course meal is essential for two reasons — first off, the portions are all quite small. Not stingy, but a good bit smaller than what you’d expect of Dublin and definitely small if you’re used to gargantuan Cornucopia portions! The second is the price — three courses for € 13. Every time. Even if the quirks to the Paris Wine Bar aren’t your thing, that price definitely takes the edge off of any downsides. Plus, if you’re so inclined leaves more space in the budget for wine.
