Restaurant Review: No need for an escape plan for Dillinger's in Ranelagh

The interior of Dillingers'.

• Dillinger’s Restaurant
• 47 Ranelagh, Dublin 6, D06 HR84
• Tel: [phone]
• dillingers.ie
• The Tab: Dinner for two including two Cocktails, Wine, three Starters, Mains, Sides, and Dessert cost: €169.50
• How To: Tues-Wed: 5 - 9.30; Thur-Fri: 5 - 10.30; Sat-Sun: 12 - 3.30, 5 - 9.30; Monday: Closed

Lucky Ranelagh, surely one of the best-served suburbs in Ireland for neighbourhood restaurants. From the fashionable funky flavours in Host, to the steaks in Butcher Grill, the exemplary Thai food in Nightmarket and Pakistani food in Kinara, and lots of unsung simpler fare like the Nashville fried chicken in Firebyrd.

Dillinger’s first opened its doors in 2009 as a sort of up-market diner where you might find fresh kimchi as a side option for your two-inch thick burger. The menu has had updates over the years but the focus on tasty comfort food has remained consistent. With a brand-new fit-out that includes bar seating as well as booths and some brand-new dishes, it was time for a revisit.

The new menu is relatively short and focused and includes oysters, slow-cooked shin-beef ragu, scallops, steak and burger options, grilled prawns, and spatchcock chicken — exactly the kind of dishes that would make locals want to visit more than once.

The cocktail list has a dozen options and mixes in cocktails from Farrell’s other restaurant, 777, with new takes on classics such as the Sidecar and a Bloody Maria. My guest’s choice of a Hemingway (€12.50) was a pleasingly refreshing mix of white rum, maraschino, and citrus but I think my Mezcalito Aperitivo (€12) was better — Mezcal with a splash of Aperol and zesty grapefruit and lime — a palate awakening smoky-citrus livewire of a drink.

Tuna Tostadas

We began with the starter special as an amuse to match our cocktails. Two Tuna Tartare Tostadas (€9) had finely chopped fresh tuna that somehow still retained its meaty texture and proved a good contrast with the crispy tostada base. Blobs of avocado mousse, coriander pesto and a strip of pickled carrot rounded out and lifted the flavours further — a nigh-on perfect way to begin our meal.

Goat's curd tortellini

Goat’s Curd Tortellini (€16) are made in-house and were mixed through with a sage brown butter, crispy toasted pine nuts and tea-soaked raisins. This was another winner — creamy silky pasta with a spike of pungency from the goat cheese interior and a herbal note from the sage, crispy pine nuts for contrast, and the raisins adding welcome touches of sweetness. Our second shared starter also worked, with the minor criticism that it was rather messily plated — Iberico Pork (€16) lightly grilled and served pink, with crunchy grilled broccoli and a lightly smoky romesco sauce plus black garlic aioli on the side to add some heft. The sweet pork flavours knitted well with the romesco and it was good to be reminded that I actually like broccoli when it is correctly cooked.

Dover Sole

The special offer on Tuesdays and Wednesdays is Dover sole for two with two sides for €45 which was too good an offer to pass up. The sole arrived at our table lightly bronzed and glistening and was expertly filleted by our server. Beautifully cooked with the flesh firm on the outside but lightly translucent between the flakes this felt like a proper treat. Baked Mash and a Baked Cauliflower Moussaka with Tahini & Parmesan were our chosen sides and both matched the fish nicely.

The wine list is short with 16 interesting options, but starts at €40 for a Gascogne white and €42 for a Douro red. Given the “neighbourhood” focus a starting price point around €37 would be preferable, and the list needs more options under €45.

I ordered an old favourite — Château de Fesles Chenin Blanc Sec from Anjou (€49) — the third-cheapest white. The bottle arrived much too cold (around 3C rather than the 10C that would be recommended), but once it warmed up it proved a fine match for both starters (especially the tortellini) and the sole.

Besides a cheese plate, there was just one dessert option, a Caramel Bread and Butter Pudding (€10) which proved tasty if rather dense and rich after what had already been a substantial meal.

Dillinger’s is definitely worth a diversion if you don’t live nearby, and with a few more wine options and an extra dessert or two I might up my visits even more.

The Verdict:

• Food: 8/10
• Wine: 7/10
• Service: 9/10
• Ambiance: 8.5/10
• Value: 8/10
• In a Sentence: A new menu for a long-established neighbourhood restaurant with some creative flavourful takes on classic dishes.