Restaurant review: What it's like to dine in Ireland's original two-star Michelin restaurant

The barrel vaulted ceiling is painted a muted gold colour and contrasting off-white walls show off the extraordinary collection of Irish art

Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud

Our verdict: 8/10 

I remember well my first meal in Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud (RPG) in their old space on James’s Place off Baggot Street in August 1993. I ate an immaculately cooked piece of sole among other things, but I also remember that mobile phones were a new fad and a bunch of musos in Dublin for a U2 concert kept walking up and down the restaurant trying to get better reception (Paul McGuinness was hosting them).

It wouldn’t happen today, a polite but firm word from restaurant manager Stéphane Robin would soon sort them out. Robin is part of the triumvirate that has kept Two Michelin Star RPG on track these past decades (it opened in 1981), along with Patrick Guilbaud himself and Executive Chef Guillaume Lebrun; head chef is Kieran Glennon.

Robin greeted us warmly on arrival and we were quickly seated in the light and airy dining room. The barrel vaulted ceiling is painted a muted gold colour and contrasting off-white walls show off the extraordinary collection of Irish art (Seán Scully, William Scott etc.). There is even a specially designed light fixture to show the pieces at their best.

A meal in RPG always begins with the fluffiest lightest of gougères, they really are one of Dublin’s culinary treasures. A goat cheese tartlet with nori and daikon sat beside them, lightly pungent and tart, delicious morsels to amuse our mouths while we contemplated the menu.

Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud opened in 1981

Jerusalem artichoke foam with hazelnut oil with a bonus roast hazelnut on top nudged our palates into more savoury mood. The dish’s lightness of touch and nutty accents did not disguise that glorious tuber’s complexity of flavour and this was one of the highlights of the meal for me.

I caught the bewitching scent of truffles in my pheasant pithivier a few seconds before the cloche was removed. The puff pastry shell flaked perfectly, the flesh inside was meaty and substantial and the intense jus held the dish together nicely. My guest’s red mullet with heritage carrots and citrus and tarragon worked less well with a rather intense salty-citrus sauce blurring the flavours of the mullet rather more than she would have liked.

My grilled John Dory’s translucent flakes wobbled pleasingly while a ‘cardinal’ lobster sauce added heft and richness while apple slices, celery and celery leaf added sweet and herbal accents. Meaty Atlantic prawns were a bonus, sweet creamy and delicious.

My guest fared less well with her main however as her ‘dodine’ of boned black leg chicken arrived just above lukewarm and by the end of the course it was effectively cold. The flavours were delicate and pleasant enough and some pearl barley added texture but the temperature of the dish made it rather a trial to eat. Stuffed morels (the king of mushroom in our view) were the best part of the course, but were not enough to compensate. 

We mentioned the dish’s temperature to Stéphane as he removed our plates and he did not look happy — I’m glad I wasn’t in the kitchen.

As compensation, we were told the main course would be removed from the bill and we were offered a compensatory cheese course. From a choice of twenty cheeses presented with flair in a magnificent trolley, we chose four each, served of course with perfect crackers made by RPG’s on-form pastry section. Every cheese was in perfect condition with highlights for me the Époises and the Pouligny Saint Pierre from the Loire.

RPG’s wine cellar contains 30,000 bottles of wine with an emphasis on France as you might expect. You will find all the Bordeaux and Burgundies you could wish for, but the value on the list is to be found in the lesser-known regions. Two glasses of tangy taut and layered Maison des Androisières Silice Blanc ‘Jacquère’ from the Savoie cost €19 each and were an inspired choice for the ‘by the glass’ selection. The wine had enough texture and weight to match the pheasant pithivier but also enough fragrance and poise to match the John Dory.

For our dessert course a nutty almond milk panna cotta with a milk crisp added subtle accents to poached pretty-pink champagne rhubarb, while a lively ginger sorbet lifted the flavours, a fine herald of spring. A mandarin and blood orange vacherin was equally accomplished with light meringue and bursts of orange intensity. Each exquisite, we couldn’t decide on our favourite. 

Lunch in RPG costs €95 for three courses but once you add in extras such as the superb breads, the three amuse bouche, a pre-dessert and petit-fours with your coffee, this price seems completely fair. 

Yes, we had a misstep in our meal but it was more than compensated for by the generous cheeseboard and the reduction in our bill.

RPG has been doing this a long time and the savoir-faire and professionalism matched with the (almost) perfect food, suggests it will go on for a fair while longer.

• Lunch for two plus 2 glasses of wine cost €183 (reduced from €228) 
• 21 Upper Merrion Street, Dublin 2