The Green Hen

Amazing flavor, the Irish ribeye made my night and made me smile with pleasure after every bite. Christmas pudding was delish. Cozy atmosphere. Can’t be beat.

Yummy, yummy, yummy… I got love in my tummy and I feel like a-​lovin’ you!
Love, you’re such a sweet thing, good enough to eat thing and it’s just a-​what I’m gonna do!
Ok, singing aside… The Green Hen is a great restaurant in the heart of Dublin, first came on my radar at Taste of Dublin and impressed even more when I visited their restaurant. Great quality food, prompt service and a lovely venue.
They offer a great early bird menu, definitely worth checking out… Incredibly priced for the quality of food. The menu is well written with interesting options, my suggestion would be to order sides, the last time I was here, most of the group didn’t and they felt they could have complimented the dinner plus went a little way to filling them up.

My wife and I just about picked this restaurant at random and we sure must be living right. We did not have reservations and unlike then place we tried the day before they made room for us at the bar. My wife ordered the ‘pork chop’ and I ordered the roast duck with a side of duck fat roast potatoes. Both meals were amazing. I honestly have to say that mine ranks up there in the top 10 meals I’ve ever had. Do not walk past this restaurant!

I along with several other food enthusiasts went for dinner here last week. I had never heard of The Green Hen, but once I knew where we were going I jumped online to check out the menu; eager to see what delights they had in store for us. Their website is classic, tasteful and easy to navigate, so within seconds I was glancing through the menu options. I clicked on the Early Bird option as I knew this was what we’d booked and was delighted to see the choices on the menu, 3 courses for € 22.
I have walked down Exchequer Street hundreds of times and never noticed this beautiful restaurant, more the pity. I got there just on time and was pleasantly surprised by the warm reception of the staff and the chic décor. I felt a sudden sense of familiarity which reminded me of a Parisian café, nestled in a corner that I’d just happened upon.
The waitress led me upstairs to our table which was situated beside the bar. This space is a smaller, more intimate dining area but was perfect for our table of ten.
The staff were so attentive and we had ordered in no time at all — I opted for the Goats Cheese & Beetroot Salad to Start, followed by the Pan Fried Fillet of Hake with white beans, Chorizo and Kale; and to Finish the most amazing dish of all, the Chocolate & Hazelnut Parfait.
While I thought all the food was beautiful, I did feel the mains was lacking in Kale; apart from four tiny leaves and a few white beans there wasn’t much to accompany the Hake which was disappointing.

Fantastic dinner. Loved the atmosphere. Felt like I could have been in Paris. The service was very good and attentive. The food was nicely presented and well balanced. I will be back for more next time I’m in town!

Had a good meal here just before my flight home from Dublin. If you come for the ‘early bird’ it’s a steal compared to the main menu– 22 euro for three courses between 5 and 7 Sunday to Thursday, which is what we did.
Both my friend and I had the beetroot and goats cheese salad, followed by the chicken with pearl barley. I had the panna cotta to finish and she had the chocolate dessert. The panna cotta was seriously the best one I’ve ever had! The food was delicious and we liked the atmosphere, it had an old New York theme with a bit of Sinatra playing and pictures of girls on the walls.
The bar is also great and my White Linen cocktail was really good. Friend had the Caipirinha. Definitely a nice atmosphere and would come again.

I wouldn’t classify this as a French bistro; although it does have a Euro bistro feel to it. Plus, wow, service here was very efficient!
The food was quite good too. Began with the tuna carpaccio — four oval slices that came with avocado purée, wasabi foam and some pickled vegetables. The fish was good, and overall the dish was fresh, which was appealing as the restaurant was rather warm. The least expensive tempranillo turned out to be a good accompaniment, and we got a bottle for the rest of the meal.
One entrée was the hake, which was cooked perfectly — a few minutes under the searing hot broiler. It was served over crushed potatoes and broccollini. The only complaint is that the fish needed some sauce. A simple butter, lemon, caper sauce would have worked wonders. Otherwise, the plate was expertly prepared. The monkfish was wrapped in prosciutto and came over a pasta (like spaetzle pellets — these were a little weird) in an Italian cheese based sauce. This too was a winning dish.
A nice ending to our week in Ireland.

Dined here last night with a group of Unilocalers and I must say its a restaurant I will be making a repeat visit to.
My starter of smoked salmon with oyster Mayo was delicious and my main of roast chicken, pal choi, butternut squash purée and bacon jam extremely tasty. My only complaint is that the accompanying champ was unbelievably salty, however that would not put me off visiting again.
I had 2 champagne mojitos which were perfect and my dessert of hazelnut parfait was not really my ideal but it was tasty nonetheless.
Can’t wait to make a repeat visit and try out more of the menu.

My girlfriend and I dined at the green hen on Valentine’s Day and enjoyed it thoroughly. The food was delicious and the staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming. We spent a full hour and a half in the restaurant and were shocked by just how long we spent there because the time flew by. There is a very romantic French noir atmosphere in the restaurant that is perfect for a couple who are looking for a romantic evening and a tip for future diners — get the blood orange cheesecake! Its amazing!

My wife and I had the pleasure of eating here in late November– our first meal after a redeye from NY. Everything was perfect. The staff were all so attentive, inviting, friendly and helpful. All of the food was delicious, but the standout for me was the smoked salmon– it has ruined every bite of salmon for me since. Coming during the holiday season was a bonus with all of the decorations, fresh flowers just making the time at the Green Hen that much more special. Looking forward to going back!

As part of my lash hurrah of the party season and before my austere and restrained January kicked off I headed in here with a friend at the last minute for a cheeky cocktail, a first rate whiskey sour, but couldn’t resist the look and smell of the dishes being sent to the surrounding tables, ending up going the whole hog with a 3 course meal. Not one disappointed. I started with a fantastic tomato and parmesan soup with griddle toasted bread, followed up by butternut squash risotto which was divine and seemed to be infused with a squash foam and I enjoyed every morsel! My desert was listed as a black forest trifle, but was much more a mouse with a biscuit and black cherry base — again, really first rate stuff.
The only reason I didn’t go the full 5 (which the food certainly deserved) was a single staff member who was so grumpy he actually made me feel uncomfortable, all others were efficient and friendly but I’m afraid I find with staff one bad apple can damage the mood badly.
Despite this I will be back, and will recommend it to anyone looking for a great first date venue or for small girlie get togethers

Rule #78, don’t base eating decisions off of newpapers.
New York Times did a piece on this place so I was excited to go. Got a reservation and came 30 minutes early, a bunch of open tables yet we couldn’t be accommodated. Still had to wait a few minutes after we got there at the right time… Service was adequate, drinks were good, and food was Irish/​French fusion. My chicken was over cooked and my wife had a lot of fat on her duck, but the sauces on both saved them.
1) Take eating suggestions from friends… even random cabbies have better advice.
2) A Great Old Fashion!
3) I see three two tops, why am I standing in the corner.
4) Good Dessert.
5) Hipster Spotify playlist on loop!
6) If you’re ‘Merican temper your expectations.

Okay so we gave it a second chance… still 3 stars though.
Again, the service was quite good. Friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. Our starters of scallops were absolutely delicious. No exaggeration at all. Utterly delicious! The oysters were fine but not as big as we normally like them. Unfortunately our duck mains were just okay and consisted of a small portion of dry duck on a bed of mashed potato.
If it was not for our main and the significant bill at the end of our meal I might say 4 stars. Although, the scallops were a definite 5 stars! A pic is included below: P

I had been here previously, on a few occasions but had never left a review as the service had never been great. I had always left feeling that the food was excellent, as was the value, but the restaurant was let down by the staff. However, all of this has changed!
The food is still as good as it has ever been, tasty, original and reasonably priced but now the staff are exceptional! The (new?) manager is a really friendly, yet professional woman who gets things done, all the while ensuring you and your guests are satisfied with everything. The other wait staff could not be nicer or more professional. They really all are outstanding and have changed the atmosphere on the restaurant for the better. It just shows how important the front of house staff are in a restaurant, they really have upped the Green Hen’s game.

A friend and I were recently here while roaming around the grafton st/​exchequer st area; and I had been dying to try this restaurant. We arrived at about 2pm, and the place was quite busy (although I realised afterwards this is likely because Trinity’s graduation had been the same day).
We were sat quickly, told of the specials, and placed our orders. I ended up having their special which sounded lovely… almond crusted cod with a tomato risotto. I opted out of doing their 2 course lunch option, as I figured the risotto with vegetables would fill me up fime. It was 14 euros for one course, and I think 17 euros for two courses. I’m glad I had the day off, and wasn’t on a lunch break, as it took nearly 40 minutes for our food to reach the table. I do understand they were busy, however I imagine a restaurant like this is often busy and I wouldn’t have expected it to be quite so slow.
The food was quite nice, but by the time we were done eating, we really itching to get out to move on to other things we had planned that afternoon. Eventually we were able to flag down a server who brought us our bill, but we were unable to just pay and leave, as we had been charged for a bottle of sparkling water we hadn’t ordered. So we had to wait until a server could come back, correct it, and then wait again for them to bring the card machine over. I will say that by the time we left at 3:45 pm, they were still quite busy. However, I think the restaurant could have benefited from having a few more servers on staff.
that being said, the food was good. the risotto was cooked well, not over or under cooked… nice flavour. And perhaps it was just an off day for them, as most of the other recent reviews show their service is normally quite good. Would definitely be willing to give them another shot in the future.

Have to echo Derek on this one. The food really lived up to my expectations. The steak was so tasty with scrumdidliumptius mash. Nice ambiance and we had great Craic with the staff. Beautiful building with James Dean watching down on me. Perfect evening.

Omg! The duck was to die for. Paul the owner was amazing!
The old fashioned was grand!!! Whiskey knowledge and travel advice.
Great vibe. Wonderful look and amazing staff. You will be well taken care of and want for nothing.
Best!
A must eat or have a cocktail while in Dublin.

Supposedly, the best place to have dinner is at the bar. Don’t ask me why, the bartender just told me it is. Yes, I’m still rolling my eyes as well! Anyways, so I sat at the bar and I’m actually glad I did! I talked to a fine lonesome dame and asked her about the menu. We chatted, and she politely pointed out a few good items to try. Later on, in the night, I find out she’s also the manager. Score! That’s always a plus when their own employees eat there. Even on another occasion, the bartender himself ate there. I’ve been here more than a few times, and here’s what I’ve tried:
Appetizers:
Smoked Salmon & Crab Roll € 9
~ Salmon rolls with a crab center and polenta croquettes. This was tasty, but not my favorite of the apps. It needed more pickled veggies to balance the saltiness.
Seared Scallops € 10
~ Don’t expect huge scallops, but definitely seared right! A nice combo!
Baked Squid € 9
~ The chorizo stuffing was devine. Combined with the ratatouille and feta. Good, but also not my favorite.
Organic Goat’s Cheese & Beetroot Salad € 8
~ Now this was refreshing. The goat’s cheese, white balsamic, and figs all made this one luscious salad. One of my favs! I’d get this again!
Roasted Suckling Pig € 9
~ Talk about scrumptious! Crispy fatty tender pork belly with baby octopus confit. OMG, order this with a chardonnay. It’ll satisfy the palate.
Entrees:
Duck Confit € 19
~This was crispy and juicy for a duck leg, sitting on top of a fondant potato. The cherries and sauce on the side really complimented the duck quite well. A confit worth trying!
Pan Roast Stone Bass € 24
~I was sooo hungry for this, I forgot to take a picture. But since I know I would order this again, I recall how delish this plate was. The bass was soft and melted; I love the added capers, and remember what a great combo it was with the garlic mash potatoes.
Roast Breast of Duck € 24
~This was okay, the breast was on top of a fondant potato. Duck breast can be a bit gamey versus eating a tender leg, so I’ll pass on this next time. However, what I did love was the caramelized pear. Like the cherries on the confit dish, this added some sweetness!
Pan Fried Hake w/​Petit Pois a la Francaise € 20
~Now how can you Hake this one! It’s got bacon bits in it and a savory creamy white wine sauce. Add a white glass of wine, and you’ll be in Hake Heaven!
Dessert:
(forgot about this one) Three cakes with sorbet € 7
~Nothing to rave over. The sorbet was good, but I didn’t care about the cakes. (see pics)
One last cool thing they some times hand out with the check. A Chambord and Bailey’s Shot, omg this is such a cool shot! Thanks to the manager, Danu, for running a tight ship. Service was great!
Tips:
1) Keep in mind, in order to drink at the bar, you have to order food. So to the uncontrollable drunk a$$ kids that walk through the door asking for a shot. Please spare yourself, and STAY AWAY!
2) Try to do the Early Bird Specials (5:30 — 7:00pm /​Sunday — Thursday).
3) When the bartender Declan is working. YOU MUST order a Bloody Mary!

I’d been eye-​balling this place for ages, which first I imagined was a coffee and sophisticated bun type of vibe (and perhaps it is too), and was increasingly hearing its name spoken in very positive tones. But the opportunity hadn’t arisen to check it out until a work lunch provided just that. And it really was a pleasure from start to finish.
It’s a mid-​level price range, so you don’t necessarily expect to find the whole works in terms of place settings, but that’s what you get, right down to the starched white linen tablecloths and napkins and fine silverware — in the upstairs part which we had exclusively for our party of ten, anyway. The décor is classic and chic and borrows from a certain vintage movie glam, and the menu has a classic feel too, with reasonable lunch time choice, French-​influenced standards, and nothing too risqué. Not a winner for the vegetarian, as is the case with so many restaurants, but leek and Camembert tart was, perhaps predictably, present.
Service was very pleasant and the meals arrived in good time, without fuss, and all at the same time — always a bonus for a large party, right? — and the standard across the board was great: everyone was happy. Deserts were excellent too if you could fit it — which I could, because I’m a fighter.
If I hadn’t had to take charge of small needful beings soon after, I would undoubtedly have tried one of those recommended cocktails that has the word apple in it but doesn’t contain any, if only because it would have temporarily indulged me in fantasy life-​as-​old-​movie-​film-​star, but already slightly tipsy on the delicious prosecco, I called it fantasy quits.
As I had made my way up the red-​carpet stairs on entering, the waiter told me that they laid it out especially for me, and I didn’t even bother fully forming the thought ‘I bet you say that to all the girls’, so redundant did it seem, but nor did I mind the cliché — the atmosphere felt fun, the standard of service was consistently good, and we felt well looked after.
And, true, not having to look at the damage yourself helps too, but I don’t think it was a bank breaker.

The Green Hen sounded like such a charming name that it was by complete happenstance that I ended up there for dinner when I was in Dublin. I was taking pictures of the colorful doors around Merrion Square and ambling around aimlessly near Grafton Street when I came upon it as the famous Dublin drizzle started to form bigger drops. I was a tad worried that I would be too under-​dressed given my rain-​soaked jacket and my increasingly ragged backpack, but no, they appeared to be amenable to take my money no matter how I looked. The owner must have had a field day at some movie memorabilia convention because the walls are covered with posters from both classic Hollywood and world cinema (see photos).
It would probably be most accurate to call this place a bistro although there are plenty of local dishes on the menu as well. I was fortunate that I came in during the 90 minutes (5:30−7 PM) when they offer the Early Bird menu Sunday through Thursday, a good deal of three courses for € 22. I started with the St. Tola Organic Goat’s Cheese & Beetroot Salad, which made me realize I was in Ireland since it appeared to have far more goat’s cheese than beets. It was tasty in a filling pre-​dessert kind of way with figs and candied walnuts completing the appetizer (see photo). For my entrée, I decided to choose a special off the menu, the Fish & Chips, which came on a cutting board for really no practical reason.
Again the proportions seemed somewhat off with just one cod fillet, very good with a lightly crisp coating, and an overflowing cup of frites that no mere mortal could possibly finish off except maybe Ronald McDonald. It came with a mixed green salad that was difficult to eat off the plank, plus two condiments — a dab of tartar sauce (could have used a lot more of that) and a pea basil purée which could have worked with both the cod and the chips if it was thinned out a bit more (see photo). I supposed I should have ordered the Duck Confit or something more Franco-​friendly, but I didn’t feel right that I should leave Dublin without having fish and chips at least once.
I probably should have stopped there since that was plenty of food as is, but of course, I needed to get my third course to maximize the early bird deal. Now here’s a good example of being penny-​wise and pound-​foolish. Based on the waitress’s hearty recommendation, I ordered the Passion Fruit and Lemon Tart with Black Currant Sorbet (see photo). It was puckery good but just after a few bites, awfully sweet for the generous portion that was being served. Diabetics should be forewarned. Overall I found the dining experience at Green Hen pleasant with attentive service albeit not that distinguishable from any other moderately priced bistro you may be able to find in the city center.
FOOD — 3 stars… tasty, abundant portions but the composition of the dishes felt off
AMBIANCE — 3.5 stars… nice bistro setting with plenty of self-​generating movie trivia to bore your date if you have one
SERVICE — 4 stars… the waitress was very kind and attentive
TOTAL — 3 stars… pretty good bistro for a random choice, probably caters most to Irish palates