Taste at the Bonsai is a Japanese-inspired bar, which also has a restaurant on the top floor. The location is ideal, and the decor and atmosphere are quite nice (although loud)! The inside of the restaurant still has the original red brick walls, which you can also observe from the outside of the building making the ambiance quite charming and cozy.
Taste was able to accommodate a last minute reservation for dinner, which I greatly appreciated, especially on a Saturday night. The waiters are some of the nicest you will meet in Dublin, although the manager made us feel extremely uncomfortable. The food ideas are overall original, but this is not where would go to find authentic Japanese food. The slow poached egg was quite tasty as well as the akami and otoro nigiri. We however had questions about some of the food items, but the manager was not interested in answering them. I was therefore disappointed to find out that the chef’s special nigiri was all beef (wagyu and chimichurri) based, and there was no fish (just one with prawn). As a pescatarian, I could not eat any of these nigiri, and this situation could have been avoided had the manager answered our questions about the food items. The tempura rice, although interesting, is quite a useless item on the menu. Overall ok place to go hang out with friends (great cocktails!), but on the pricier side for the banal quality of food.
Aliya Ali
Amazing service and food, especially dessert! I had a cocktail as well, it was beautifully done. Price matching the quality. If you are looking for a fine dining experience and enjoy Japanese cuisine, this is your place ✨
Marta Begonja
Superb meal. Impeccable service. Delicate thoughtful dishes served in style. Quite possibly the best meal I've had in Dublin. Expensive but worth every penny. Go for a special occasion, you will have the best time!
Kalle Ryan
Fantastic food and a lovely night out.
The food here is pretty phenomenal and I would highly recommend it.
Everything we ordered was lovely. We chose to share everything which was very easy given the menu, but you do not have to if you would prefer not to.
The restaurant has a Japanese style with some European mixed in and it works very well. The sushi was wonderful as were the mains we got (steak, lamb and a coconut soup).
Service was good and the drinks were lovely .
I would recommend booking ahead, we were only able to get a table on a Friday night as the weekend was already fully booked and while we were there is was very busy.
The restaurant is suited for couples or friends catching up but I wouldn't recommend it for a big party or children.
The restaurant is on the pricier side for Dublin, but very worth it!
Please give it a go and enjoy!
Emily Mathieson
I had done a lot of restaurant research prior to arriving in Dublin. I finally asked my boyfriend's aunt who lives outside of Dublin about Taste and she had rave reviews about how great it is and so with much anticipation.... THIS WAS THE BEST FOOD EXPERIENCE EVER! We were only in Dublin for one night on our adventures back to the states and this dinner blew our socks off. From the wonderful staff to the best sake to the best food. I can't say enough WONDERFUL things about this restaurant. We are heading back to Ireland in September and I'm really hoping we have enough time to make it back here! Cheers!
Christy Ferguson