QUICK-FIRE SUMMARY
Vibe Check
Esoteric excellence. The Liath team aim for perfection and I suspect they rarely miss.
Cost For Eats
Tasting Menu €180 per person (Prepaid)
Cost For Booze
Non Alcoholic Pairing €59 per person
Wine Pairing €110 per person
Prestige Wine Pairing €240 per person
Booze-Free Options?
Yes. The non-alcoholic pairing is so thoroughly well-considered.
Vegetarian Options?
Vegetarians / pescatarians can be catered for, but notice is required. This excludes vegans.
This spot is great for…
Special occasions shared with like-minded people. Liath is a real treat.
If you want to book a table head to…
Their website. You may have to get on a waiting list.
Where you’ll find them
Blackrock Market, 19a Main Street, Blackrock, Co. Dublin A94 C8Y1
Instagram
Email info@liathrestaurant.com
Phone 01 212 3676
Mobile/Whatsapp 085 127 8680
DISH THE DETAILS…
Liath is the Irish word for grey.
Named for its Australian founder and head chef Damien Grey. The idea of a grey canvas on which this experience is painted makes perfect sense…but more on that in a minute.
It’s important to go in with both eyes open. No bones about it. Liath is expensive. To take your space at one of the 14 seats in this restaurant you will book and pay well in advance. And if your idea of a fine night out is a steak (well done) with a side of chips and pepper sauce, then Liath may not be the spot for you.
It is clearly and proudly stated on their website “We are not a normal restaurant business model.” They are uncompromising on the excellence they deliver, and it is evident in every aspect of the dining experience. From the service, and the space to the exquisite food; Liath holds a magical perfection.
All that being said, the Liath team manage to pull this off in a way that is effortless, fun and so very fucking cool. As a diner you are expertly minded without feeling watched, it is cosy without feeling stuffy and it is a double Michelin star restaurant that doesn’t make you feel uncomfortable or unwelcome.
Leave your notions at the door and give yourself over to an experience that will not disappoint.
THE EXPERIENCE
Everything about Liath is cosy. Tucked away at the back of the Blackrock Market, the restaurant feels more like a living room. The unbelievably small kitchen overlooks the 14 guests who are served by a team of experts. There are 8 seasonal menus per year and the dishes centre around the five tastes; salty, savoury, sweet, bitter and sour. Other than a couple of staple dishes, the entire menu will be reimagined over the course of the year, making use of the seasonal ingredients available.
This is not just dinner – it is storytelling of the highest order. This is Willie Wonka for grown-ups as flavours are interrogated, experimented and unleashed onto your plate for an experience that is entirely unique.
And I won’t tell you about the dishes, other than to say they are magnificent. You will not be presented with a menu for good reason; the experience needs to be unexpected so trust the process.
READ THE ROOM
The night we visited saw a real mix in clientele, which I suspect is to be expected in Liath. There were the Blackrock suits coming straight from the office, a football-jersey or two, demin and sequins and our table of tattoos and laughter. Everyone is welcome and nobody is made to feel uncomfortable.
Chef Grey takes time to come down from the kitchen and serve each table at various times through the night, and he reads the room perfectly. For some tables, it was quiet and dignified, for us it was acerbic and raucous and we couldn’t have been happier. Indulgent and pompous are so often conflated when it comes to a dining experience, but Liath does it all with humour.
A FINAL THOUGHT…
Hospitality in Ireland is at one of its lowest points with daily closures and pressure like we’ve never seen it before. Support the risk-takers, the ones who have grown from the ground up. Liath is precisely that. To run a restaurant with only 28 covers per day takes an enormous amount of courage. Show them the support they deserve and help keep innovation alive.
I want them to succeed, but I don’t want them to grow. The intimacy of the space holds a kind of magic. A focus on the craft of creation and service unlike any other space in Dublin right now. Don’t think twice. Get on the waiting list and experience Liath.
THE ALPHABET DINNERS JOURNEY CONTINUES NEXT MONTH…
Next month we will share another hidden gem on Dublin’s south side for the letter “M”. A real chef’s choice for eats…any guesses?!
Cheers, crew! 🥂
WANT TO FOLLOW ALONG ON OUR NIGHTS OUT?
You can follow all the craic on Instagram where I am going to be looking for recommendations, shout outs, sharing updates and who knows…maybe running a few competitions along the way. Join us here.
