Does anyone else get a little too excited about going out for dinner?
Maybe it’s just because I don’t go for three-course meals very often, or maybe it’s because I’m a massive child that gets excited about the prospect of a bag of jellies with a movie on a Friday night.
Whatever the reason, I know that I am easily excitable, so I try to keep a lid on it when I go somewhere for the first time.
When I walked into FIRE Restaurant a couple of weeks back my resolve was already weakened within the first few minutes.
I was invited down to FIRE Restaurant to celebrate the launch of their new craft beer ‘Fire 1864’ – more on that later.
We were greeted at the door and were invited to take a seat in the lounge while our table was prepared. We arrived a little early (on purpose), so we happily took a seat and started looking through the cocktail menu.
I instantly fell in love with the music and the butter popcorn smell that went hand in hand with the gorgeous caramel, purple and blue tones in the furniture and decor.
The music was Norah Jones, and I think we can all agree she’s a Jazz Queen.
The Cocktail…
I struggled to pick a cocktail purely because of the wide range available. I usually go for gin-based cocktails because I hate anything too sweet, but the ‘Raspberry & Honey Smash’ caught my eye because it has Galliano in it which is one of the ingredients in a ‘Harvey Wallbanger’.
If you haven’t tried that ’70s classic, then I would highly recommend it. It’s the right balance of sweet and tart, and I wanted to see if the ‘Raspberry and Honey Smash’ would do the same thing.
I wasn’t disappointed, it was sweet yet punchy, and it got me thinking that more drinks should be made with vodka and Galliano.
After less than 10 minutes we were brought upstairs to the main dining area, which was once the Lord Mayor of Dublin’s supper room. Built in 1891, the room still boasts a beautiful vaulted ceiling and stained glass windows.
Unfortunately, the rest of the decor really lets the space down. The curtains attached to the centre pillars, the red back-lighting and the Celtic sculptures in the centre of the room confused me.
For a room that has so much potential, it was completely lost in the conflicting aesthetic choices.
We were, however, given one of the best tables in the room which was off to the side on the ‘balcony’ or just off the main dining area and up on a step.
We had fewer people walking by our table, which was lovely because the place was packed.
Our menu was specially designed to coincide with the launch of their new craft beer so every course had a different drink.
As a silly millennial who spends most of her money on avocado toast, I can rarely afford to dine out so lavishly, so obviously, my boyfriend and I were giddy with excitement at the thought of having not one but three drinks with our meal.
“I was so eager to dive in to the first course I forgot to take a picture, but you can take that as a testament to how nice it was.”
I chose the Spiced Irish lamb skewers as my starter and himself got the Howth smoked organic Irish salmon.
The lamb was cooked beautifully, it was well-seasoned and it worked well with the first drink pairing, a glass of ‘Fire 1864’.
It’s a refreshing lager with a distinctive taste that is described as ‘biscuity’. I thought it worked well with the lamb, but it was filling, so probably not something you could drink if you wanted to get a big main course.
The salmon was light and refreshing, but I don’t think it worked as well with the beer. My dining partner disagreed and happily tucked into both.
I was so eager to dive in to the first course I forgot to take a picture, but you can take that as a testament to how nice it was.
“It was a feast for the eyes and a delight to the taste buds as we made our way through the three cuts all cooked to medium rare perfection.”
For the main course, we shared ‘FIRE’s Three Cuts Beef Board’ which consisted of 15oz Rib Eye steak, 36-hour braised short rib and an 8oz dry-aged in-house centre cut fillet.
It was a feast for the eyes and a delight to the taste buds as we made our way through the three cuts all cooked to medium rare perfection.
It was probably the most decadent thing I’ve ever eaten, and I savoured every minute.
Each cut had its own distinct flavour, but the stand out of the whole platter was, unsurprisingly, the rib-eye. While the fillet was beautifully tender, the rib-eye was juicy and its meaty flavour was intact thanks to the marbling running through it and the fact that it was still attached to the bone.
The short-rib was brushed with a bbq marinade which fell apart as you cut into it and it continued to melt in your mouth.
The meat was served with greek salad, ratte potatoes, peppercorn, dijon and bèarnaise sauce. It also has a portion of bone marrow butter.
I tried all of the sauces, but I genuinely don’t think you need them. The meat stands by itself.
It was also my first and last time trying bone marrow butter. That’s probably going to be an unpopular choice, but it’s a hill I’m willing to die on.
This course was paired with a glass of La Moscata Malbec. I’m not a wine connoisseur, but I thought it worked well with the meat.
Lads, we need to have a chat about the potatoes.
These were, quite simply, the best damn potatoes I’ve ever had.
They were cooked in garlic and butter, and I’ve been trying to replicate them since but the good oul rooster isn’t coming close, I’m afraid.
If anyone knows where I can buy ratte potatoes, please let me know. I’ll be eternally grateful.
We were pretty stuffed by the time it came to dessert, but we knew we had to power through.
All in the name of food journalism, of course.
I chose the strawberries which were served with a vanilla and sherry marinade, brandy snap, champagne sorbet.
It was perfectly fine, but I felt the marinade was overly sweet and sorbet did little to balance it.
Himself got the ‘Chocolate and Orange delice’ with dark chocolate mousse, frozen yoghurt and candied orange.
Needless to say, I robbed quite a bit of that too. We’re not massive dessert people, but this should definitely be on your list.
It was served with a glass of prosecco. I won’t waffle about this too much – it was lovely, and it helped to refresh our palates.
We finished our night with an Espresso Martini back down in the lounge with more lovely jazz and the smell of butter popcorn.
While the sharing board is quite expensive (€115), it is worth it for a special occasion and if you LOVE meat.
There are also plenty of other options that would suit a smaller budget.
READ NEXT: 13 Places For A Great Date In Dublin That Don’t Involve Alcohol
Main Pic: FIRE Restaurant Instagram.
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