Shaka Poké in Dublin

29/12/2024: The food is good, the ambiance is stunning, but be prepared for subpar service. We were lucky to snag a table for two without reservations. We were seated next to a lush wall of greenery, which provided a cozy and intimate atmosphere. We were given the festive prix fixe menu, while other tables seemed to have larger menus. This was fine, as it made ordering simpler. However, we probably would have ordered more if provided the a la cart menu. The evening started with drinks, a champagne mojito, and an old fashion. The mojito had a bright, refreshing flavor but was mostly ice, and both drinks were weak pours. At 18€ each, you might be better off sticking with beer or wine. Unfortunately, water was not served, we had to request it, and it did not arrive until our meals arrived, and every server seemed too busy to check on us. As for the food, the salmon with herb sauce was great, and the steak was cooked perfectly, though it needed more seasoning to shine. The creamed potatoes were heavenly, and the lemon oil on the broccoli added a delightful touch. Dessert was the highlight of the meal and absolutely out of this world! We loved the chocolate orange cheesecake with mango sorbet and the crème brûlée with winter compote. Unfortunately, the end of the meal was frustrating. Our water was removed from the table with the dessert plates, and no one asked if we wanted additional drinks or anything else. After waiting 30 minutes, we had to flag down a random server for the check, which then took another 10 minutes to process.

28/12/2024: Went here with some friends for a brunch. Two in our group were vegan and waiting staff were very unaccommodating and gruffly said it wasn’t possible to alter the breakfast to make it vegan. Nice atmosphere otherwise and there was a vegan option available but with slim pickings. Would have been good to know the lack of flexibility in advance, even though it’s pretty unreasonable.