Cosily situated in Mount Merrion, overlooking the bright lights of Dublin city, Michael’s has been part of the neighbourhood since 1999. It’s old school Italian bistro in style, with a big warm welcome and walls of wine and food to buy.
Following a stint at a gastropub, chef Gareth (Gaz) Smith, along with his wife Rita, returned as chef-owner to his old stomping ground at Michael’s. Cooking from the wide open kitchen, he has built a strong reputation for bold flavours and hearty food and loves to cook food that people enjoy.
The seafood offering has been ramped up since Gaz’s return and is proving popular with customers. Look out for the daily specials fresh from the trawler, including delicate monkfish fritto, Howth Bay garlic crab claws, or maybe bowls of Irish wild mussels in a creamy sauce of white wine, garlic and lemon.
Italian food, long the backbone of Michael’s, still features with starters of duck and mushroom arancini, plates of antipasto, but now this is now balanced by the large offering of Irish seafood.
Steak is another passion, with beautifully dry-aged Irish steaks sourced from local butcher, Michael Madden at The Village Butcher in Ranelagh. On Wednesdays, it’s time for steak night, where it’s possible to enjoy a steak and a glass of wine for just €22.95 to €28.
The wine list features a rotating selection of staff picks, along with the option to buy a bottle at a discount to enjoy later at home. Manager Sayid Talha Pasha is a qualified sommelier and he loves nothing better than to create refreshing, Prosecco-based cocktails to enjoy as an aperitif.
It's very family-friendly place, with colouring sheets and crayons to keep little hands busy and the staff are wonderful with children, especially Talha. And kids enjoy going up to the pass to chat to Gareth - he makes them feel welcome and special here and many will have been brought into the kitchen to try their hand at cooking. Best of all, he serves up one of the best child-friendly menus around and encourages children to try new things, especially fish. This approach makes it extra relaxed for parents who get to escape the nuggets nightmare while enjoying the kind of grown-up food they want to eat.
Michael’s has managed to retain much of its original rustic charm, while offering genuinely friendly and warm service and a special welcome for families. All this, combined with Gaz’s genuine love for food and strong flavours, makes it highly popular with the lucky locals - and a must-visit destination for food lovers visiting the area.
