This review is the second among a set of two and a part of the Turned Tables series. You may find the first review in this set on Instagram.

The dictionary meaning of “comfort zone” fortunately includes anything with multiple reassuring attributes, so I can easily say Big Mike’s is mine. There’s no denying that it ticks all the right boxes: close enough to home, an entire naturally-lit area dedicated to drinks and snacks, expert food in a separate, relaxed setting, and upbeat staff who treat everyone with equal consideration. 

I’ve visited four times, which has allowed me to indulge four different kinds of comfort already. My first time was a calm evening spent in the cocktail terrace, where I looked the setting sun in the eye as I sipped on a cold limoncello spritz. If Dublin ever got a beach bar, I imagine that’s what it’d be like. 

A second visit became impossible to avoid when my Instagram algorithm showed me a caption-less photo from the Big Mike’s Instagram page: a cocktail with a chilli resting daintily but self-assuredly on its salted rim. Without hesitation, I asked the staff for “the cocktail with the chilli on your Instagram” and a pastel, clementine-hued concoction was placed before me within the next ten minutes. It had a strong kick that came from the tequila, to which the chilli added another, subtler one.  

Options for bar snacks have been put together so well that they’re visibly more thoughtful than the list of mains at many other places. I got what seemed to be the freshest crab meat in the city, served with subtly garlicky ajo blanco, zingy chorizo oil, fresh mango salsa, croutons and pickled cucumber. It’s rare for a kitchen to be able to pull off such a diverse mix of ingredients without the result being try-hard, but Big Mike’s succeeds at it in phenomenal ways.

The restaurant has always been vocal about its passion for seafood, and their commitment to freshness is evident on both the menu and owner Gaz Smith’s social media. That makes my urge to try their vegetarian dishes every time I’m there seem ironic, but not surprising, as the choice of ingredients and the way they’re orchestrated would tempt even the staunchest carnivores. 

During my most recent visit, a burrata tartlet amuse bouche (with confit tomato salsa, basil pesto and toasted almonds) set a very high bar for the rest of the meal. And of course, a main of linguini in wild garlic cream sauce wowed me in every way. Chopped asparagus and mushrooms gave it dimension, and the pleasant, jelly-like pickled egg yolk topping was a stroke of genius. I visited with my mother who is a vegetarian, and the staff were happy to replace the Caesar dressing in the side of tenderstem broccoli with garlic aioli — without us having to ask. 

Besides being accommodating, respectful and willing to help, Smith’s team members whizz across the room to deliver each dish in record time. How effortless the food looks despite the precision and thought that goes into it is astonishing and also commendable. It takes a highly skilled restaurant team to ensure everything is well-organised and easygoing at the same time. I’ll willingly return for more of that energy, and hopefully one of their celebrated seafood platters — if it can finally pull me in more strongly than the exciting vegetarian options.