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.
A popular name that could well be a household one if more people could afford to eat there, Library Street must have its kitchen under immense pressure to deliver. Part of the reason for that is the fact that the restaurant makes it to every “best restaurants in Dublin” list.
The concept is sharing plates, both the small and large kind. Service is standard; I was expecting to be blown away given how talked about the place is. Dishes on the menu range from €3.5 to €38, with a diverse selection of creatively used ingredients.
The tartine sourdough, served with soft butter, has a crusty outside and soft insides. It’s one of those bread courses that lingers on your mind weeks after the meal. A second starter of marinated peppers with salsa verde and pickled kohlrabi was expertly prepared: the peppers were cooked enough to be tender, and the salsa verde and crunchy kohlrabi added a welcome punch.
A portion of pumpkin risotto was creamy, topped with pumpkin cubes and parmesan shavings. Every mouthful was comforting and pleasantly cheesy. The star of the show, however, was the turbot head, chargrilled with miso and preserved lemon. With crisp outsides and tender insides, it was savoury with a hint of umami. A lemon wedge that came alongside was put to good use; the lemon cut through the fish’s natural flavour beautifully. The tartness, along with the other flavours, made each bite incredibly satisfying.
Our sides were chargrilled January King cabbage with kimchi and dukkah and fondant potatoes — both excellent. The cabbage had a good crunch, both on its own and from the sesame seeds that coated it. Cylindrical fondant potatoes were buttery and soft, forks and knives cutting through them smoothly and coming out clean.
Dessert was just as impressive as the rest of the food: a chocolate and hazelnut bar served with salted caramel ice cream. It had a rich, cake-like consistency, with chocolate that was neither too much nor scarce. The ice cream provided a nice contrast with its slight saltiness and also in terms of temperature. Overall, the dessert rounded out the meal beautifully.
Library Street is the sort of food destination where high praise seems both well-earned and overrated, the latter only because no other aspect besides the food is excellent. Service could be warmer and more friendly, and the space is standard with decor that isn’t groundbreaking. However, I’d gladly return just for the food, even if the management has found it appropriate to charge €2 per person for tap water, making it the mark of a spot that knows it can get away with things other restaurants can’t.
