Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud

Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud is the grande dame of fine dining in Dublin. The French chef and restaurateur Patrick Guilbaud opened it in 1981 on James's Place East, and it later moved to its present home in the Merrion Hotel complex on Upper Merrion Street. The restaurant gained its first Michelin star in 1989 and its second in 1996, becoming the first in Dublin to hold two stars, a rating it has kept ever since. The Merrion Hotel continues to describe it as a two-star Michelin restaurant.

The restaurant is co-owned by Patrick Guilbaud and Stéphane Robin, who manages the dining room, and the kitchen is led by head chef Guillaume Lebrun. The style is classical French cooking applied to the best Irish produce: think refined sauces, careful seasoning and precise presentation rather than theatrical experimentation. Menus change through the seasons, and you can expect a choice of lunch, à la carte and tasting options; check the restaurant's own website for the current menus, as they are not published on the hotel's pages.

The dining room has the formality and polish you would expect from a restaurant of this reputation, and a two-star kitchen. It suits celebrations, business lunches and anyone who appreciates classic haute cuisine. Lunch is generally the more affordable way to enjoy the cooking, and it lets you combine the meal with an afternoon in the nearby museums. Families with older children who enjoy fine food will be made welcome, but this is not a casual drop-in spot.

Reservations are essential and should be made well in advance, particularly for weekend dinners and in the run-up to Christmas. Call the restaurant directly on +353 1 676 4192. Smart dress is the safe choice. Allow two to three hours for dinner, longer for a tasting menu. Mention any allergies or dietary requirements when booking so the kitchen can plan.

Upper Merrion Street is in the Georgian heart of the city, a short walk from Merrion Square, the National Gallery and the National Museum of Archaeology on Kildare Street. If you want to make a night of it, the Merrion's Cellar Bar and No. 23 cocktail bar are in the same building, and St Stephen's Green is five minutes away on foot.