Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen

What is it?

Dublin's best-known fine-dining restaurant: two Michelin stars with the Finnish chef Mickael Viljanen at the helm. It is in the basement of a Georgian house on Parnell Square, at the end of O'Connell Street, beneath the Writers Museum. The dining room is understated, with works by Irish artists on the walls, and the service is friendly without ceremony.

What is there to eat?

There is a lunch menu, a dinner menu and a tasting menu, using Irish produce and the technique of a chef who puts a lot of work into sauces and desserts. The website publishes sample menus but not prices: expect it to be the most expensive table in this guide. Lunch from Thursday to Saturday is the most accessible way to get to know it.

An important warning: the kitchen cannot adapt menus to be dairy-free, egg-free or plant-based. If you have any of those restrictions, this is not the place for you.

How to book

Only on its website, and well in advance. The diary opens in two-month blocks: the one for January and February 2027 opened on 3 November 2026; the one for March and April opens on 12 January 2027. If you are travelling on fixed dates, note the day down and book as soon as it opens.