The Greenhouse - Dublin

The Greenhouse seems to be the “it” restaurant in Dublin at the moment.  There has been much fanfare with the opening of the restaurant, and its chef, Mikael Viljanen.

Although only opened for several months, many are anticipating a Michelin Star from The Greenhouse.  Unfortunately, The Greenhouse did not get a Michelin start this year, but they are definitely headed in the right direction.

Chef Viljanen is very creative and many of the dishes have a molecular gastronomy spin on them.

The restaurant is extremely small, only 40 seats.  Eating at The Greenhouse is more of an experience, so they won’t rush you out the door trying to turn over tables.

With all of the recent publicity, trying to get a reservation isn’t easy at the last minute.  It is suggested that reservations be made at least one week in advance.

I was fortunate to get a lunch reservation.  I had tried to walk-in the night before, but there were no openings and the kitchen was closing.  We decided to eat at One Pico instead and the General Manager there, Andrew, called The Greenhouse to see if they could squeeze us in the following day.  He was able to get a lunch reservation, and the General Manager, David O’Brien, from The Greenhouse even came over to One Pico to introduce himself and said he was looking forward to us eating there the following day.

We ordered the Chef’s Choice Five Course Tasting Menu.

Bread Basket

The meal started off with an amuse bouche of a maitake mushroom cream puff.  A perfectly light and crunchy cream puff shell encasing, a rich earthy filling of mushrooms.

Amuse Bouche

The first course was foie gras, royale and frozen, green apple and candied nuts.  This dish is a grab bag of flavors, textures and temperatures.  Pairing the earthy and velvety foie gras with the tartness of green apples, and the sweet crunchiness of nuts will keep your taste buds dancing and wanting more.

Foie Gras Royale

The second course was a Jerusalem artichoke veloute with truffle oil.  The soup is silky smooth.  The truffle oil adds some richness and earthiness to the dish.  A very well balanced course.

Jerusalem Artichoke Veloute

The third course was cod, smoked mussels and cauliflower puree with hazelnut oil.  The cod was cooked to perfection.  Still slightly translucent in the middle, the delicate flavor rose right to the top.  The smoked mussels were tender and did not overpower the cod.  The cauliflower puree added some earthiness to the dish.  A great way to start the meal.

The fourth course was venison, pumpkin puree, roasted shallots and bacon.  The venison was a perfect medium rare.  The roasted shallots added some sweetness to the dish.  The pumpkin puree added some earthiness, while the bacon added some saltiness and a textural contrast.

Venison

The meal ended with a dessert of chocolate, carmelized onions, with sorbet and a mousse like dish, and milk solid crisps.  The dish just did not work for me.  The sorbet and mousse was strange to have as a dessert and was rather tart.  Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of the ingredient and lost my notes, but it is something that is usually associated with savory dishes rather than desserts.  To me it did not pair well with the chocolate.

Dessert

The menu at The Greenhouse is very ambitious and creative, but certainly in the right hands with Chef Viljanen at the helm.

Joshua House

Dawson Street

Dublin 2

Edinburgh EH7 5HN