"Barry FitzGerald's Portobello room won a Michelin star in 2022 on cast-iron sourdough; book weeks ahead for a first date."
The bread comes first, a sourdough baked in the flat cast-iron pot that gives the restaurant its name. Bastible is Barry FitzGerald's dining room on the South Circular Road in Portobello, a small modern-Irish room that won a Michelin star in 2022 and has been one of the hardest weeknight bookings in Dublin since. The kitchen cooks a single seasonal set menu, currently 105 euros, built almost entirely on Irish produce at its peak. The bastible loaf, dense and tangy under a hard crust, is the test: get it right and the rest follows.
The Kitchen
Barry FitzGerald opened Bastible in 2015 with his wife Claire-Marie Thomas, turning a corner premises in Portobello into one of Dublin's most talked-about small restaurants. The kitchen has changed hands over the years, with Cúán Greene cooking here before leaving to start Ómós, but FitzGerald's standard has held, and the room earned its Michelin star in 2022. The cooking is modern Irish: one set menu, currently 105 euros, that changes with the season and leans on top Irish produce, with an open kitchen at the back where the chefs work the pass. The signature is the bread course, a sourdough baked in the cast-iron bastible the restaurant is named for, served with cultured butter; the menu around it has run to dishes such as scallop, mushroom custard, pea ravioli and game like pigeon and sika deer. Bastible sits at 111 South Circular Road, Dublin 8.
The Room
Bastible is small and unfussy, a converted corner shop rather than a grand dining room. There are around forty seats over two levels, tables close enough to feel full and warm on a busy night. Sound rises to a friendly hum when the room fills, more neighbourhood than hushed. Lighting is low and candle-warm against bare brick and plain wood. The open kitchen at the back gives the room its focus. Dress is smart-casual, no jacket needed, and the service is relaxed and well-informed rather than formal.
Best for a First Date in Dublin
Book Bastible for a first date because the room is built for two people getting to know each other. It is small and warm rather than cavernous, so the night feels intimate without being silent. The single set menu takes the pressure off ordering, leaving you free to talk while the kitchen makes the decisions. And the bread-and-butter opening gives you an easy, shared first thing to react to before the conversation finds its feet. Book a table on the upper level if you can, take the wine pairing, and let the set menu run. More ideas in our Dublin dining guide.
Not for
Not for walk-ins or big groups: Bastible is a small room with one set menu that books weeks ahead, best for a couple or a four who plan early.
Frequently Asked
Is Bastible worth it?
Yes, and it is one of the better-value Michelin meals in Dublin. Barry FitzGerald's Portobello room won its star in 2022 and cooks a single seasonal set menu, currently 105 euros, on top Irish produce, opening with the famous sourdough baked in a cast-iron bastible. The room is small and informal, so you are paying for the cooking, not the trappings. For a special dinner in our Dublin dining guide, it is a strong choice.
How hard is it to book Bastible?
Hard for weekends, easier midweek. Bastible is a small room of around forty seats with one set menu, and since the Michelin star, Friday and Saturday tables can be gone weeks ahead. Bookings open online on a rolling basis, so set a reminder for when your date releases. Wednesday and Thursday are the realistic options at short notice. For a specific occasion, book as early as the system allows.
What is the dress code at Bastible?
Smart-casual, with no jacket required. Bastible is a relaxed neighbourhood room rather than a formal dining room, so a nice shirt or a dress is plenty, and most diners dress for a good night out rather than a black-tie occasion. The mood is warm and informal, in keeping with the converted-shop setting. You will not feel underdressed in smart everyday clothes, nor out of place if you dress up a little.
What is the average meal price at Bastible?
The set menu is 105 euros a head, and that is the core of the bill. Wine pairings or bottles from the list add to it, so a dinner for two with wine typically lands somewhere around 300 euros. There is no a la carte, so the food cost is fixed and predictable, which makes budgeting the evening easy. For a one-star kitchen, the menu price is reasonable by Dublin standards.
What should I order at Bastible?
The menu is a set tasting, so the kitchen decides, but the bread course is the thing to anticipate: sourdough baked in the cast-iron bastible with cultured butter. Beyond that, the seasonal courses have run to scallop, mushroom custard, pea ravioli and game such as pigeon and sika deer. Add the wine pairing to let the team match each course. For other Dublin options, see our Dublin dining guide.