There’s a scene in the hit TV drama, Succession, where Tom Wambsgans opens a bottle of Spätburgunder from the German vineyard he owns with his wife Siobhan “Shiv” Roy. It’s biodynamic, he tells her, as he swirls and sniffs the glass, before concluding that it has quite a funk to it, it’s agricultural, and uh. . . not very nice.
It’s a metaphor for the state of his marriage and his life, but it’s also one of those delicious one-percenters that makes this show so sharp. It’s a dig at the farmyard whiff you can sometimes get from natural wines; funky or faulty, depending which side of the wine making divide you are on. Or in the case of Dublin, which part of the city.
Quite different
Donnybrook, in the heart of Ross O'Carroll-Kelly territory, is not where you'd expect to find a wine bar with biodynamic wines, but then, Dorian is quite different. The exposed redbrick walls and globe pendant lights have a manicured look, and the bar that is poised to be the heart of the restaurant, once we're all allowed to party again, is a focal point downstairs. The open kitchen pass makes it all feel quite casual, if a little bit bright.
But for now, it’s upstairs to the main restaurant, a bit moodier, with deep malachite green walls, and time for a cocktail on the dark wooden table. A Man About Town, €12, is a delicious take on the classic rye Boulevardier, from a cocktail list that is well worth exploring.
The format here is somewhere between small sharing plates (with a few larger ones that change daily), and a traditional three-course route. Preferring the small plates approach, the pile-up ensues. First, duck rillettes on crostini, €8, succulent shreds of confited foul nudged with some finely chopped cornichons on very good Le Levain sourdough.
It’s hard to beat a hands-off approach when it comes to crab and the white meat on thin discs of kohlrabi, dressed with pickled cucumber and lemon oil, €15, is simple and fresh. The jumbo shrimp cocktail “crunchy Gangnam style”, €15, I discover, is quite simple too; three deep-fried shrimp in a lacy tempura-style batter served in a bowl with a spicy gochujang Marie Rose dipping sauce and a small mound of dressed rocket.
Like most of the prawns you’ll find in restaurants, they are imported. These are from Ecuador, but according to Harshal Shah, the manager here, a number of options were trialed. The Dublin Bay prawns were too small and the European carabineros were too expensive for what they wanted to offer.
Shah, a sommelier, who previously worked in Pembroke Wines, has ensured that the mark-up on his wine list is lower than the industry average and while it doesn’t feature the more “agricultural” natural wines, you’ll find biodynamic producers like David Moret and d’Arenberg, along with organic and low intervention wines. There’s plenty by the glass and a good number of bottles below €40. We opt for the Dorian Aligoté, €40, a white Burgundy produced especially for the restaurant. It is fresh and crisp, perfect for what we’ve ordered.
The Hokkaido pumpkin, roasted with Highbank Farm organic apple syrup (€19) is a vegetarian dish that I imagine, will be a mainstay of the menu. Alchemic flavours come together, the edges of the pumpkin caramelised and sweet, a puddle of labneh and the rich nuttiness of toasted hazelnuts.
Cooked beautifully
For our large plate, we share a spatchcocked poussin, €28: I seldom order chicken when I’m out, but this is cooked beautifully. It is served on sliced chanterelles, which add a meaty note to the jus. If you want sides, it’s an additional €6 for roast potatoes with aioli, or rocket salad.
There are just two options for dessert; we go for the Calvados doughnut with salted caramel and apple, €12, a take on a rum baba which is a little oversweet and underwhelming.
You could run up quite a bill in Dorian, and that’s not just on the wine list, so sharing a selection of small plates and one main course seems to be the way to go. It will get harder, I imagine, to keep a hold on your budget once the no-standing prohibition and curfews are lifted. But that’s when this place will come into its own, with the Roaring Twenties vibe and cocktails around the bar. And maybe even a glass or two of biodynamic wine.
Dinner for two, a bottle of wine and a cocktail was €149
- Verdict Tasty dishes, good wine and plenty of fun
- Facilities Unisex, smart and compact
- Food provenance Crab from Dundrum Bay, Co Down, prawns from Ecuador, vegetables Castleruddery and French organic
- Music Ella Fitzgerald, Glen Miller and jazz sounds
- Vegetarian options Yes, and vegetarian dishes can be adapted for vegans. "Alchemic" Hokkaido pumpkin dish is exceptional
- Wheelchair access Downstairs room is accessible, lower tables available with prior notice, and there is a wheelchair toilet
