Reviews

There have been changes in the Town Bar & Grill empire and a lot of trauma.  The huge satellite restaurant, South, in Sandyford did well until the economy started to go... er... south.  Its demise even threatened to bring down the original of the species, Town Bar & Grill in  Kildare Street and Bridge on Grand Canal Street (which is now a cheerful family-style restaurant and doing a lot better than before).  There was much controversy, name-calling and the unedifying sound of creditors baying for blood on Joe Duffy’s Liveline.

Anyway, things seem to be settling down again and while the original chef, Temple Garner, has headed off to pastures new, Town Bar & Grill has returned to its former self, the restaurant it was when it first opened and brought its curious combination of chunky Italian food with vaguely American influences to a Dublin that had not seen that kind before.

The food here has always been good and the service ranks among the best in Dublin.  Owner Ronan Ryan has a very local crew (and many suppliers who were very understanding of the restaurant’s recent plight, knowing that Town is an institution).  The thing about town is that it has become something of a club for a certain kind of Dublin diner and in some ways it reflects the fact that this capital of ours is just a big village