We were only in Dublin for two nights, and wanted a good, somewhat indulgent meal. Luckily, we were able to get reservations on Saturday evening to Variety Jones, which did the trick quite nicely.

It's a small place, narrow and cozy. Chef-owner Keelan Higgs makes what he likes, and only serves a six-course shared tasting menu, which varies daily, but which always includes: snacks, cold, warm, pasta, main, and after. I thought I might as well get the wine pairings to go with it, and I must say that they were all quite good, and complemented the various components of the meal rather nicely.

It's rather an international menu. The wines came from all over Europe: Spain, Germany, Portugal, Slovenia, France, and Italy. The food is what they call "modern Irish" but it has influences from a wide variety of cuisines. Our favorite course was the first collection of snacks, especially the oysters with Vietnamese dressing and the smoked mussels. We were also big fans of the curried crab in hot and sour sauce, served with a small loaf of brioche to mop up the liquid--we didn't want to waste a drop. The spaghetti alfredo was delicate and tasty. And the dessert, lemon drizzle cake, with sheep yoghurt, fruit, and goat curd ice cream, was an elevated version of strawberry and rhubarb shortbread. (That being said, I have no complaints about the duck parfait with blood orange and potato waffles, nor the lamb with asparagus, shiitake mushrooms, and potatoes.)

After we ate, we found, a block away, a portion of the Old Dublin City wall. The city walls were initially built by Norse–Gaels (otherwise known as Ostmen) in the 9th century, and repaired and improved by the Anglo-Normans in the early 1170s. So an internationally-inspired restaurant really seems completely appropriate for a vibrant, diverse city with a long history and a complicated past.

ADDRESS:

78 Thomas Street

Dublin 8

TELEPHONE:

+01 551 7845

HOURS:

closed Sundays through Tuesdays

Wednesday through Saturday open 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm

WEBSITE:

https://www.varietyjones.ie/home

PHOTO CREDIT: Tripadvisor