The Unicorn

4.0

9 Reviews

€31 to €50

Italian

Make a reservation

2 people

Nov 24, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 15 times today

Good for special occasions
Good for business meals
Healthy

The Unicorn is an old popular Italian restaurant in Dublin. After closing a few years ago it has recently re-opened in 2024 under new management. It is located on Merrion Square, just a 10 minute walk from St. Stephen's Green. The Unicorn has been a cornerstone of Dublin's dining scene for decades, and under Kristan Burness's leadership, It will once again shine. The much loved Terrace, famous for long leisurely lunches will bring Merrion Court back to life with vibrant al fresco dining offering guests an unforgettable dining experience in the heart of the city.

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
€31 to €50
Cuisines
Italian, Comfort Food, Beer Garden
Hours of operation
Lunch Wed–Sat 12:00 pm–2:30 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
Phone number
087 000 6604
Website
http://www.unicornrestaurant.com/
Payment options
Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive chef
Kristan Burness

Location
12b Merrion court, Merrion Row, Dublin, Co. Dublin D02 V962
Neighborhood
St Stephen's Green
Parking details
None
Additional
Beer, Corkage Fee, Gluten-free Options, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, Wine

burrata di bufala
artisanal burrata, heritage tomato, basil cream
gamberoni piccante
sauteed king prawns, n duja butter & herbs, grilled focaccia
polpette di cinghiale
ballinwilliam wild boar meat ball, caramelised onion cream grilled focaccia
carpaccio
carpaccio of swordfish, hazelnut & lime avacado & fresh crab

main course

ragu bolognese di cerva
classic ragu of wicklow deer, fresh hand cut pappardelle
risotto con funghi ai tartufo
carnaroli risotto, seasonal mushroom's & fresh black truffle
pollo
breast & leg of free range chicken, cacciatorie style
nasello al vapore
hake fillet, spiced calamari croquetta, samphire & lobster sauce
bistecca di manzo
sirloin of irish dry aged beef, wild mushroom, shallot & pancetta ragu truffle mash
- ten euro supp€10.00

sides

sage double cooked fries€6.50
fagiolini, green beans, poor mans pesto€6.50
insalata di giorno€6.50
garlic & truffle mash€7.00

Dessert

crostata al limone
amalfi lemon tart, blackberry sorbet
unicorn tiramisu
hazelnut, disaranno & chocolate
torta di mele
warm apple tart, salted caramel ice cream
fondante cioccolato
valrhona chocolate fondant, pistachio & pistachio ice cream

What 9 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.0

4 based on recent ratings

4.3Food
3.8Service
3.5Ambience
3.8Value

Noise • Moderate

9 Reviews

A
Alice
London
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our dinner was a joy from beginning to end. The food and wine were sensational but what you can’t get elsewhere is the atmosphere. I put this down to an exceptional staff led by the charismatic and intuitive Zelda. Wow she MAKES the place- loved by all, she is a total pro. Thrilled with the return of this Dublin institution.
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B
Brendan
London
34 reviews
vip
2.0
34 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 2
2. Food 3
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
I was a frequent customer in the past and was very disappointed on this visit. I was not greeted when I arrived and had to put my coat on the rack myself as did my guest when they arrived after me. I asked three different servers for a non-alcoholic beer before I got one. I ordered bread and olive oil and got bread and garlic butter. We didn’t have starters and our main courses of prawn linguini and ragu of deer were only adequate. My guest asked for desert which took an age to arrive and was tasteless. I ordered a flat white and got an expresso. While I appreciate that it was very cold outside, every time the outer door was opened, we experienced an icy blast of air. When the bill arrived I paid with a card and asked the waiter to add a tip of approximately 10%. He said he couldn’t add it on the card but then brought a different card machine with a tip option pre-programmed. The minimum was 15% which I reluctantly added. On checking my card payment afterwards, I noticed that the merchant was listed as dfcParking Malpensa! Never again!
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E
Eoin
Dublin
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 16, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Back in the Unicorn just a week after they re-opened. Everything was fantastic. The food and service was as good as ever. I wish the new owners all the best, and I will definitely be returning.
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M
Mary
Dublin
9 reviews
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on November 15, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had a fabulous night. Food was amazing. Lovely to meet one of the restaurant owner’s Justin. Staff very helpful and friendly. Great memories of times gone my.
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J
John
Dublin
2 reviews
2.0
2 reviews
Dined on November 15, 2024
1. Overall 2
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 2
Having been a fan of the “old” Unicorn I was looking forward to a return: unfortunately the experience was far from my expectation. The ambiance was cold and the restaurant felt like a number of tables had been covered with white table clothes and placed in what had previously been a yet to be finished construction site. The plaster on the wall behind our table was still wet and the fire extinguisher on the wall was covered in dust and plaster. The toilets were far below the standard expected with badly fitted fittings. However, the service was good and the food was tasty but certainly overpriced.
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t
tom
Dublin
6 reviews
3.0
6 reviews
Dined on November 15, 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 1
Food and service very good Restaurant felt a bit like a pop up restaurant Great pity that a little more effort with the ambience would make a big difference Pity
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E
Enda
Dublin
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 14, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
So good to be back there. The food was phenomenal, beautiful true Italian meals. The staff - brilliant and they believe in the project the Chef is building. And a very strong and reasonably priced wine list.
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D
David
Dublin
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on November 9, 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
Great to see the Unicorn back on the map. We were frequent diners in it's original ownership. Having regard to the fact that we visited last night, which was the first public night, it was a bit unfinished and rough around the edges. Order mistakes were made, but quickly rectified. Zelda, Manager, was very open about their teething issues - so fair play. Food was great, albeit, with a quite limited menu. A bit pricey. The piano bar at the back is lovely. Wish the Unicorn great future success
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C
Conor
Dublin
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on November 8, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Lovely meal back in the Unicorn, didn’t realise it was opening night until we arrived. Friendly service like the old days, we had a mix of starters, and mostly pasta for mains, all were top class. The wine recommendation was spot on also. Great to see this place open again , wish them the very best
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FAQs

The Unicorn is rated 4 stars by 9 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Nov 24, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 15 times today

12b Merrion court, Merrion Row, Dublin, Co. Dublin D02 V962

Dining areas

Additional information

Neighborhood
St Stephen's Green
Hours of operation
Lunch Wed–Sat 12:00 pm–2:30 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
Price
€31 to €50
Cuisines
Italian, Comfort Food, Beer Garden
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
None
Payment options
Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Kristan Burness
Additional
Beer, Corkage Fee, Gluten-free Options, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, Wine

Website
http://www.unicornrestaurant.com/
Phone number
087 000 6604

The Unicorn

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information

Menu

starters

burrata di bufala

gamberoni piccante

polpette di cinghiale

carpaccio

main course

ragu bolognese di cerva

risotto con funghi ai tartufo

pollo

nasello al vapore

bistecca di manzo

sides

sage double cooked fries€6.50

fagiolini, green beans, poor mans pesto€6.50

insalata di giorno€6.50

garlic & truffle mash€7.00

Dessert

crostata al limone

unicorn tiramisu

torta di mele

fondante cioccolato

What 9 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

How is The Unicorn restaurant rated?

Is The Unicorn currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information