Rustic Stone (Ireland: Dublin)

South Great George's St, Dublin 2, Ireland, Tel: 00 353 (0) 1 7079596


Rustic Stone by Dylan McGrath is a relatively new restaurant opened by the Irish celebrity chef in 2010. McGrath climbed up the ranks of ‘celebrity chefs’ during his attempt to gain a Michelin star rating for his restaurant, Mint, within just six months (show Pressure Cooker), which he successfully achieved. The restaurant, however, was closed in 2009 due to the economic downturn of the country.

Now, while Rustic Stone is more “gastronomy for the masses”, food delivery and presentation is still outstanding. The menu is highly descriptive, and full of nutritional detail written in ‘first person’ to the diner by McGrath himself.  The menu is broken up into sections; Bites, starters, pastas, off and on the stone, salads, sides and desserts. This allows the diner to either enjoy a tasty ‘snack’, or go out for a full blown three/four course meal, while still paying a reasonable price. 



The main concept of Rustic Stone, is to finish the cooking at your table.The menu has a lot of healthy choices, which all sound scrumptious and look amazing!

Chicken Wings (€9.95)

Mentioned on the menu as the "city's favourtie", the chicken wings at the Rustic Stone definitely lived up to this expectation. From the Bites section, cooked in sticky soya and crushed roasted sesame seeds and served with red sprouts and coriander. The meat was falling of the bone, and the flavours speak for themselves. Succulent and juicy, this dish is great to have as a snack or a starter to share.

Beetroot broth infused with orange and dill (€5.25)

The beetroot broth, served cold as a starter, had an impressive presentation. The anticipation of the flavour, having seen the oranges and dill in the bowl, was definitely a feast for the eyes. This dish is such a treat, the flavours fuse well together, and each has a distinct presence in the overall taste. This is almost a light and delightful version of the Russian Borscht. Divine!

Ribeye of beef with Prawn Glaze (€27)

The 'off or on the stone section' is directly correlated with the name of the restaurant, Rustic Stone, and is the highlight of the menu. The concept is "finish cooking on your table". While the idea is not original, it is a novelty for a Dublin restaurant. 

I ordered the Ribeye steak with prawn glaze, and a side of polenta chips.

The steak came out looking impressive! The kitchen seared the top side, flipped it on the piping hot stone (which stays hot for 25mins), and brought it out cooked rare. It was now up to me to finish off the cooking to my liking. 

Ribeye cut in half cooking on the stone

For the next ten or so minutes I was busy cutting the stake, making sure the steak was not overcooked, and re-arranging plates in preparation for eating the cooked steak. Further, the spitting fat was getting on everything in sight. Basically, too much to think about. Once I finally finished cooking, my side of polenta chips had gone cold!

Polenta chips with rosemary (€4.25)

I did enjoy the spectacle of this dish, and the prawns and the prawn glaze gave an impressive version of a 'reef and beef'. Next time however, I shall choose the "off the stone" option, and have the kitchen cook it pink for me instead. 

The polenta chips really are the closest version to a 'healthy' chip. A great idea, and they taste divine. Served with shaved parmesan and pink peppercorns.  

Overall, the service was good, attentive, even though we were sitting outside (although the bill took a little longer to come once requested), and the staff knowledgeable about the menu and the wine. 

This place is a treat, and should be on the list when visiting Dublin!

Check out the Rustic Stone restaurant web site here.

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