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The Unicorn, Dublin, Co. Dublin

The Unicorn

4.0
4
13 Reviews
€31 to €50
Italian

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2 people
20:30
Booked 21 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.

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
  • Payment Options
    Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Kristan Burness

What 13 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
  • 4.4Food
  • 3.9Service
  • 3.6Ambience
  • 3.9Value

NoiseModerate

13 Reviews
  1. Merrins1

    London

    9 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    9 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 1
    We were looking forward to going “back” to the Unicorn. On arrival we were met with a damp awful smell. Obvious building was not occupied for a long time. Service was good. Menu had limited choices. We had burrata and tomatoes . Tomatoes were tasteless. Bread was cold and dry. We asked to be toasted which it was, then it was nice. We had Risotto and prawn pasta. Risotto was lovely but would have liked more rice. Wine list limited but good quality. Toilets were not clean. Overall disappointing and won’t be going back

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  2. Oliver

    New York City

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Best scallops and beautiful main course. The standard of food was superb. Highly recommended.

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  3. Chris

    Dublin

    5 reviews

    4.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Great performance from a great team …. A stripped down version of the original… but superb quality. I had Prawns to start good texture … great sauce remember to ask for bread followed by an amazing Hake… perfect! Well priced Italian Sauvignon blanc … great value all round!

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  4. Sinead

    Dublin

    7 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Loved it! Great food, service and fun! Shout out for the Risotto. Perfection.

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  5. Alice

    London

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 22 November 2024

    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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  6. Brendan

    London

    34 reviews

    2.0

    34 reviews

    Dined on 22 November 2024

    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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  7. Eoin

    Dublin

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 16 November 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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  8. Mary

    Dublin

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on 15 November 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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  9. John

    Dublin

    2 reviews

    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 15 November 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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  10. tom

    Dublin

    6 reviews

    3.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 15 November 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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FAQs

The Unicorn is rated 4 stars by 13 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
20:30
Booked 21 times today
Google Map for The Unicorn

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

Additional information

  • Area
    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
    Gluten-free Options, Vegan
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  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
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