La Caverna Restaurant and Wine Bar

Celebrated my parents 50^th here on a last minute reservation. We got the best table in the place. The table by the wine rack in the downstaires basement cave. Great intimate setting.
We were in ireland for one week. From Galway to kinsale to Dublin. La caverna was our favorite place for the best meal. Atmosphere and service was outstanding. You can’t go wrong with the salmon and prawns dish. Moist warm chunk of salmon in this amazing butter sauce tasted like lobster.
Our server was great and gladly took group pics for us and with us. I would recommend this place for anyone coming to Dublin. It’s in a cool safe area a block from the temple bar district.

When you grow tired of typical Irish pub fare (and don’t get me wrong – I love me some Guinness), this is a great, comfortable change of pace. Simply, this is an Italian restaurant that does its job.

Great tacos. Try the pickled onions ! Best thing I’ve tried so far! The beef tacos was so good. Try the hibiscus drink
Quite refreshing

I like this place so much.
The location is very convenient. At Temple Bar, just beside the Central Bank. The nice thing is that when you look at it from the outside it does not look very interesting, but once you get inside, all change. The place is just lovely and cozy. Before I went there I knew they had a beautiful cellar but it was all busy that night. We were a big group and they set us upstairs. The deco is pretty cool and Italian. It looks a nice options for couples too.
The food was delicious and the price was OK. I had a tray of meat as a starter and the risotto as main.
The wine list provided us with some laughs. The wine descriptions were so well-​done that we couldn’t help but read them aloud. Some of them were even sexy, believe me.
Very good options for dessert, it was actually hard to decide. They give their own name to their dessert so you will probably need to ask the waitress which one is what.
Going back there again for b-​day dinner. Yeah, we def like it.

Was a little slow to try this place when my friend recommended we eat in Temple Bar. To say I was surprised is an understatement. It doesn’t look much from the outside, but once you pass through the doors you are met with one of the loveliest restaurants in Ireland.
We ate in the Cellar area downstairs and everything from the food to the service was top notch. The flamboyant owner even took time to speak to us as though we were old friends.
Can’t recommend this place highly enough. 5 stars.

I have been to La Caverna a number of times mostly for family occasions.
We were here again at the weekend, dinner for seven people. The service is spot on and for such a small place they give you plenty of time to enjoy your meal and never pressure to leave.
If your looking fore somewhere for a family doo this would be a good place, the food covers all the bases from sea food, pizza to steak.
The wine list is getting a bit annoying because a lot of the wines listed are not available at the moment?
Overall a good night out and a relaxing place to meet up.

My favourite restaurant in Dublin since I moved here from Galway.
I’ve had the two course early bird here on multiple occasions and I’ve never been left disappointed. The menu isn’t actually that limited as they allow you to choose any pizza or pasta on top of all other options on the early bird menu. The pasta is a go to for me each time.
It’s a great spot for couples, it’s quite small but romantic. The downstairs is designed like you’re in a cave, which i would highly recommend for a big group of people — a Christmas party or birthday celebration would be ideal. I’m actually planning a surprise birthday party here for my friend next month.
The staff are very friendly, good speedy service and always accommodate to your needs. A great atmosphere in there every time.
It’s the most amazing food, for great value. If we head there after 7pm (early bird menu no longer available) I tend to lean towards the t-​bone steak — a steal at € 23 and by far up there with the nicest steak I’ve had in Dublin — my boyfriend agrees, who has lived here all of his life. Served with chips and pepper sauce, my mouth is watering at the thought! The mussels are also a must.

Food was very good. Started out with a pleasant Polish waitress who was very attentive. Just before our meals were served it all went south. Another waiter pretty much told us we had to move downstairs to another table to make for another larger party. No sort of accommodation was offered for our inconvenience. We were then served by random staff at this point. Not impressed.

I went for dinner with some friends in Leeson St. and then I went to meet my OH with six of his family who were having dinner in La Caverna. I started having dinner with my friends at 7pm. They started at 8pm.
I arrived at the restaurant planning to have dessert with them at 10:30. I’d had a started and main, walked from Leeson St. and arrived two and a half hours into their booking, which they had actually arrived early for. Plenty of time for their starters, mains, and for me to join them at dessert right?
When I arrived at 10:30 they hadn’t even been given their mains yet. It was very busy and they had a number of large tables (hen parties, a birthday party, etc) but that it no excuse for how slow the service was. I confirmed straight away that I was not ordering and might order dessert so that it wouldn’t slow down the main courses but it was still about 11pm before they came out. Everyone at the table was ravenous.
The food that came out was delicious looking and I tried some of my OH’s venison and it was beautifully cooked, but considering how long it took, it should have been. The staff forgot one of the mains so one of the party had to wait an extra 20 minutes after everyone else. I think everyone’s main problem was that the staff didn’t offer apologies or reassurance that the food would be coming out any time soon until just before the main courses were served. Not that you would want to fill up on bread, but it wasn’t even offered to curb hunger pangs. As an apology the group were offered vouchers off their NEXT visit which I think was pretty poor, because based on that meal there was no way any of us were coming back for a repeat visit. It took an age to get the bill also. All in all not impressed in the slightest. It is a pity as the OH said the food was good, but he also said he was so hungry at that point that a burger from McDonalds just down the road was starting to sound like a delicious option.
I understand that things go wrong, people call in sick, it’s busier than expected, etc. But this was a Saturday night!

Yes! An Italian place I actually like eating in!
La Caverna is my favourite little piece of Italy in Dublin. I recently attended a birthday get together here for my sister and I loved the atmosphere. We were a little cramped in the corner but it was warm and interesting. Certainly a romantic location!
It was plain to see how understaffed the restaurant was but this in no way reflected the excellent level of service we received. The menu is great. They’ve something for the big spenders and something for those of us with tighter purse strings.
I decided on wings to start. The wings weren’t amazing — then again I don’t recall Italy being the wing capital of the western world. I managed to steal a piece of my mothers bruschetta and it left me wishing I had ordered that instead. Amazing flavours and fresh ingredients. Perfect!
I had a wonderful tortellini afterwards done in a wonderful white cream sauce. So good!
We were the last ones leaving the restaurant and were never rushed by the wait staff. In fact they seemed to enjoy the company a little.
Wonderful little gem, highly recommend this place to anyone who likes good, fresh food.

My husband and I came here after we got one of those deal rush coupons. The place was quite empty when we arrived, although we did come for an early dinner (6pm on a Saturday). I guess I was just a bit surprised because I figured with it being in Temple Bar, and it being a saturday, that they would have more people. We were at in the basement, which is decorated like an old wine cellar. Just a bit of warning, it is tight quarters down there, but that was no bother for us. Also, you will not get ANY cell reception down there either.
As a starter we ordered the bruchetta and meat plate. Both were FANTASTIC! We gobbled them up quite quickly. For my main dish, I got the «La Caverna Garlic Chicken.» I will admit, I LOVE garlic, so for me it was really tasty, but others may find the garlic a bit over powering. I’m not sure if it was by accident, but my chicken was served over garlic mashed potatoes, and I was given a side dish of cheesy garlic potatoes. All of it was tasty, but again, a LOT of garlic, and a TON of food. I should have just ordered this and no appetizer. My husband ordered the Rack of Lamb, medium rare. He was quite happy that the lamb came out cooked EXACTLY medium rare, because sometimes when we go out the food does not come out quite as rare as he requests. I did steal a bite of his when he wasn’t looking, and it was SOOOO tender, juicy, and tasty. I’ll admit, it gave me order envy. I’m for sure ordered the rack of lamb the next time we go.
The manager came by and checked on us often, she kept saying «my friends»… How are we doing my friends? Are we all done my friends? It was actually quite cute and nice to know that they cared about how our meal was, even if the restaurant wasn’t busy, and even though we did have a deal rush voucher. I feel some places pay less attention to you if you have a voucher and aren’t paying full price. But the service here was GREAT! I’m happy we ordered two, and we will definitely be visiting this restaurant again. Only this time I’m getting the lamb…

La Caverna is the best restaurant I’ve been to so far since moving to Dublin from California a few months ago. I went there for a dinner date with my boyfriend.
I had the mussels and spaghetti and my boyfriend had the venison steak. Both were perfection — especially the venison.
If you’re looking for a romantic night out, this is your place. I love that it’s in Temple Bar because it’s easy to grab an after dinner drink or gelato with live Irish music in what I think is the most charming district in all of Dublin.
If you check in on Facebook, they’ll give you 30% off your next meal, so it goes without saying that we’ll be back soon!

I went to La Caverna for a dinner date with my beau last week. He had made a reservation which we were very late for (had I known there was a reservation I would have been there on time as I am in the industry and know how annoying it is when people dont show or show late) We arrived there at about 9:30pm and was greated by a nice young man with menus in hand. Apart from us there was one other couple there enjoying a meal, but it was Tuesday night!
The inside is quite nice, and I can imagine would have a nice atmosphere if it were more full of people. The tables have really cool little fish tanks sunk into them with a couple of tiny fish inside. There was nice music playing in the background, I can’t quite remember what but it suited the mood for sure.
We ordered a nice bottle of Valpolicella for the meal and it arrived after two glasses of iced tapwater which we didnt ask for but was appreciated. For starters we ordered the Chicken Wings and Calamari. I’m a huge calamari (and any fish) fan and these were delivered in a short time and were perectly cooked, placed on a bed of green salad with a beautiful lightly spiced tomato sauce for dipping. A winner for me-​only complaint was there was not enough of them! I don’t eat wings but after finishing my calamari so quickly I indulged in one or two, a good sized portion which my dining partner thoroughly enjoyed with a nice blue-​cheese dressing.
For main courses, we enjoyed a t-​bone steak and a venison steak. Unfortunatley, despite the venison being cooked and served as I had requested the t-​bone was more than slightly over cooked (we asked for meduim and got welldone). These were served with a side of garlic gratin potatoes which were delish and not a morsel left behind.
We didnt stay for dessert as we were already late (not that we were being rushed because the staff respectfully gave us as much space and privacy as we could have asked for) but there were some cocktials to be had elsewhere.
Would I recommend it as a great place to eat? Good but not great, but yes, worth venturing in to try it for yourself. I would however, recommend you avail of the early-​bird menu as the pricing on there is more appropriate to the product. The days of charging € 24 for a steak and over-​cooking it are gone and on a table for two you could easily save yourself about € 40!

Once upon a time I would consider myself biased about La Caverna since it’s where I went on my first dinner date with my wife. But the time for bias has passed and if I didn’t like the food or thought it was poor value, I wouldn’t go.
But I do. I always find it to be romantic… probably because of the lighting.
The early bird is good value and I especially enjoy the vegetarian spring rolls for starter as they are sizeable. The pasta is always, always tasty and flavoursome. I’m not a dessert person but I’ve tried the tiramesu on occasion and loved it.
It’s probably not considered fancy but the interior is really nice and it’s a really nice setting.
the staff are always friendly and helpful too.

Went here on Saturday night for a romantic meal with the girlfriend.
I kinda walked in by chance after searching around town for a while to get the right place. But i am glad i went here.
We arrived around 9 for dinner, yeah kinda late, but the place was buzzing, so we had to wait for our table.
There are three floors for people to sit, I chose the basement it seemed more intimate.
It wasn’t cramped it was nicely laid out and can accommodate anything from 2 to 8 people comfortably.
The staff were very friend, our chap was very cool, friendly and patient — I have a tendency to talk for ages, especially at the start of a meal.
The house Pinot grigio is exactly what i needed, but they had a great selection of both red and whites, next time i will be tasting a red fo sho!
The selection of food was great… i was spoiled for choice a little, I was stuck between, fish, duck, lasange, or one of there many pastas. I chose the Honey Roast Duck… best choice ever, even the girlfriend said it was better than her meal, she got the prawn pasta — very filling, huge portion! The duck was a crispy juicy, and the chap was delish, i thought i would have gotten a bit more for € 20 for the duck… bit more vege!
Oh i should have started with starter, we got garlic bread avec cheese– yes to share!!! I wasn’t really fond of it, the bread wasn’t that nice, it was like eating a thin slice of a heavy marks and spencers cake… which i know is delish. but it was just so heavily bombarded with garlic and pest! And i love garlic a lot! I should have chosen the Bruschetta
For desert i go a half a table spoon scoop of Panna Cotta. not a decent desert amount it was gone in 3. The girlfriend got profiteroles, they had some kinda sour cream in them though!!!
Over all the night was great over all. the palce and the mains were amazing, service was very good. I would like to go her to check it out at lunch time!

Had the 3-​course early-​bird here on two occasions.
Although the groundspace they occupy is modest they have utilised the space well and you don’t feel squashed in. It is a nice area for anything from a 2 person party to 8, of course they can accommodate more than this, but it would be comfortable to chat to up to 8 people.
Very friendly staff. Nice atmosphere. Good speed service.
Tasty selection of food. For starter I sampled cesar salad, tasty. My company had soup, garlic mushrooms and garlic bread, compliments all round. I’ve had the burger, very nice. This comes with chips which, although look like plain frozen chips are very tasty and moreish. I don’t like the chiabatta that comes with the burger. It is just too hard for its purpose. The chocolate brownie for desert is sickenly good. I will go back and tackle the whole brownie again on an empty stomach and conquer! Coffee is nice.
Very pleasant dining experience. I recommend.
BEWARE: If you are venturing downstairs the toliets are to the left then if you are seated downstairs there are two more steps down which are not obvious. The dark lighting here makes them quite dangerous. You don’t want to ruin a lovely evening. Take car!

La Caverna is a lovely Italian restaurant and wine bar in Temple Bar.
The food is lovely and honest to goodness Italian. They have good deals on with things like two for one and they also do 10% during the week if you bring a voucher (from their website).
The brushetta is lovely (€ 5.45) and super fresh with lovely tomatoes, basil and garlic. Their main courses can be expensive but if you stick to pasta you’ll be ok. I had the Pollo Siciliano (€ 15.95) which was delicious, splattered all over my face, but delicious!

Sauberes ital. Restaurant mit guter Küche und freundlicher Bedienung. Achtung: In Temple Bar am Eingang der Fownes Street steht in Stoßzeiten eine Werbedame mit lilafarbigen Visitenkarten — Nachlass 10%. Wenn Ihr auf Esther trefft, fragt nach Spezialrabatt. Wir hatten dadurch 20% auf die normalen Menüpreise die aber nicht überteuert waren.