Pickle gave me my best Indian meal in Ireland
During my gastro journey around Dublin, I have enjoyed the various different dishes that I have eaten. And most importantly, making sure I don’t review two restaurants in a row that offer the same cuisine. You will never see me have pizza two weeks in a row. The aim of this blog is to showcase Dublin’s great restaurants and how a fussy eater can enjoy eating in them.
This week’s restaurant is?
This week has been a long time coming and well worth the wait. There is a restaurant that I have been dying to visit but Covid put a kybosh on that. Thankfully I finally got to visit it last week with William. The restaurant in question, Pickle, is widely lauded as the best Indian restaurant in Dublin. Pickle, is based in Camden Street, and offers North Indian regional cuisine. Chef Sunil Ghai the chef who worked in Jaipur and then Ananda in Dundrum and his business partner Benny Jacob opened Pickle in 2016. Benny used to work front of house in Ananda when Sunil was working behind the scenes in the kitchen. They noticed that there were too many typical high street Indian restaurants, and wanted to bring something different to the table.
Since Pickle opened in 2016 and it has gone from strength to strength. Earlier this year it was added to the Michelin Guide 2022. Sunil also owns Tiffin, based in Greystones and Street which is based in Clonskeagh. Pickle, is not your typical Indian restaurant with fine dining and excellent presentation showcasing North Indian regional cuisine. Just down the road is another Indian restaurant Doolally, that also offers fine dining Indian cuisine. Having eaten in Doolally on a few occasions the food there was exceptional, and I did review it too.
So, having eaten in the competition I was looking forward to see if Pickle deserved all the plaudits it received. When you walk into the restaurant you will notice how vibrant and busy it is whilst also having comfortable seating.
Walk-ins are welcome at lunch. However, if you decide to go for dinner, booking a table is advisable.
What did I order?
Starters and main courses are individually priced. With starters at around €9 and main courses around €19. However if you go for the 2 course lunch, you can get a starter and a main course for €25.50. So, why just have a main course when you can have a starter for just €6 more.
For my starter I went with one of my favourite starters. Pickle’s take on the Seekh Kebab which they call Nawabi Seekh Kebab. Hand pounded skewered lamb kebabs flavoured with cardamon, clove and fresh mint. My main course was a bit trickier, as there was four choices that I liked. I ended up going with the Railway Lamb Curry. Wicklow lamb and potato curry with fresh coriander, tomatoes and fennel powder.
Railway Lamb Curry, is a dish that I am not too familiar with and it has an interesting backstory. This lamb curry dates back to the 1900’s when it was introduced by chefs working aboard the Indian railways during the British Raj. Served to first class passengers on long journeys. These passengers were generally British, who liked the idea and taste of curry but were not fond of the heat.
My lunch buddy went with Karara Jhinga. Crispy fried prawns dusted with chilly, nigella seeds and rice flour alongside pickled cucumber and toasted almonds. Followed by Butter Chicken, old Dehli style chicken tikka in velvety tomato and fenugreek sauce.
How was my meal?
As you can see the presentation of my Nawabi Seekh Kebab was stunning.
It also pleasantly surprised me with a spicy kick that put a big smile on my face.
Normally Seekh Kebabs are not spicy but this added something to the taste and flavours giving it something a little special.
Both our main courses came with plain naan bread and basmati rice. Most high street Indian restaurants give you a choice of rice or naan bread. It was nice to get both as the naan bread is great for soaking the curry sauce and juices.
My Railway Lamb Curry was just stunning, packed full of various flavours.
The lamb and potato was absolutely delicious and the basmati rice was fluffy as it was cooked to perfection.
They made a perfect combination that tantalised and delighted my taste buds.
Two Galway Hooker Amber lagers and a Coca Cola were also consumed alongside a latte.
What did my meal cost?
Our two course lunches cost €25.50, an extra portion of plain naan bread cost €3.00. The two Galway Hooker Amber lagers cost €13.90, the Coca Cola cost €2.50 and the latte cost €3.50. The final bill came to €73.90 before tips.
My meal was all I expected and more. You can easily see why Pickle is so popular and Dublin’s best Indian restaurant. The service was also excellent as befits a top class fine dining restaurant.
Pickle, 43 Camden Street Lower, Saint Kevin’s, Dublin 2, D02 N998
See more reviews here.