Restaurant in Dublin, Ireland
Dublin's best-value Michelin-recognised small plates.
A Michelin Plate winner in 2024 and 2025, BIGFAN delivers Chinese and Taiwanese small plates — dumplings, bao buns, xiao chi — at a €€ price point that makes it one of Dublin's clearest value propositions for recognised cooking. The room is loud and lively; the tick-list format suits groups and first-timers. Book ahead for weekends.
BIGFAN is one of the most useful restaurants on Aungier Street, and probably the best-value Michelin-recognised meal you can get in Dublin right now. At the €€ price point, with two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025) and a Google rating of 4.6 from over 1,100 reviews, this is not a speculative booking. If you want Chinese and Taiwanese small plates done with care and generosity in a high-energy room, book it. If you need a quiet dinner for a serious conversation, look elsewhere.
The most common misconception about BIGFAN is that it is a casual pan-Asian spot coasting on atmosphere. It is not. The kitchen is specifically rooted in Chinese and Taiwanese cooking traditions: dumplings, bao buns, and xiao chi are the building blocks, and the approach to those dishes is technically considered. Michelin's assessors noted freshness and generosity as defining qualities, and the Plate recognition across two consecutive years confirms this is not a one-season flash.
What the room does give you is volume, colour, and pace. The décor is deliberately bright, the atmosphere is loud, and the energy runs high. For a first-timer, that context matters: arrive knowing this is a convivial, group-friendly room, not a white-tablecloth exercise. The format rewards sharing. Start with cocktails, order broadly from the tick-list menu at the table, and expect the dishes to arrive with the kind of freshness that vindicates the Michelin note.
The Michelin description singles out the 'Couples Beef' as a specific example of the kitchen's technique: offal cuts handled with skill, condiment combinations judged carefully, the kind of dish that converts sceptics. That is a meaningful signal. Getting offal right in a small-plates context requires confidence and precision, and it speaks to what this kitchen can do when it pushes into less comfortable territory. For first-timers uncertain about the menu, that dish is worth understanding as a marker of the kitchen's ambition.
At the €€ price range, BIGFAN sits in a different tier from Dublin's higher-end dining rooms. The value proposition is direct: Michelin-recognised cooking at accessible prices, in a format designed for sharing. If you are comparing it to the broader Dublin dining scene, it competes differently from venues like Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen or Patrick Guilbaud, both of which operate at higher price points with a very different dining register. BIGFAN's peer comparison is closer to Host on the value-and-quality axis, though the cuisines are distinct.
For context on how Dublin's Asian dining scene compares internationally, venues like taku in Cologne and Jun's in Dubai represent the European and Middle Eastern benchmarks for serious Asian cooking with recognition. BIGFAN is doing something more informal and higher-tempo than either of those, but the Michelin acknowledgement places it in legitimate company.
Service has been specifically cited as efficient and warm, which at a busy small-plates venue is a practical advantage. Tick-list ordering keeps things moving and reduces the friction of a long menu, which suits first-timers well. The format is designed for accessibility, not ceremony.
BIGFAN is at 16 Aungier Street, D02 X044, in a well-connected part of central Dublin with strong foot traffic and proximity to other dining options. If you are building a broader Dublin itinerary, our full Dublin restaurants guide, Dublin hotels guide, Dublin bars guide, Dublin wineries guide, and Dublin experiences guide are useful starting points.
For those exploring Michelin-recognised dining outside Dublin, Liath in Blackrock, dede in Baltimore, Terre in Castlemartyr, Bastion in Kinsale, Homestead Cottage in Doolin, and The Morrison Room in Maynooth all represent strong options at different price points and formats around Ireland.
Booking difficulty at BIGFAN is rated Easy. Given the consistent Michelin recognition and strong Google review volume, it is worth reserving in advance rather than relying on walk-ins, particularly for weekend evenings. The high-energy, group-friendly format means the room fills with parties, so if you are going with four or more, book ahead to secure adequate space.
| Detail | BIGFAN | Host | mae |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price range | €€ | €€ | €€€ |
| Cuisine | Chinese / Taiwanese small plates | Nordic / Modern | Southern / Modern |
| Michelin recognition | Plate (2024, 2025) | Not listed | Not listed |
| Google rating | 4.6 (1,107 reviews) | Not listed | Not listed |
| Booking difficulty | Easy | Not listed | Not listed |
| Leading for | Groups, sharing, value | Intimate dinners | Special occasions |
Go in expecting a loud, fast-paced room with Chinese and Taiwanese small plates at the centre. The tick-list ordering format means you choose dishes at the table, so arrive hungry and order broadly. The Michelin Plate recognition signals genuine kitchen quality, not just atmosphere. Start with cocktails, order a range of dishes including something from the offal end of the menu, and treat it as a sharing dinner rather than an individual-plate experience. At €€, it is one of the more accessible Michelin-recognised meals in Dublin.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy, but that does not mean walk-ins are guaranteed on busy nights. For weekend evenings or groups of four or more, book a few days ahead at minimum. Weekday lunches or early evenings are likely lower-risk for spontaneous visits. The consistent Michelin recognition means demand is steady, so do not leave it to the last minute for a significant occasion.
Yes, clearly. Two consecutive Michelin Plates, a 4.6 Google rating from over 1,100 reviews, and a €€ price range put BIGFAN in the strongest value-for-recognition bracket in Dublin. You are not paying €€€€ prices for a tasting menu format here — you are getting technically considered small plates in a lively room at a price point that makes repeat visits realistic. If you are comparing spend, it sits far below Bastible or Patrick Guilbaud while still carrying Michelin recognition.
BIGFAN operates a small-plates sharing format rather than a formal tasting menu. There is no confirmed tasting menu in the available data. The tick-list table ordering is the format here, which suits groups and first-timers well. If you are specifically looking for a structured tasting menu experience in Dublin, Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen or Glovers Alley are better fits.
Michelin's own assessors called out the 'Couples Beef' specifically, describing it as a skilfully handled offal dish with a well-judged combination of condiments. That is the clearest steer available. Beyond that, the dumplings, bao buns, and xiao chi are the kitchen's core repertoire. Order broadly, lean into the sharing format, and do not skip the cocktail list as a starting point.
No dress code is listed. The bright, high-energy room and €€ price point signal a casual-to-smart-casual environment. There is no indication this is a formal dining room. Dress comfortably for a lively night out rather than for a special-occasion dinner. If you are coming straight from an office or event, smart casual will be fine.
The small-plates format and tick-list ordering work reasonably well for solo diners — you can order two or three dishes and build the meal at your own pace. The loud, group-oriented atmosphere may not suit those looking for a quiet solo dinner, but if you are comfortable in a lively room and want good-value Michelin-recognised food, it is a practical option. For a quieter solo experience in Dublin, D'Olier Street may be worth considering.
The format is well-suited to groups. Tick-list ordering, small plates designed for sharing, and a high-energy room all point to a venue that handles group dynamics well. For larger parties, book ahead rather than arriving and hoping for space. No phone number or specific group-booking policy is listed in the available data, so check the reservation channel directly when booking.
BIGFAN is a Chinese and Taiwanese small plates restaurant on Aungier Street, not a broad pan-Asian concept. The format is tick-list ordering at the table, so go with an appetite and order more than you think you need. The Michelin Plate recognition in both 2024 and 2025 signals consistent kitchen quality, and at €€ pricing, the value is genuine rather than just atmospheric.
Booking is rated Easy at BIGFAN, but given two consecutive Michelin Plate awards and a lively atmosphere that fills the room, reserving a day or two ahead on weekends is sensible. Walk-ins on weekday evenings are generally more viable. There is no hard lead time required, but don't assume you can show up on a Friday night without a plan.
At €€ pricing with Michelin Plate recognition for two consecutive years, BIGFAN is among the strongest value propositions in Dublin right now. You are getting a genuinely recognised kitchen at a price point well below most Michelin-acknowledged venues in the city. For the quality-to-cost ratio, it compares favourably with almost anything at a similar price in Dublin's city centre.
BIGFAN does not operate a formal tasting menu format. The model is small plates ordered from a tick list at the table, which gives you more control over spend and selection. Order broadly across the dumplings, bao, and xiao chi sections to get a full picture of the kitchen.
The Michelin inspector specifically called out the Couples Beef, a dish using offal cuts with a well-calibrated mix of condiments, as a highlight. Beyond that, the kitchen draws on Chinese and Taiwanese influences, so dumplings, bao buns, and xiao chi dishes are the core of what to order. Tick generously from the list and share across the table.
BIGFAN has a colourful, lively atmosphere with bright lights and a high-energy room. There is no indication of a dress code. Casual clothes are appropriate; this is a fun, accessible dining room rather than a formal setting.
The tick-list small plates format is workable solo, though you will naturally see less range across the menu than a pair or group would. A party of two gets more out of the format by splitting more dishes. That said, the lively atmosphere and accessible price point make it a comfortable solo option compared to more formal Michelin-level venues in Dublin.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
