Restaurant in Dublin, Ireland
Serious Dublin cooking. Book it.
Forest Avenue is a Michelin Plate-recognised modern cuisine restaurant in Dublin 4, run by husband-and-wife team John and Sandy Wyer. The tasting menu is the recommended format, with creative, punchy cooking and a focused wine list that rewards attentive diners. At €€€€, it justifies the price — book at least one to two weeks ahead for dinner, though availability is easier than most restaurants at this level.
A glass-fronted room on a quiet Dublin 4 terrace doesn't announce itself loudly, but Forest Avenue has been making the case for itself through the quality on the plate since John and Sandy Wyer opened it. The Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025 confirms what regular diners already know: this is cooking that earns sustained attention, not just a one-time visit. If you're deciding whether to book for a special occasion or a serious dinner, the answer is yes — with the tasting menu as the recommended route.
Forest Avenue sits close to the Grand Canal in Dublin 4, and the glass-fronted room gives it a particular visual quality even before you sit down — you can see the kitchen from the tables nearest to it, and those seats are in demand for good reason. The cooking is modern in approach, but the emphasis here is on creative edge and punchy flavour rather than restraint. The 'surprises from our kitchen' that open the meal are a direct signal of intent: this is a kitchen that wants to set the terms of the experience early.
The tasting menu is available at both lunch and dinner. A lighter three-course option is available at lunch, which makes Forest Avenue one of the more accessible €€€€ restaurants in Dublin for daytime visits without committing to the full format. That flexibility is genuinely useful: if you want to assess the kitchen before a longer commitment, a weekday lunch is the right move. For a celebratory dinner, the tasting menu is the correct choice , the 'surprises' format means the kitchen has room to show range, and the pacing is handled by a service team that Michelin describes as well-organised.
The wine list has been a consistent strength. The database notes a focused list spanning Austria and beyond, which in practice means you're unlikely to find the usual safe-harbour choices. For wine-forward diners, this matters: the list reflects genuine engagement with what's in the glass, not just what sells easily. If you're pairing wine with the tasting menu, ask for guidance , the list rewards the curious.
Most significant development around Forest Avenue in recent years is the opening of Forêt, John and Sandy Wyer's second restaurant just a couple of doors up on the same street. This is worth knowing before you book, for two reasons. First, it signals that the Wyers are operating at the kind of confidence level where expansion feels earned rather than premature , and Michelin's own language around Forest Avenue describes the chef as one of Ireland's most questing and experimental, an assessment that carries weight. Second, it means the immediate neighbourhood now has two linked dining options at different points on the experience curve, which is useful if you're planning a visit to the area or building a longer Dublin itinerary. For what it's worth, Forest Avenue remains the mothership, and the tasting menu here is the fuller statement of what this kitchen can do.
For context on the wider Irish fine dining scene, [Liath in Blackrock](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/liath-blackrock-restaurant), [dede in Baltimore](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/dede-baltimore-restaurant), and [Aniar in Galway](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/aniar-galway-restaurant) are all operating at a comparable level of seriousness, each with their own regional focus. [Bastion in Kinsale](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/bastion-kinsale-restaurant), [Campagne in Kilkenny](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/campagne-kilkenny-restaurant), and [Terre in Castlemartyr](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/terre-castlemartyr-restaurant) round out the national picture for anyone planning a broader trip through Ireland.
Forest Avenue works well for celebrations and date nights precisely because the format does the work for you. The tasting menu removes the negotiation of ordering, the service is attentive without being intrusive, and the room is small enough to feel considered rather than cavernous. A Google rating of 4.7 across 304 reviews is a reliable signal of consistent execution , that score, at the €€€€ price point, is harder to sustain than it looks. For business dinners, the format is slightly less flexible than an à la carte room, but the quality level is appropriate for high-stakes meals where the food needs to not be a disappointment.
Within Dublin's broader dining picture, Forest Avenue occupies a specific position: more creative and experimentally minded than a classical fine dining room, but more focused and technically serious than the casual-tasting-menu format that has proliferated across the city. If you're comparing it to other serious Dublin options before booking, see the comparison section below. For a broader view of where Forest Avenue sits in Dublin dining, [our full Dublin restaurants guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/dublin) covers the full range. You can also explore [our full Dublin hotels guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/hotels/dublin), [our full Dublin bars guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/bars/dublin), [our full Dublin wineries guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/wineries/dublin), and [our full Dublin experiences guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/experiences/dublin) for planning the rest of your visit.
Peers worth considering in Dublin's modern cuisine space include [Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/chapter-one-by-mickael-viljanen-dublin-restaurant), [Glovers Alley](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/glovers-alley-dublin-restaurant), [D'Olier Street](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/dolier-street-dublin-restaurant), [Variety Jones](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/variety-jones-dublin-restaurant), and [allta](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/allta-dublin-restaurant), each occupying a distinct position in terms of price, format, and creative ambition. For international benchmarks in the modern cuisine category, [Frantzén in Stockholm](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/frantzn-stockholm-restaurant) and [FZN by Björn Frantzén in Dubai](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/fzn-by-bjrn-frantzn-dubai-restaurant) represent what the format looks like at its most technically developed.
Forest Avenue is located at 8 Sussex Terrace, Sussex Road, Dublin 4. Booking difficulty is rated as easy, which is notable for a Michelin-recognised restaurant at the €€€€ tier , this is not a venue where you need to plan months ahead, though booking in advance is always advisable for weekend evenings and for the tasting menu specifically. The lunch service, with its three-course option, is your most accessible entry point if you want to try the kitchen without the full tasting menu format.
Quick reference: Forest Avenue, 8 Sussex Terrace, Dublin 4 , €€€€ , Michelin Plate 2024 & 2025 , Tasting menu and 3-course lunch available , Booking: easy, advance reservation recommended.
Book the tasting menu for a first visit , the kitchen's creative edge and the 'surprises from our kitchen' format give you the fullest picture of what Forest Avenue does. At lunch, a lighter three-course option is available if you want to explore the cooking at lower commitment. The room is small and the tables near the open kitchen are popular, so request those when booking. Michelin has awarded a Plate in both 2024 and 2025, confirming consistent quality at the €€€€ tier.
Yes, if tasting menus are your preferred format. The kitchen is described by Michelin as questing and experimental, and the tasting menu is where that ambition shows most fully. The focused wine list is a genuine complement to the menu rather than an afterthought. If you are unsure about committing to the full format, the three-course lunch is the lower-risk entry point , but the tasting menu is the right choice for a dinner occasion.
Yes. The small room, attentive service, and tasting menu format all suit celebratory occasions. A 4.7 Google rating across 304 reviews at the €€€€ price point reflects consistent execution. It works better for intimate celebrations , a couple or a small group , than for large parties, given the format and room size. For business dinners where flexibility matters, an à la carte option at lunch makes it more workable.
At €€€€, Forest Avenue sits at the upper end of Dublin dining, but the Michelin Plate recognition in consecutive years and a 4.7 Google score across 304 reviews are reliable signals that the price is justified. For comparison, Patrick Guilbaud operates at the same price tier with two Michelin stars, so Forest Avenue is not the most expensive option in Dublin relative to its recognition level. The creative ambition and quality of the wine list make it competitive within the tier.
Booking is rated as easy, which is unusual for a Michelin-recognised €€€€ restaurant. That said, weekend evenings and the tasting menu format will fill faster than weekday lunches. Book at least one to two weeks ahead for dinner; weekday lunches may be available with shorter notice. Do not assume walk-in availability for dinner.
For modern cuisine at the same price tier, Bastible is the closest comparison in terms of creative seriousness. Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen operates at a higher accolade level with two Michelin stars if you want a step up in formal recognition. Variety Jones is worth considering if you want a more informal take on serious cooking. mae at €€€ is the pick if you want to drop a price tier without sacrificing cooking quality. Host at €€ is the value option for modern cuisine in the city.
The room is small, which limits group capacity. The tasting menu format also constrains flexibility for large parties with dietary variation. For groups of two to four, Forest Avenue works well. For larger groups or celebrations requiring more logistical flexibility, contact the restaurant directly to confirm availability , the address is 8 Sussex Terrace, Dublin 4.
There is no confirmed bar seating option in the available data for Forest Avenue. The restaurant is a small, glass-fronted room with a notable open kitchen. If counter or bar seating is important to you, confirm directly with the restaurant when booking. The tables nearest the open kitchen are the most requested spots in the room.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Forest Avenue | €€€€ | — |
| Patrick Guilbaud | €€€€ | — |
| Bastible | €€€€ | — |
| Host | €€ | — |
| mae | €€€ | — |
| Matsukawa | €€€€ | — |
How Forest Avenue stacks up against the competition.
Forest Avenue is a small, glass-fronted room on a quiet Dublin 4 terrace, so large groups are not the natural fit here. Parties of two to four will be most comfortable. If you have a group larger than six, check the venue's official channels to confirm availability and whether the format works for your numbers — the tasting menu structure can be harder to manage for big tables.
There is no confirmed bar seating option in the available venue data for Forest Avenue. The room is small and the tables closest to the open kitchen are the most sought-after spots. Book a table rather than counting on any counter arrangement.
This is a tasting menu restaurant run by husband-and-wife team John and Sandy Wyer at 8 Sussex Terrace, Dublin 4. Lunch offers both a full tasting menu and a lighter three-course option, making it a lower-commitment entry point at €€€€ pricing. The kitchen leads with creative, flavour-forward cooking, and the 'surprises from the kitchen' are a deliberate part of the experience — don't skip them.
Yes, if tasting menus are your format. Forest Avenue holds a Michelin Plate (2025) and the cooking is described as experimental and flavour-led — that's the right combination at this price tier. If you want flexibility or prefer ordering à la carte, the lunch three-course option is the better route in, or consider Bastible in Dublin 8 for a less structured approach at a lower price point.
It works well for this. The tasting menu format does the decision-making for you, the service is well-organised, and the room is contained enough to feel considered rather than cavernous. Celebrations and date nights are a natural fit — request a table near the open kitchen when booking if atmosphere matters to you.
For a step up in formality and price, Patrick Guilbaud is Dublin's two-Michelin-star option. For a more relaxed but still serious dinner at a lower price point, Bastible in Dublin 8 is the practical alternative. If you want to stay within the Wyer orbit, Forêt — John and Sandy's second restaurant just a couple of doors up from Forest Avenue — is the obvious sibling comparison.
At €€€€, it sits at the top of Dublin's dining pricing. The Michelin Plate recognition (2025) and the consistent editorial framing of John Wyer as one of Ireland's more experimental chefs justify the spend if modern tasting menus are what you're after. If you're price-sensitive, the three-course lunch option gives you access to the same kitchen at reduced commitment.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
