Restaurant in Dublin, Ireland

Kicky's

Name: Kicky's
Address: South Great George's Street, Dublin, D02 WK13, Ireland, Dublin, IE
Telephone: +353 1 906 1008
Price range: €€€

765Pearl Points

Charcoal cooking, real buzz, book ahead.

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About Kicky's

Kicky's on South Great George's Street holds a Michelin Plate for the second consecutive year and a White Star wine list — but arrives with the energy of a lively neighbourhood restaurant, not a formal dining room. At €€€, it is one of Dublin's stronger value propositions for serious charcoal cooking in a relaxed setting. Book it for a date or a celebration where atmosphere matters as much as the plate.

Verdict: Book It — With the Right Expectations

Kicky's is not a fine dining restaurant that happens to be casual. It is a genuinely relaxed, high-energy wine bar and restaurant where the cooking punches well above the price point. If you arrive expecting hushed service and tableside ceremony, you will be disappointed. If you arrive expecting charcoal-cooked produce, a room full of energy, and a wine list that earned a White Star on Star Wine List, you will leave satisfied. The misconception to correct before you book: €€€ pricing at Kicky's reflects the quality of ingredients and the cooking, not the formality of the experience. The service is warm, knowledgeable, and fast — but it is not deferential, and that is a feature, not a flaw.

The Space

Kicky's sits on South Great George's Street, one of Dublin's more characterful stretches, and the interior matches the address. Whitewashed brick walls, counter seating along one edge, and a pop art-style mural framing the kitchen pass give the room a visual confidence that most new openings in Dublin spend years trying to cultivate. The room is airy without feeling hollow, and the hip-hop soundtrack sets a tempo that makes this a noticeably different proposition from the starched linen of Patrick Guilbaud or the considered quiet of Bastible. For a special occasion dinner where the energy of the room matters as much as the plate, this spatial confidence is a genuine asset. The counter seating is practical for solo diners and pairs; larger groups should check availability for table configurations that work for shared eating.

The Cooking

The menu structure at Kicky's rewards how it is designed to be eaten: start with bites and small plates, share freely, then move into the charcoal-cooked mains. The kitchen sources seriously, Wicklow venison and wild brill on the bone are the kinds of ingredients that appear on menus at restaurants charging considerably more. The charcoal cooking method adds a directness to the flavours that suits the room: this is food that is confident rather than fussy. The Michelin Plate recognition in both 2024 and 2025 confirms that the cooking quality is not accidental. Consecutive Plate awards in the Michelin Guide are a signal that the kitchen is consistent, which matters more for repeat visits and special occasions than a single strong review. For context on how Irish kitchens are working with domestic produce at this level, see also Liath in Blackrock and Aniar in Galway.

Service Philosophy and Value

Here is where Kicky's earns its price point most clearly. The co-owners Eric Matthews and Richie Barrett built a room that works from the first visit, and the service reflects that intention. Staff at Kicky's operate with the confidence of a team that knows the product: wine pairings are handled without pretension, the pace of the meal is managed without pressure, and the knowledge on the floor is genuine. The White Star recognition from Star Wine List is not a generic hospitality credential, it signals a wine program that is actively curated rather than assembled for margin. At €€€ pricing, you are getting service that is better calibrated to the food and the room than you would find at several Dublin restaurants operating at the same price tier. What you are not getting is the formal choreography of a higher-starred room. If that choreography matters to you, Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen is the comparison to make. If energy and generosity of spirit matter more than ceremony, Kicky's wins the comparison comfortably.

Recent Evolution

Kicky's launched with enough momentum to win Newcomer of the Year at the restaurant awards, a result that reflects both the cooking and the commercial instincts of the ownership. The subsequent Michelin Plate recognition in 2024 and again in 2025 moved the restaurant from promising newcomer to confirmed quantity. The wine program, which attracted a dinner hosted by Lilian Barton of Château Léoville-Barton, signals that Kicky's has established credibility in wine circles that goes beyond the casual-dining framing. This is a venue that has grown into its reputation rather than coasting on early buzz, which is the more meaningful indicator for a booking in 2025. For other Irish restaurants that have made a similar transition from debut heat to sustained quality, see Bastion in Kinsale and Campagne in Kilkenny.

Who Should Book

Kicky's is a strong choice for a date dinner or a celebratory meal where you want the occasion to feel alive rather than reverential. The combination of serious cooking, a well-run wine list, and a room with genuine atmosphere makes it one of the more complete propositions at the €€€ tier in Dublin. Solo diners with an interest in counter seating and a good glass of wine will find it comfortable. Groups eating together from a shared menu will get the most from the format. It is not the right choice if you need a quiet room for a difficult conversation or a business dinner that requires discretion. For Mediterranean cooking at different price points and contexts across Europe, La Brezza in Ascona and Arnaud Donckele at Louis Vuitton in Saint-Tropez illustrate the range the cuisine can span. Closer to home, dede in Baltimore and Terre in Castlemartyr are worth adding to any Irish food trip that includes Dublin.

Ratings and Recognition

Google Rating: 4.7 out of 5 (368 reviews)
Michelin Plate: 2024 and 2025
White Star, Star Wine List (awarded September 2024)
Newcomer of the Year, Restaurant Awards

Booking

Booking difficulty is rated Easy. Given the Michelin recognition and the consistent buzz around the room, booking ahead is still advisable for weekend evenings and special occasions. Walk-in availability is more realistic for weekday sittings. No booking phone number or website URL is listed in the current data, search directly for Kicky's on South Great George's Street, Dublin, or check via third-party reservation platforms.

Practical Details

Detail	Kicky's	Bastible	mae
Price Tier	€€€	€€€€	€€€
Cuisine	Mediterranean, Charcoal	Modern Irish	Modern Southern
Booking Difficulty	Easy	Moderate	Easy
Michelin Recognition	Plate (2024, 2025)	Yes	No listed award
Vibe	Lively, casual-cool	Considered, quiet	Relaxed, intimate
Leading For	Dates, groups, solo bar	Special occasions	Relaxed dinners

For more options across the city, see our full Dublin restaurants guide, our full Dublin bars guide, our full Dublin hotels guide, and our full Dublin experiences guide. For Spanish-influenced small plates at a similar price point in Dublin, Uno Mas and Peploe's are worth comparing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I eat at the bar at Kicky's?

Yes — the interior includes counter seating, which makes bar dining a genuine option rather than an overflow arrangement. Counter seats are well-suited to watching the kitchen pass, which is framed by a pop art-style mural. Book ahead if you want a specific spot; the room fills consistently given the Michelin Plate recognition and Newcomer of the Year profile.

Is Kicky's good for solo dining?

It works well solo. The counter seating gives solo diners a natural perch, and the menu structure — bites and small plates before mains — means you can eat a satisfying meal without over-ordering. The loud hip-hop soundtrack and lively atmosphere keep the room feeling social rather than isolating.

What should a first-timer know about Kicky's?

The menu is designed to be shared progressively: start with bites, move through small plates, then commit to one of the charcoal-cooked mains. Skipping straight to mains misses the point of how the kitchen operates. At €€€, the value lands best when you eat across multiple courses rather than treating it like a single-dish dinner.

Is Kicky's good for a special occasion?

Yes, if the occasion suits a lively room over a reverent one. Kicky's holds a Michelin Plate (2025) and won Newcomer of the Year, so the cooking has the credentials — but the space runs loud hip-hop and the vibe is deliberately casual. For a birthday or celebratory dinner where energy matters, it delivers; for a quiet anniversary, consider somewhere with lower decibels.

Can Kicky's accommodate groups?

The room can handle groups, but the format favours shared plates, which actually suits group dining well. Larger parties should book well in advance given the consistent demand since the Newcomer of the Year win and ongoing Michelin recognition. Check directly for any private or semi-private arrangements, as specific group policies are not documented in available data.

Does Kicky's handle dietary restrictions?

The menu draws on Mediterranean cuisine with charcoal-cooked mains and a range of small plates, which typically offers flexibility — but specific dietary accommodation details are not in the venue record. Contact Kicky's directly on South Great George's Street before booking if you have specific requirements; don't rely on assumptions from the cuisine category alone.

What should I order at Kicky's?

The venue record flags jamon and manchego croquetas, parmesan gnocchi, spatchcocked piri-piri chicken, and burnt Basque cheesecake as dishes that established the restaurant's reputation from launch. The charcoal-cooked mains — built around producers like Wicklow venison and wild brill — are the kitchen's calling card. Finish with the 'Irish coffee', which is their take on a tiramisu rather than the drink.

Location

South Great George's Street, Dublin, D02 WK13, Ireland

Dublin, Ireland

Compare Kicky's

The Complete Picture: Kicky's and Peers

Venue	Cuisine	Awards	Booking Difficulty
Kicky's	Mediterranean Cuisine		Easy
Patrick Guilbaud	Irish - French, Modern French	Michelin 2 Star	Unknown
Bastible	Modern Irish, Modern Cuisine	Michelin 1 Star	Unknown
Host	Nordic , Modern Cuisine		Unknown
mae	Southern, Modern Cuisine		Unknown
Matsukawa	Kaiseki, Japanese		Unknown

Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.

Also Consider

Patrick Guilbaud, Irish - French, Modern French, €€€€
Bastible, Modern Irish, Modern Cuisine, €€€€
Host, Nordic , Modern Cuisine, €€
mae, Southern, Modern Cuisine, €€€
Matsukawa, Kaiseki, Japanese, €€€€

At the €€€ tier in Dublin, Kicky's sits closest to mae in terms of price and accessibility, but the cooking ambition and wine program at Kicky's give it a clear edge for diners who want Michelin-recognised quality without the formality of a higher-priced room. Host comes in cheaper at €€ and is worth knowing for Nordic-influenced modern cooking, but the depth of produce and the energy of the Kicky's room make it a different kind of evening.

Against Bastible and Matsukawa, both operating at €€€€, Kicky's is the stronger choice if you want a lively room and Mediterranean-style sharing plates rather than a structured tasting format. Bastible is the better pick for a considered, quiet special occasion dinner with a modern Irish focus. Matsukawa is the choice if kaiseki and Japanese precision are the priority. Neither is a casual booking; Kicky's remains the easiest to get into at short notice among its credentialled Dublin peers.

Patrick Guilbaud at €€€€ is the comparison to make only if formality and full-service ceremony are part of what you are paying for. For a first-time Dublin dinner where you want proven cooking, a serious wine list, and a room with character at a price point that does not require a special budget, Kicky's is the more practical recommendation. See our full Dublin restaurants guide for a broader view of the city's current options.