One word - superb. Ate here with a friend on Fri night - my first visit. Had been highly recommended by a colleague at work. The interior is very deceptive if viewing it from the road. Very nicely laid out with alcoves which had stove style burners. Staff friendly and professional. For starters I had fresh figs wrapped in parma ham with a blue cheese dressing, followed by a delicious home made burger served with roasted red peppers and divine chunky chips. My friend had bruschetta with asparagus, then fresh cod wrapped in serrano ham on a bed of warm veg. 3 red & 3 white wines served by the glass - and a good wine list. Sambucas on the house finished off the best meal I've had in a very long time. Early Bird served from 6-8pm. In the heart of Rathmines so easy to get to. Cannot wait to return.

We had to unexpectedly entertain some family members on a very wet Wendesday night and decided to try our favourite weekend brunch venue. We were five people in total and got seated as walk ins at 7pm. I have to say that the value for what we got was stunning. The bill for five including a nice wine was €114 for two courses each. There is a newish menu and I had a very well judged chicken dish for main and a simply brilliant panna cotta for dessert. The Belgian chocolate parfait got rave reviews too as well as the chunky chips. This is an exceptional standard for the money. Atmosphere was a bit muted in a half full restaurant probably due to the rain although it meant service was very good.

Have been to the village many times for brunch, lunch and dinner and always enjoy. The food is always fresh and very tasty, I've always left a clean plate. Also the wine selection is good quality and value. The Early Bird menu is great value and I like that they change the menu every few months, although getting rid of the pate as a starter was a big disappointment for me! The atmosphere is relaxed and casual. However sitting by the door is not a great option, can be quiet cold and the service is very slow, some staff slower and less friendly than others. Have waited a half hour for brunch at a very quiet time, also had only ordered granola!

Dreadful service with average food, they really need to decide if they are a cafe or a restaurant. My first visit here last year was great, my next wasnt so good but I gave it the benefit of the doubt and we went again last Saturday night. 20 minutes waiting for the waiter to take our drinks order didnt augur well for the rest of the evening – and it just got worse. The 2 waiters spent most of their time serving the outdoor area leaving those of us inside to almost fend for ourselves. The service was really bad resulting in our food arriving overcooked – obviously cooking/reheating under hot plates while waiting for service. As we were seated near the kitchen we could hear the chef feverishly hit the constantly unanswered bell, so we weren’t surprised by the overcooked food. Starters were the best of the lot – the fish cakes were great really tasty and I loved the garlic mayonnaise, my garlic and chilli prawns were ok with no taste of chilli whatsoever. Our mains of sea bass, so overcooked it was completely tasteless and risotto, survived the wait a little better but was ‘gloopy’. We were so disappointed at the whole experience we didnt order desserts. Even trying to pay the bill became a chore, and we emptied our pockets of cash leaving a smaller than usual tip – but really I didn’t feel bad about that considering. I also didnt appreciate the door being opened, apart from the draft the smoke from the outside area wafted in, in fairness it was closed when we asked. Needless to say we really wont be back.

Went to Village Cafe on Friday night recently for early bird with 3 friends. It was enjoyed by all - 4 clean plates. Two had the steak and said it was the best steak they had in a long time. I tried the Pan fried King Prawn tagliatelle - delicious. The remaining diner had the Chicken Chorizo and Red Pepper Risotto - enjoyed immensely. We followed up with desserts - two apple and cinnamon pie, one white chocolate parfait and one brownie - four clean plates again. The Spanish white wine was lovely and fruity too. The staff were very pleasant and attentive. Only gripe and it’s a small one – the toilet could have been tidier and cleaner but all in all a very enjoyable evening and certainly value for money

The Village Cafe isn't that obvious as you walk through Rathmines, and from the road it looks more like a kind of rough and ready place to grab something quick to eat, but appearances can be deceptive. Two of us visited and came away very impressed. We started with the Portobello mushrooms and the chicken, leek and ham terrine, and both were very tasty indeed. A great start. These were followed by chicken supreme with cranberry and gorgonzola and the chicken, chorizo and red pepper risotto and again both were very good, the risotta particularly so. We finished with the raspberry & cream cheese chocolate brownie with ice cream (which sounds like four deserts in one) and the vodka and vanilla pannacotta. We couldn't find any raspberry of any description on the brownie dessert, but it was still delicious. The panna cotta was out of this world-simply one of the nicest desserts I've ever had. A really really nice finish to a meal. Service was very good and the decor was lovely (although it's hard to judge atmosphere as we ate early and there weren't many there). I particularly liked the view out the front door. It's worth mentioning, though, that if you end up on one of the bench-type seats on either side of the fireplace, ask for a cushion. The bottom part is a hard wooden church-like bench and apparently it got quite uncomfortable after a while. All the stand-alone chairs are padded so I don't know why the benches aren't. The food is the star in the Village Cafe though, which is as it should be. Highly recommended.

We went there as a large group, having cleared that with them in good time. We agreed to work with a simplified menu to make things easier for them. Given all that it was very surprising how long it took to have them begin to pay attention to us. Ages after the menu was handed out I was still trying to find out what the special was! I ordered the salad with halloumi which I've had there once before and really enjoyed. That night it was underdressed (and I don't like much dressing) and the halloumi was tough like it had been cooked and then re-warmed. My main course was fine. Overall the food was adequate, really. My main complaint was the service which was lackadaisical. and then the incident..Our table was pushed close to the wall (next to the stove) to help them pass by and my son had hung his jacket on his chair and left his backpack on the floor. The stove has a sort of flue with very focussed hot air coming out from underneath. I smellt melted plastic and found the backpack was burning hot as was the chair back and the boys jacket, and the zip was melted. When the meal was over, I went to talk to the head waiter- he refused to respond said that there was no heat coming from the stove and was just arrogant! so here we are a new warm jacket which cost some €40 that no longer works. Just so you know- it could be an expensive dinner!

Went here for brunch and I have to say I was very impressed. The place was close to full but it wasn't too loud and there was a nice buzz about the place. I wouldn't call this place cheap but I think they do the nicest fry in all of Dublin. The service could have been a bit better. I ordered a drink and it came at the end of my meal, but the staff were very pleasant. But it was the food that made this place for me and I will definitely go back.,

I had been here a few times for coffee before and drooled over the menu so finally tried it out for dinner. For a Saturday night, the restaurant was very quiet which meant that there wasn't much of an atmosphere but I suppose that is a sign of the times, rather than anything specifically to do with the Village Cafe. The waiting staff were really top notch, I had informed them about special dietary requirements in our group and when we arrived our waiter had already gone through the whole menu with the chef to see what would be suitable for us. We were served by two different waiters while we were there and they were both friendly, efficient and helpful, without being overbearing. The food itself was really tasty, quite heavy but presented nicely and very good value for the quality and the size of the portions. The stuffed mushroom starter was particularly nice. There were a few interesting options for vegetarians as well, not just the usual fare. Will definitely be back.

A nice little café hidden back from the main street in Rathmines. The prices for mains are a little steep for a lunch break I think, and all vegetarian options seem to be laiden with cheese. Their starters are nice (soup of the day and a nice vegan salad on request) but also quite pricy. I don't think I will come here again but I'd say if you ate meat it would be a nice place to come for lunch with friends.

I live quite close to this place and my friend suggested we meet up for lunch. It was 2:00 so of the 6 page menu we were able to choose from one (the others were wine, dinner from 6:00, brunch on weekends, and dessert & coffee) I went for the goat cheese and olive tapanade ciabatta and my friend had the steak sandwich. they were both really nice and came with green salad and fries. we just didnt like the packets of mayo they brought us. presentation is a huge thing in a restaurant and plastic packets say 'mcdonalds'. the waiter was nice but one thing i noticed was the overpowering fish smell when i walked in. perhaps someone had just ordered the cod & chips or at least i hope that was the case cos if it always smells that way i might visit much less. cute decor, nice food, good stuff.

We went back to the village cafe after sampling it through a boards deal some time ago and having a brilliant experience. Unfortunately we were very disappointed this time. The standard of food had dropped quite a lot. For starters I got a very bland terrine and my wife got a bruschetta with figs: a white roll that hadn't even been toasted. My main course of fish (can't remember what kind) was nice but my wife got a burger and it was terrible. The burger was far too big leaving it dry and tasteless. The bun, cheese and minuscule amount of sauce were stuck together and tasteless. Even the chips weren't very nice. We complained about the burger when paying our bill but no remedy was offered, just that 'we never normally get that complaint'. I should hope not. Service was generally friendly and attentive though. Very few people in the restaurant on a Friday evening left very little atmosphere.

Visited this place a year ago and found the staff cold and unpleasant. Six months later was passing and tried it again. the decor really is very nice and the frontage is very inviting. Was treated rudely again by a different member of staff. Tried it again a week or so again and the rudeness was much much worse. I have never seen this place busy and its not hard to see why.

Lovely little cafe restaurant with a nice menu. Would recommend the prawns/cod and salmon cakes for starter (although I felt a little short changed at only getting 4 prawns). The steak was gorgeous, but my girlfriend found very little meat on the rack of lamb and that it was far too rare for her tastes. Desserts were all round gorgeous though.

I had a delicious meal. Choices included pate (scrumptious!), chicken with mash (excellent) and burger with beetroot (very good). The coffee was the best I've tasted and the service was excellent. I'll be back!

Popped in here one Thursday a while back, we live near by so we said we'd give it a shot. It was OK. Service was great, very friendly without being in your face, but the food was...OK. Nice but not memorable. Still, I'd give another go.

I eventually got around to bringing my two children to this lovely restaurant (12&15). I have been here on numerous occasions, and again i was not dissappointed. The kids didn't look too happy when they first looked at the menu. I had warned them that it was a very short menu. But after a few minutes of deliberating. Between the four of us we order a good mixture from the menu. We had prawns and the pate to start which was really lovely, when the waitress noticed we were sharing the pate she offered to bring us more bread an offer we declined. I had the sea bass main it came with crushed baby potatoes all cooked beautifully. My daughter had chicken which she really enjoyed. My son had the steak and my husband had the pasta dish. We finished the meal with 2 chocolate brownies and an apple tart and coffees. the bill came to 109 which included a bottle of red wine and coffees.All plates were returned to kitchen almost licked clean. Will we return most definitely.

Dropped in on Saturday afternoon for lunch. Really lovely place with a nice selection of food for brunch. Service was nice and friendly without being overbearing. Food was tasty and perfectly cooked. It was quite reasonable too. I would recommend a visit.

My boyfriend and I had a fab meal here last weekend. The staff were very attentive and the food was delicious. The place was packed up - it's not very big so we were a bit squashed but there' s not much that can be done there. The menu is very varied - niceto have a good choice. portion size is very good enough - but not too much either. The courses were well timed too. enough time to digest the starter a little before the mains are in front of you. good value too. Highly recommend

Lovely restaurant….very friendly staff and I would definitely recommend it! I went for the Tiger Prawns for starter which were absolutely amazing, served with an unusual salad of melon, grapefruit and tomatoes…it definitely worked though! For my mains I chose the Sea Bass which came served with asparagus and dill crushed potatoes. Portions were extremely generous but I still found room for dessert and opted for the white chocolate parfait…which rounded off a delicious meal! Great value and extremely attentive staff!

We had a lovely afternoon / early evening here with the girls. When we arrived it was in between lunch and dinner. We started with a coffee, then got a little hungry so the waiter brought us nibbles.. we then moved on to wine as a few more people arrived. We then ordered more food. It was very tasty and the 2 course menu was great value. Even though we ordered at different times and stayed there for hours we felt relaxed and welcome. It was a lovely way to spend the sat afternoon of a sunny spring day!

The Village Cafe is a hidden gem. If you live in Rathmines you've probably walked past it hundreds of times (It's right across from the swimming pool). Without exaggeration their weekend brunch is the best breakfast I've had in Dublin. The Eggs Benedict on baked ham is fantastic, and served on an english muffin and rockety side salad. I recommend sausages on the side, they're extremely tasty. I've also tried the omlette and mixed breakfast and they're just as nice. The Village is reasonably priced (around €10) but the tastiness of the food and wonderful presentation are what make it worth visiting. They also do an excellent dinner menu, which I last tried a few months ago, think there's a good starter/main deal during the week.

Went here for lunch. Great little cafe - clean and fresh, comfortable, and chilled out Jazz in the background. Service is very friendly and professional and food very tasty plentuful and great value. A winner for lunch - must check it out for dinner.

Went here on a Board Deals - now wishing I had bought 2 of them.... Have to say the food was gorgeous, really enjoyable, the owner was there and was extremely helpful and nice. Have to say wouldn t have ever gone there before as I don t live anywhee near Rathmines but will defo be back there

My husband and I went here on a Groupon. We had never eaten in the restaurant before but had read many glowing reviews. I had to say they are spot on! It's a very cosy inside, with painted panelled walls. Our waiter was very polite and charming. We ordered the Prosecco as the wine, and it was lovely, not too acidic, but very refreshing. I had the garlic prawns and salad to start. The salad had amazing flavours, very fresh and bright. The prawns were beautifully cooked and not too heavy with garlic. I tried some of his brie wrapped in parma ham, and it was melt in the mouth delicious. The waiter who cleared our tables made sure that we had enjoyed the starter. For mains, I had the daily special, which was baked cod with creamed potato and mussels in sauce. It was very well cooked - it flaked beautifully and the thick sauce the mussels were in provided wonderful flavour with the potato. I tried some of his lamb, which was very tender and well flavoured. To finish, we both had the chocolate brownie with raspberries and ice cream. It is the first place I've went to in a long time where they've served a proper brownie! The dense, fudgy brownie was perfectly paired with the tart but sweet raspberries. I will most certainly be going back here again! With a 3 course early bird for €21, it's great value for the quality of food and service you get.

My husband and I went here after getting a great boards.ie voucher online. We arrived to a warm welcome and a good atmosphere. It is a small restaurant and unfortunately for them it wasn't 100% full however they had a few big groups that really added to the atmosphere. The waitress was really nice and she said we could pick any bottle of wine included for on our voucher which we were pleasantly surprised at. I went for the Greek salad to start and himself went for prawn salad, both were very good. I then went for prawn linguini and he went for stuffed chicken, again these were both very good, no complaints. We shared an apple pie dessert. Overall we had a really enjoyable experience and although the location is not ideal for us, we will definitely make an effort to come back again.

Went here last night on a generous Boardsdeals voucher. The place was empty when I arrived, not surprising on a wet Tuesday night at 6.30. We were warmly greeted by the waiter(manager?) and had our choice of tables. My starter was an attempt at an elegant salad of king prawns. The 4 prawns were a bit swamped in a big salad which would have been better had the avocado been ripe. Other half's fish cake starter consisted of two big roundies, heavyish on potato but enough fish to come through. Quite good. It would have made a substantial main course. Main courses were very successful. For me, rack of lamb. None of this trimming-off-the-fat-to-beautify-it business, you got the whole chop with the fatty layer on the outside, and tastier for it, interesting smoked bacony new potatoes and and veg mix to accompany it. The chicken main course was similar style and equally enjoyed. Panna cotta was another generous portion and delicous, the apple pie was good also. Nice bottle of pinot grigio, plus an extra, generously poured, glass of red (corbiere) with the lamb would indicate the short wine list is well priced and well chosen. This is not michelin star fancy food like you see on the tele - This, and I mean it is the best possible way, is good honest home cooking, or how some might like to be able to cook at home, priced very competitively for what it is (rack of lamb €17.50!!!). The sparkling water, espresso, and extra glass of wine we got, cost sod all - it's all too common for restaurants to pile on the price for little extras like water and coffee which help the meal and you don't really consider the cost when ordering. Honesty in pricing as well as in cooking. Pub prices, with good food, in a much nicer environment.

Ate here last night with my family and loved it. Booked it after reading the other reviews and it didn't disappoint. The food was delicious, service was excellent and extremely reasonably priced. I will definitely be back.

Have been meaning to eat dinner here for ages as it's a regular brunch haunt and I was not dissappointed! Excellent value at 16.95 for two courses or 20.95 for 3 with the early bird. Staff were very friendly and helpful. To start I had the prawns, mango and avocado salad - nice and light. For mains I had the lamb and it had a wonderful smokey flavour. Himself had the Caesar Salad which was good. For desert, a massive slab of apple pie which was delicious, and I'm informed homemade - fair play to her! It was lovely. I had the vanilla and vodka panacotta with berry coulis. Wasn't overjoyed at the orange rind but very tasty nonetheless. All in all, for the price and convenince, this place is great! In fact, probably the only main issue I had was the lighting - a little harsh. If they had a warmer feel this would be a fantastic place to take someone on a date with a very romantic feel. As it is, it's a lovely restaurant, good food, good service, good value. Nuff said.

I ate here for the first time last week. It is excellent value at 16.95 for two courses. The outside seating area is really nice, however it was threatening rain so we ate inside. I was pleasantly surprised by th decor inside and while the restaurant is pretty tiny, it has a cosy atmosphere. The food was good with big portions and lots of choice. The wine was very nice and service was very attentive without being OTT, however the restaurant was very quiet as it was a Monday night so I'd like to return when it's busier. All in all a very good experience. I will be back.

Went here for brunch on a Sunday. Nice and relaxed athmosphere. Service was a little slow but didnt mind as we were reading the papers anyway. I got the scambled eggs with spinach on toast which i really enjoyed. My boyfriend got village breakfast bap, which was tasty. Has a lovely area to sit outside which is great for when the weather is good!

I go to the village cafe quite regularly for brunch as I live locally and it has never disappointed. The outside seating is a great selling point for whenever the weather is nice and the food is consistantly delicious; the eggs benedict or french toast are particular favourites of mine. Most of all the staff are always friendly and pleasant despite having a full house every weekend afternoon.

Dined here on a Monday night and it was very quiet indeed. I got the chicken for my main and my friend got the vegetarian option of ricotta stuffed mushrooms. My chicken came with veg, boiled pototoes and was very nice. My friend's stuffed mushroom was absolutely gorgeous. This was the first time I wished I had ordered the vegetarian option as I ALWAYS order a meat option. The service was standard. I would recommend this cafe if you are looking for an inexpensive informal meal. We did not have starter or dessert. Just as well because I was full just from the main.

Myself and my Wife decided to drop in and sample the food and atmosphere, we had heard from a variety of people that it was worth checking out, And what can i say we're pleasently surprised, lovely friendly relaxed atmosphere, very professional and courteous staff always willing to offer assistants when needed, I had the prawn starter and fish main course while my wife had the pharma ham for starter and chicken supreme for main, both dishes extremely well presented and absolutely delicious to the last mouth full. A little wait between dishes but for the result it is worth it, With a glass or two of wine and a cosy chat the time just drifted away. I can safely say it was the first of what will be many visits, A lovely gem of a place, perfect to relax and unwinded in a friendly cosy environment

In an everchanging world, the Village Cafe has never lost its charm. Had lunch there recently and the vegetable soup was still so hearty and delicious and great portion. Its such a cost place inside with great outside space for the rare warm evenings. With its wooden benches and delcious home cooked smells, its the kinda of cafe you will linger in and read your paper rather than just fly in for a quick bite. The food and atmosphere have always been first class with friendly staff. A cosy little haven.

Five stars for this place. Had a lovely breakfast here with a friend. He got the full irish and sang its praises for the day and I had scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. It was absolutely fabulous. Great portions, great service and great atmosphere! will return.

I'm caught between wanting to tell people about this great restaurant, and keeping the little gem a secret so I am always assured of a table. The staff are friendly, and willing to help in any way they can. The chef is outstanding, the Spanish guitarist strumming in the background adds to the intimate atmosphere and the food is quite simply, delicious. Excellent value too! Try the brie rapped in parma ham starter-divine!

Popped in for breakfast (brunch really) on my way into town for the Irish match. Ordered the full Irish and a cup of coffee. The coffee was the way it should be fresh and strong. The breakfast took a little longer than I would have liked but it was certainly worth the wait. All the usuals were there, bacon sausage, egg, fried tomato and a strangely arranged but delicious black and white pudding combo. As an added surprise there was some lovely fresh rocket drizzled in olive oil. The breakfast was superb and great value, it's a lively little spot and I can see why, they even offer every customer free wifi. I most definitely will be back.

I was looking for a good cup of coffee along the Rathmines road, when I stumbled upon the Village Cafe, which I have seen open and closed on various occasions in the nearly 4 years I have been living in Rathmines. The coffee was delicious, nice and strong like I like it..and then I was tempted by the scrambled eggs that the person beside me was eating. So, I ordered the smoked salmon scrambled eggs, and within a few minutes of ordering, I received a generous serving of scrambled eggs with an equally generous serving of chopped up smoked salmon and lovely brown toast to go with it. After devouring the dish, a member of staff asked me how I enjoyed my meal. I told them they were the best scrambled eggs with smoked salmon that I've had in a long time and that the coffee was delicious and that I'm ashamed that I didn't bring my mother who had left Dublin just a week earlier. I promised that I would let menupages know of my experience and that I would recommend the scrambled eggs with smoked salmon to all Dubliners and visitors to our fair city. I will definitely go back there soon...

I find that eating out in Dublin for lunch is generally disappointing, most of the time I'm left planning to cook for myself at home. The Village isn't like that - the food is always fresh and well cooked, and then well presented. And out of a kitchen smaller than my en suite! The Village Cafe has very quickly become one of my favourite places of all. With the menu changing regularly so that I know that I'll have something new to try and the food is absolutely lovely as well as very inexpensive. I'm here now 3-4 times a week and have yet to grow tired of it. Salads are fresh, meat options inventive and they can cater to vegetarians quite well too. The brownies are awesome and the coffee is also great. The place is often full and you can't get a table, however it is worth waiting if you can. Service is always friendly with staff going out of their way to help although with such a small kitchen and prep area you sometimes do need to wait a little. Recently I popped in here for breakfast, I had the french toast which was lovely and my partner had what he described as "the best irish breakfast he'd ever had". I can't wait to try out dinner here.

Been here a few times for either breakfast or lunch and have always had a pleasant experience.

Love Village Cafe, have been several times & have never been disappointed. Has a great location in Rathmines - perfect for lunch or brunch.Food is great & the staff are both friendly & welcoming. Definitely will be back!

Was here last Friday to check out the new menu. Food was good and at great value. Apparently a wine licence is on the cards so will be back!

I was glad to see a change of menu etc in the village but today I was very disappointed with the "coffee" I was served. The village used to serve great coffee complete with crema head; what I got was like hot, black water. In order to get what used to be the norm I had to opt for an americano.

Drop in here from time to time: It's a real Gem for lunch or coffee