Having lived in Rathmines when Zen first opened, we used to be quite regular customers, but then moved away so haven't been there for some time. We have fond memories of Zen as it was a lovely setting (a converted church), had excellent food, which was also available to take away. At the time I remember it was one of very few places that served aromatic duck and pancakes to take away ! So many years later we found ourselves returning on a quiet Monday night, apprehensive that our good memories would be broken. We were delighted to see that the quality of the food had not in any way been diminished, and it still served what I would amateurishly call very "clean" Chinese food - i.e. absence of gloopy sauces that are so common. We felt the room however had changed and the visual impact of the upstairs "choir gallery" was lost somewhat with the renovations. Back to the food...to start we had the meat sung, which was really nice and crisp, and an unusual pang pang chicken which was served cold in a hot and spicy sauce - it was truly delicious. Mains were a scallop dish with cashew nuts (very generous portion of scallops), and a sizzling lamb which was equally excellent. Service throughout was impeccable - from both a mature lady who I think is probably the owner (I have not so fond memories of a previous elderly very grupmy man ! ), and a young guy who was most helpful and inobtrusive. On leaving we had a nice chat with a young lady reminiscing on the old style of the restaurant and congratulating them on their longevity as we read that they were celebrating 20 years in business. All in all a very pleasant night tripping down memory lane, and great to see that standards of food and service had not been comprimised donw the years. We will not leave it so long to return.....

Went with Menu Pages voucher and was very impressed with both the friendly staff and the food. I had the twice roasted duck which was great and my wife had the Chefs special which was Sea Bass in their special sauce, excellent. Nice place and can see why they are still here after 20 years, we will be back.

Was greeted promptly soon as I entered the tastefully decorated lobby by a gentleman who offered to take my coat. Attentive, polite and professional but a tad too serious during the evening, a smile wouldn't go amiss. The building in restaurant had a bit of an old world architecture like it had been a church or something with its stain glass windows, mightn't be to everyones taste. The 4 of us chose from the excellent value set menu of 2 courses for €15 and 3 courses for €19. I ordered barbecued spare ribs which were nice as were one of my companions spring rolls. The waitress was excellent and smiling. Hot plates were placed on the table for the main course which were 2 duck dishes, 1 beef with black pepper sauce for moi & sweet & sour chicken with fried rice for 2. The accompanying chips for 2 were nice & beautifully presented in an upmarket takeway fashion. The flower work with carrots was nice. One negative note, there was no black pepper or mill though there waas white pepper. 3 went for the banana fritters & ice cream & I went for the coconut ice cream, they have a wide selection of ice creams & sorbets. Everyone enjoyed their desserts & the after eights with tea were a nice touch. The loos are very clean & tastefully decorated also though it would be better were the cupboard off the disabled loo were locked, just a small criticism. Overall a good value enjoyable meal with professional service & just a few small things need to be twigged.

Visited Zen on a Friday evening and was glad I had booked. Most tables were full at 7pm. Food and service were just lovely. Menu is interesting and they cater for spicy to mild in every dish. Tables are a little close together but that would be my only criticism. Will definitely be returning.

If I could I would have given six stars. We ate here this evening (At short notice) using a MenuPages deal and we loved it. The staff were lovely the restaurant is beautiful the food was plentiful and delicious. We will happily go back and anyone who's thinking about going to a chinese restaurant would be wise to go to Zen it really is worth it. Thanks Zen for a super evening.

We had a fantastic evening in Zen. The service was top class, as was the food & atmosphere. We booked through one of the menupages.ie deals, but would go back again, even without the deal. Beautiful room, v. comfortable, and staff are amazing. Highly, highly, highly recommend Zen.

Had a booking made for 8pm - (informed staff we would be late arriving) eventually got to restaurant after 9pm - WOW what a beautiful place -GREAT STAFF - FAB FOOD and the attention to detail 2nd to none - felt like we were the only diners there as we were both lavished with smiles pleasantness. definately worth a visit - will be back again

What can I say just finished my meal in zen menuepages deal amazing will be back could not find fault with anything

have to say that this is easily one of, if not the best Chinese in Dublin. Service and food is second to none. We were seated and served within 10 minutes. the food was delicious with impeccable attention to detail. The restaurant is beautiful, tucked away from upper Rathmines road in what looks like a house from the outside but feels like a little piece of the orient inside

Easily the best Chinese in Dublin- quality food and service in a beautiful restaurant. Would highly recommend Zen to anyone

I took my family (2 small kids) here for a treat before Xmas.The room is elegant without being fussy,and the service was great.This is a restaurant that loves having kids! My son had the aromatic duck which was delicious and my young daughter had sweet and sour chicken which was just right for the less adventurous.With the two small people happy,we could enjoy our spicier dishes. I had the pork belly special,and my wife had a spicy beef with dry chilli pepper sauce. All in all I'd thoroughly recommend this place.

By far the the best quality Chinese food to take away I have tried in the city. I can't find anything like it elsewhere. The flavours are fantastic, Beef and hot bean sauce is sublime. They deliver too.

13 of us went, 6 adults 7 kids. Service was sporadic, like they only had 2 chefs working so the mains came out in drips. Food is good, authentic Szechuan, but presentation is poor, all straight from wok to a serving plate so it all looks the same. At the prices (we paid 320ish) I want better. The room is lovely, nice atmosphere, and the staff are friendly and welcoming. A special note, the prawn with smoked chilli is super!

We recently visited the Zen restaurant for our annual Christmas Party as a group of 8 friends. The food and service can only be described as exceptional. This restaurant is without doubt my favourite Chinese restaurant in Dublin. Of particular note, the staff were extremely helpful in assisting us with our menu choices even though there was a large group of us. Their recommendation of dishes was superb and catered to everybody's tastes. There was a lovely Christmas atmosphere and everybody left with a smile on their faces. Thanks to everybody at Zen, we'll definitely be back very soon!

Great food, lovely atmosphere and good service. It is worth a visit.

we really like zen. when you walk in for the first time you will be impressed by the decor - it is lovely. the food is authentic and always tastes as chinese should. it is not full of flour like some chinese,dishes almost taste light. only gripe is dessert - not great! but for service, value and good chinese its worth a try.

Without a doubt the worst Chinese meal I've ever had :-( Food tasted like nothing, very bland. Chicken was dry and chewy. Sauce tasted like vinegar. We only took a few bites and left it was so disgusting.Wasted money and not even worth the effort to try get it back. How does restaurants still stay in business in times like this?!?!?!

Response:
If you are unhappy with any aspect of your experience at Zen, please let a member of staff know and we will do everything that we can to make sure you leave happy. Thank you.

Posted by: Zen on 22/11/2011

I ordered two chicken curries abnd BBQ ribs for delivery from Zen. The food arrived very quickly to be fair but other than that it was a huge disappointment. The curries were completely bland and flavourless and the the BBQ sauce for the ribs was not great. Definitely wont be ordering from there again.

The service was as always imbecible. I went for a curry dish and I was a little sorry I didn't go wiht a more traditional dish as they have never failed to dissappoint, the curry dish was quite unremarkable. I am very glad this place has survived into it's 20th year. It's always quite quiet but having the take away menu is a great idea, at least you know you are getting a quality take out.

Visited last Thursday and there was a great buzz. The place is stunning; the setting is unique, tastefully done. We were a group of seven people and were shown to one of the linen covered round tables, so much better than the usual long tables offered in other restaurants, the round table really adds to the experience. The food is unlike any Chinese food I've had before; this is not the standard fare. To start, dumplings, chilli ribs, duck with pancakes were super. The mains were something special, the sea bass special, the pork belly special, authentic kung pao with peanuts, were the real standouts for me. Seven mains and seven delicious flavours, the very reasonably priced Chianti was flowing. The service was faultless and informative when we were ordering. The bill for a very enjoyable evening was great value for money. We left the restaurant very satisfied and planning our next visit.

I have been to Zen on a number of occassions and whereas the food and service is faultless, the atmosphere is always disappointing. I'm always surprised at how few people eat in this restaurant but I think this may be down to pricing & marketing. The early bird menu has been withdrawn on a Friday night which is disappointing. The owner seems to run promotional offers at various times but then withdraws them at a whim. The menu pricing needs to be reviewed as it does not reflect value for money & also the portions are now smaller as mentioned in a previous post. My advice to the owner would be 'reduce your prices & put more bums on seats'. Sadly I won't be returning to Zen unless they reduce their prices

Have eaten here many times over the last few years. Service is ALWAYS impeccable . The wine list very pleasent and reasonable . The early diner option very reasonable and therefore makes it a very good option for families on a fri or Sat eve. The dish to die for has to be the Toffee apple desert ( I am not a desert person but i dream about this) However , recently I have noticed that the size of the serving on maincourse has been halved . The standard remains excellent, but it means that while I am happy , my DH leaves hungry and is therefore reluctant to visit. The room is beautiful but never really full . I think they may need to look at marketing this gem rather than cutting costs on the portion size.

This was my second visit to Zen, and both experiences have been very good. The food is very tasty and of a high quality (try the Chen-Do), service is friendly and efficient, and the atmosphere was good second time around (it was a little quiet the first time I ate there as it was midweek). The eating area itself is reminiscent of a Lara Croft game (a la Croft Manor), while the toilets are clean and pretty classy. They have a very good early bird-type offer which, remarkably, isn't mentioned either on MenuPages or on their own website. You can eat-in for take-out prices all night Mon-Thurs, and from 5:30 - 7:30 Fri-Sun. While the take-out menu is also a bit dearer than other such menus, it's very good value if you use it to eat-in. Well worth a visit overall.

Very good standard Chinese food outside of the city centre. None of their dishes use MSG which allows one to appreciate the true flavours. I am a fan of the schezwan prawn dish. They are generous with the amount of prawns and it is nicely spicy. Singapore noodles are also a good choice here and can be made more or less spicy on request. On certain nights they do take away prices in their restaurant area. A definite hit!

Great food, terrible atmosphere... Visited here on bank holiday sunday nite with my partner. On entering the restaurant we were disappointed to see that only two other tables were occupied... This was a real shame for me as I really enjoy a good atmosphere when dining out. Moving past this, the food was quite delicious. I opted for the fantastic chilli ribs while my partner had the chicken and prawn dumplings which were ok. For mains I enjoyed the sizzling assorted meat platter which I definitely recommend if your a real carnivore like myself. My partner enjoyed the sliced chicken hot bean dish which was wonderful, the chicken was so tender it was literally falling apart. All in all, an very enjoyable meal but the atmosphere really let it down.

Zen was fabulous. I really enjoyed myself here last Friday night. The boss was very friendly and pleasant. The waiters were efficient and attentive. The food was just superb. My two friends shared the Aromatic Duck Sichuan Style to start and declared them delicious, especially the Sichuan sauce. I had the Pang Pang Chicken and I loved it. Then we got different main cources for each other. They were all great and tasted fantastic. And the service was just very nice. I will of course return to Zen, not just for the excellent food but also for the service and atmosphere which was very good for a Friday night.

wat a great chinese restaurant in an old church. very spacious. service was a bit slow but great food great valu 4 money. 3 starters 3 mains one dessert 3 glassses of wine €60.00 def go bach

Zen - nice and spacious, quiet and not crowded. And quite a nice atmosphere. That's what I'm talking about! It's actually quite a nice restaurant. However, it's not without its pitfalls. The waitress, in particular, was very nice it must be said, but this was soured by the unfriendliness of one of the waiters. He was a bit short with us and grumpy. Food: The starter was good - dumplings in a spicy sauce - but I wasn't pushed about the prawns in sweet and sour sauce main course. While there was nothing exactly wrong with it, it was kind of tasteless, which was a shame. The grumpy waiter came back to tell me that they only had two flavours of ice cream for my three-scoop dessert - did I want one strawberry and two scoops of chocolate? (I can't remember which flavours they had remaining in actual fact). Not my thing at all, so I changed the order to three (different, please!) scoops of sorbet. He looked at me as if he held me personally responsible for the world's problems once I did this, before he retreated to give the new order! Having said that, Zen is great value for money - not expensive at all - and the cross waiter did say goodbye to us pleasantly enough on our way out. So, not bowled over; it hasn't become my favourite Chinese Restaurant as of yet and I am looking. However, I will return and give it another shot.

Visited Zen last Monday. The menu they offer on Mondays is great. Take away prices all night long, we shared a starter, had two mains and ended up paying €25 for two people. The restaurant is lovely inside and the staff are really nice. We will be back again for sure.

My mum and I went to Zen on the last night of her stay in Ireland. We were both impressed at how delicious the food was. The staff were very attentive and attended to all of our needs. The atmosphere was warm and comfortable and the value of the meal (we got the take out menu) was exceptional. I would definitely go back again for a nice meal with my friends, or at least with my mother the next time she visits.

As I am not a big fan of Chinese cuisine I tend to stick to the 'safe' options. Sweet and sour chicken was nice enough, nothing to write home about. Atmosphere was a little strange. A few tables Full yet very quiet. Good service. The people I ate with found the place to be quite nice.

Beautiful Restaurant! A large group of us went for a work do. Food was great and service was fanastic, not to mention the wine! A really nice and unique Place.

I hadn't been to Zen in years but when I heard of the latest offer of eating in at Take-Out prices I decided to give it a go. Overall it was a great experience and I will certainly not be leaving it as long to go back next time around. The new offer seems to have sparked people's interest as it was packed on a Thursday evening around 7pm, and the atmosphere was very good. The service was excellent very attentive and nothing was too much trouble. The food was also faultless, the spring rolls and the meat sung were lovely starters, and the chicken and blackbean sauce which I had for main course was one of the nicest I've had. I also tried the chicken curry which was as nice as ever. €57 for 3 people having starters and mains, with drinks, was great value I thought. I will be returning very soon.

I went here yesterday and have to say I was very disappointed with the food. I was absolutely laden with grease and oil. It completely masked the flavours.... I am a major fan of chinese cuisine and was expecting this place to be good but it was a major let down. Only positive was the friendly efficient service but unfortunately that was not enough to persuade me to go back.

We went to this restaurant on Mothers Day as they were doing the restaurant food at takeaway prices for the whole day and it was absolutely fantastic. I couldn't fault a thing. The food was gorgeous, the staff were lovely, the restaurant itself is beautiful and the atmosphere was great. Dying to go back, the food was for half nothing and well worth it.

Myself and my gf just got a take away delivered from this restaurant. it was absolutely awful, two brest of chicken curry. It was not a breast of chicken used in either portion. avoid at all costs. telephoned manageress who would do nothing for us. she said she would give us money off the next time we ordered. well we wont again.

This restaurant is fabulous. The atmosphere is fantastic and the decor is so unusual. I love it because they have a great range of vegetarian dishes. The staff are lovely and they never rush you so its a great place to linger over drinks after your meal. The braised aubergine is to die for!

A gem of a restaurant! The decor and relaxed atmosphere is very inviting. Food is very nice and reasonably priced. Service was excellent. This place is nice for a romantic meal or a meal out with friends. A lovely friendly place will definitely be back again and again.

I visited this restaurant last night and it is the best value I have come across in a long time! They are offering a menu at take away prices all night Monday to Thursday. One starter, two mains aned two glasses of wine came to €35, €25 without the wine, bargain. The food is fab and the restaurant is really lovely, very chinese! I cant say enough good things about Zen, hence I even joined menupages to share the information!

It seems as if the Zen has always been there. It has one of the loveliest old-style dining rooms in the city. It is some time since I was there last but the food was always very good quality compared to many other Chinese restaurants. You pay a little more but get a real night out instead of just some feeding time. I would rate the service as efficient rather than overly friendly.

Had the Meat Sung to start and Shredded Lamb With Dry Chilli Pepper Sauce as my main. Both were excellent, the shredded lamb in particular. The restaurant itself is beautiful and the staff were very prompt (a little too much so) with the main course and a lot slower once it came to deserts. Very friendly though. Price is a little high, but it's as good a Chinese as i've eaten in. Special mention goes to the goldfish in the reception, who were great.

Went out on wednesday 10th Dec for christmas meal in Zen in Upper Rathmines Road and had a lovely meal. Restaurant very nice and staff lovely. Would definitely go back again and recommend the food.

Lovely chinese restaurant. The decor is lovely and theres a lovely atmosphere. The portions aren't huge but the food is very tasty.

One of my favourite restuarants in dublin,the food is very good! We've been going here for years and the staff has always been the same which helps create the relaxed atmosphere we experience time and time again (but it has been the consistently good food on offer that has us coming back!!) The take-away on the other hand is never quite as good as when eating in the restaurant but still better than most chinese take-aways in dublin!

I ate here last weekend with my husband and we had the best meal out we've had in a very long time. The room is beautifully decorated, there is a lovely calm atmosphere, the food was excellent and the service pitched at exactly the right level of attentiveness. We practically floated out of there. I loved the dipping sauce with the dumplings and the beef was melt-in-the-mouth. Can't understand the complaints about portion size as we were too stuffed to have dessert. The complimentary beansprouts while browsing the menu made a very welcome change to the usual greasy prawn crackers. It isn't exactly bargain prices but it is certainly comparable in price to most Chinese restaurants and streets ahead with the delicious flavours. I just hope it stays nice and quiet there ;-)

The setting for this restaurant is very nice, well decorated and relaxing. But, we came for the food. Its such a pity when the setting is great but the experience doesn’t live up to it. There are 10 Chinese restaurants on Parnell street whose food is half the price and 3 times tastier. Ordered duck in plum sauce, sizzling lamb, mixed greens and dumplings. The mixed greens at 8 odd euros were bland and badly prepared. The lamb was uninspiring. The duck was good, the dumplings were fine. Two glasses of house wine and a Irish coffee. For €90 you expect something special. This was not.

The most courteous and helpful staff, for take-away or eat in! The duck is always amazing and the atmosphere is lovely. We were here for a family dinner of 14 and not one of us was disappointed!

The dining room is gorgeous - a big lofty space that's been dramatically and stylishly decorated. There's a decadent, glamorous atmosphere that's very different from what you'll find in other Chinese restaurants. The dishes we ordered were sweet and sticky and full of a citrusy herb that I couldn't quite identify. Others on this page have complained about small portion sizes: this is fair enough - but you shouldn't let it stop you going - it's not as bad as all that. My big complaint is that there are too few vegetarian options for starters.

This was my second visit since the refurbishment. Zen has gone up market and while the food is good it is no better than before while the prices are far higher than your average Chinese. We both had special hors douvres to start which were reheated spare rib, mini spring roll and prawn toast. I had roast duck with fried rice which was ok but came unadorned so I had to order a side dish of veg. My companion had the deep fried monkfish which was again just ok and again unadorned. Don’t expect to leave here feeling full. The wine list is very limited and overpriced. Overall so-so food served in small portions at high prices.

My favourite Chinese restaurant. Food's amazing. I recommend #26 - chicken with cashew nuts. Only gripe would be that the portions are slightly on the small side. But overall, Zen has to be one of the best Chinese restaurants in Dublin.

Got a takeaway from here, which we collected ourselves. The quality of the food was outstanding; we had a beef, chicken and prawn dish. All had their own very distinctive tastes. One complaint - portions a little small.

We have been going here for the last 10 years and it is still my number one choice for eating out. The atmosphere in the restaurant is very relaxed and family friendly and the staff can't do enough for you. The food is excellent, the quality of the ingredients and the lack of curried dishes on the menu is a welcome change from you would get in most chinese restaurants. 3 dishes I would recommend are the Chicken with Hot Bean Sauce, Beef with Dry Chilli Sauce and the Sizzling chicken.

Popped in for a quick course here last friday, the new decor certainly is an improvement on the 80s carpets they used to sport. We were very early so were the only ones in the restaurant so difficult to judge what the atmosphere might be like. The food was far superior to any old take away but did not take my breath way. I had the sweet marinated Pork Belly and while this was tasty it could have done with an extra few vegetables put through for some variety. The battered monkfish itself was tasty but the sauce a little unexciting for my taste. The most disappointing aspect of the meal was our dry, obviously not fresh rice, both the boiled and fried. Generally good service but a little claustrophobic, I prefer to fill my own glass of water but maybe that's just me! You may be surprised when I say I will go back to the Zen but hopefully when the kitchen is in full swing and the floor is full.

Myself and my family visited Zen last night to celebrate my wife’s birthday. Decor was very nice and the staff were great with the kids. We all had starters I had pan fried dumplings, which were very nice. Both my kids had deep fried chicken won tons and they cleaned their plates. My wife had chicken sweet corn soup and she said it was nice but a bit cold. My main course was home-style sizzling beef very nice my wife had the sizzling meat combo also very nice. My son had the BBQ ribs, which he devoured, and my daughter had chow mien and she love them clean her plate. For dessert I had a banana fritter it was divine and my wife got as slice of white chocolate gateaux with a candle in it for her birthday and said it was lovely. Over all it was a very nice experience at Zen the portions were a bit small on all the dishes. But we will go again.

What's not to love? If you like Chinese food then you have to eat here. You'll probably never eat in another Chinese restaurant again. They also do a delivery service, the quality of the food is the same as the restaurant and puts other Chinese restauants to shame. Recommend a dish. I've eaten here so many times that I have tried most things on the menu and it's difficult to choose only one. For starters, the pan fried dumplings are to die for as is the pang pang chicken and the meat sung. Main courses, anything with cashew nuts, all the duck dishes, beef with ginger and scallion, assorted meats chen du style Dessert - the white chocolate gateaux is divine, really light, or the toffee apple, it takes about 15 minutes as it's cooked to order but it's really worth it. If you've got kids, it's a great place, the staff make a fuss of them and they'll make anything you want. That goes for the adults too, don't worry if it's not on the menu, ask, if they can do it for you they will. I recommend that you go in a group, that way you can get a variety of dishes and share. The restaurant has just been done up and is really busy as it was closed for 4 weeks. Make sure you book early.

Ate here on a Wednesday evening. Quiet. Service was very good, attentive without being over bearing. Food was delicious and recommend the spicy beef and celery and the Chow Mein, however compared to other Chinese Restaurants the menu selection was more limited. Something for everyone! Recommended.

Zens is one of the most delicious Chinese foods in all of the southside. It is very good quality but at times when I have visited there it was been a bit pricey but that’s because of its quality. They have two areas one delivery, as it doesn’t disturb the main restaurant area. Its high ceilings remind me of a big food hall! But they have done a great job with interior. I would recommend this Chinese restaurant to anyone.

First visit to the Zen was a very pleasant experience. It was a meal for two. The food was absolutely gorgeous. From start to finish every bite was delicious. One of us is vegetarian and although the veggie selection was limited it was not a problem. Plenty of space between the tables. The staff were friendly and unobtrusive. This is a place for both couples and groups. We will go back again.

The pang pang chicken will sear the mouth off you and emblazon this place in your memory forever! Good variety on the menu, tasty starters and great service. Felt really comfortable in the restaurant and the cold kirin beers complimented a really enjoyable meal. There were a load of families there the Friday evening we went. Would be a great place to go with a group on a Saturday.

Have eaten here a few times and even though I live in Kildare, I sometimes get a takeaway from here on my way home from Dublin. Food is seriously good and the staff are very helpful and friendly. I love the fact there are lots of vegetarian options, which include tofu. Most Chinese restaurants just have vegetables in different sauces but not Zen's. My meat eating friends all rave about this place too saying it's the best Chinese they have every had. Would definitely recommend this place.

Excellent food and good takeaway service. The room is sometimes a bit cold, and because it is a big open room it feels like sitting in a big barn or something. But food is great and staff very friendly. Recommend the take away service.

I'm basing my rating on one dish-chicken in garnish. It is the best thing about the place. The most amazing, spicy, Chinese dish EVER! Get it as takeaway though because the restaurant is a bit overpriced and dull.

Just tried a beef takeaway, but was seriously impressed. Probably the nicest Chinese I've ever eaten. Good value too. Will definitely be back.... sooner rather than later!

Excellent restaurant. Great atmosphere. Never had bad service or food, staff always remember you. Recommended!!

As far as I’m concerned the best Chinese in Dublin. The staff are friendly and offer a personal service to their regulars! The food is delicious and they only use breast of chicken and fillet of beef. I thoroughly recommend the chicken curry, the sauce is best I’ve ever tasted. Definitely worth a visit :)