The D6 village of Ranelagh has become a culinary phenomenon in recent years, with restaurants opening (and, sadly, closing) at a rate matched only by Dublin’s busiest city-centre boulevards. Host opened in autumn 2017 as the passion project of co-owners Chloe Kearney (front of house) and Niall McDermott (head chef, and an alumni of London’s Boca de Luca and Dublin’s Bastible) and, as local diners obviously know a good thing when they see it, it looks as if Host's early success is set to last.
The modern interior makes this open-kitchen space feel airy, bold and welcoming – though you might want to ask for the banquette if high-stool seating doesn’t suit. The clean, minimalist aesthetic sets the tone for confident contemporary cooking and a pared-back menu where nothing is superfluous and everything has been carefully considered and skilfully executed.
The menu itself is small - not just in scope but in size: printed on miniature scraps of coloured paper that feel playful but not gimmicky. First-timers should consider simplifying things by opting for the chef’s menu, which involves sharing two starters, two fresh pasta courses (homemade of course), one choice from the grill (an excellent Andarl Farm pork chop with salsa verde, perhaps, which tastes like all pork should – not to mention being reared humanely like all pigs should be), a couple of side dishes that are no mere after thought (longstem broccoli with bitter tardivo leaves and anchovy, perhaps) and one dessert to share.
At €37pp sharing (or add €22 between two if you opt for Hannan’s salt-aged rib-eye) this is an excellent value introduction to the restaurant’s recommended family-style approach to sharing dinner, and to the kitchen’s capability, which is sure-handed and well-honed - this is a team who know how to maximise flavour from well-sourced ingredients.
Where the starters tantalise the tastebuds, the pasta course delivers pure satisfaction, offering a virtual hug for body and soul - perhaps in the form of a deep-flavoured duck ragu tagliatelle, perhaps, or the sweet-savoury play of pumpkin and sage cappellacci parcels offset with walnuts. Menus change often but there is an understated quality to their approach to Italian-inspired cuisine, and a confidence that comes from knowing they’ve got the important things right – like the superb homemade (check) hazelnut ice-cream and intense Project Black Coffee espresso that make up an affogato (amaretto optional, but recommended!).
The European-focused wine list is similarly confident, offering several excellent natural wines, a good smattering of interesting choices by the glass, and some real treats worth stretching the budget for. And with such a fine chef’s menu available for less the €40 a head, this is somewhere that you can afford a treat of a wine. And spritz fans should ask about their choice of apertivo cocktails to start or consider finishing with a bitter-sweet Amari.
What’s particularly attractive about the offering at Host – and what’s particularly commendable in the atmosphere created by its front of house team – is that as much as this is a wonderful choice for a blow-out meal of many courses, the set-up and menu make it ideal for a quick bite and glass too, perhaps propped by the window watching neighbourhood life go by.
Host is a unique village offering delivered with panache by a delightful young team, and one that deserves to thrive.
