hello all! just wanted to say thanks to simon for the review and to add my voice to the crowd of us bigging up the sommelier in pearl - he's a... erm.. gem (ahem, scuse the pun!).. used to bump into him when he worked in one pico and was glad to see hes as attentive and knowledgable as ever. we had a really lovely meal in pearl a couple of months back, and as an annoying veggie, i was really chuffed to see they have a separate veggie menu with really inventive dishes on it, not just the standard goats cheese salad malarky. max, you're spot on about the decor - theres just something a little flat and uninspiring about it.. many basement restaurants in dublin make a feature of this, Dax being a prime example (and while we're singing praises of sommeliers, you can't get better than Olivier). but pearl is just a wee bit dowdy when compared with other places nearby. its funny, when its a basement premises, its so important to get it right - IMHO, town bar and grill is another place that has the decor nailed, compared to somewhere like Venu where the decor makes you feel like you're eating in a nightclub toilet.. ick.. all that saidl, it may not be a great thing if they revamp the dining room - there'll be much less chance of a cheeky table for two on a saturday night (a la the meteor ad!) ta ra bee
