The 10 hardest to book restaurants in Dublin, and how to get a table

Lisa Cope
5 days ago
6 min read

The same Dublin restaurants will break your heart again and again if you're trying to eat there without the kind of notice you'd usually give people attending a wedding, so we thought it was time to do a bit of digging and find out the best tips and insider tricks for getting tables in Lena, Grano, Host and the rest that are eternally booked out. We've researched, begged and pleaded for the Insider info, and here's your best shot at getting the table you want...

Lena, Portobello

Even before it opened in February, neighbourhood Italian Lena was already one of the most booked up restaurants in Dublin - coming from the same teams as Uno Mas and Etto, expectations were as high as they come. You'll only find bookings online for sporadic 5pm or 9pm tables, or the odd weekend lunch opening, but there's also a table that seats 6 - 8 that's slower to book up so if you can assemble a crowd you might have more luck. If planning ahead, bookings open 60 days in advance, day by day, so pick your future date and set your calendar alarm. They also have two private dining rooms upstairs for 8-12 and 20-24 people, and you've got a good chance of bagging one outside of the Friday/Saturday scramble. Desperate for a last minute table? Email or call them in the 24 hours before - they send confirmation emails 28 hours before a booking which often reminds people to cancel - and please note that they're more likely to offer a table to someone who's been nice :)