Six by Nico, Dublin

August 20, 2024

ix by Nico is a modern European restaurant located on Molesworth Place in Dublin City Centre. There are a number of Six by Nico restaurants across the UK. They opened their Dublin outlet in November 2021.

The concept of this restaurant is fantastic – they change their 6-course tasting menu every six weeks (or sometimes more frequently), making each experience unique for their customers. Each menu is on a different theme, and the new menu is announced three weeks in advance.

As well as the 6-course tasting menu, on offer is an optional wine pairing. This gives five wines that are matched to each course of the tasting menu, starting from Course 2. The wine pairing comes in 100ml measures for Course 2-5. For Course 6, the dessert wine is a 50ml measure.

The 6-course tasting menu is priced at €55 or, with wine paring, for an additional €40. Each of the tasting menus has a Vegetarian alternative for every course.

We have been to Six by Nico several times, so we were excited to try their new ‘Guilty Pleasures’ menu. This menu is available for three weeks only, from 12th August to 1st September. It was difficult to get a booking in the evening – reservations fill up quickly.

Each sitting lasts approximately two hours. It is usually a fun and enjoyable dining experience. A lot of thought goes into each menu and every course is beautifully presented. The portions are a generous size – arrive hungry!

The interiors are modern and bright, with a relaxed atmosphere. There is an open-plan kitchen so you can see the chefs preparing each course.

We were seated as soon as we arrived. The menu concept was explained to us by our waitress, who was very friendly. My husband ordered a cider, which they didn’t have in stock, so instead he chose a Peroni, which they also didn’t have in stock. Not a great start. I ordered a glass of the Spanish Alberino, which was excellent.

Snacks

Baked Sourdough Bread served with Roasted Chicken Fat Butter

Before starting our menu, we ordered some Baked Sourdough Bread from the snacks menu. Unlike some restaurants, they do not provide complimentary bread. The bread was served both fresh and warm. It was delicious. The Roasted Chicken Fat Butter was soft and easily spread and was a perfect substitute for regular butter.

Course 1: Breakfast Muffin

Salsiccia Bon Bon, Hash Brown, Aged Cheddar Royale, Truffle Emulsion & Egg Yolk Jam

The menu started off strongly and our first course was delicious. The Breakfast Muffin was the perfect combination of savoury and creamy with sweet flavours. There was a slightly spicy kick off the Salsiccia Bon Bon. Each component complemented the other very well.

Course 2: Loaded Potato Skin

Lyonnaise Potato Terrine, Smoked Bacon Jam, Chive Emulsion & Whipped Creme Fraiche

The second course was very impressive and was our favourite of the tasting menu. This dish was the perfect blend of rich, savoury and tangy flavours. The Potato Terrine was buttery and crispy. The Smoked Bacon Jam was a highlight for us, with its smoky, rich flavour. Again, each component complemented the other.

Course 3: Cheeseburger & Chips (Option 1)

Aged Beef Tartare, House Burger Sauce, Dill Pickle, Parmesan & Beer Battered Cornichon

There were two options for our third course – I chose the Cheeseburger & Chips and my husband had the Mac & Cheese. I had never tried Beef Tartare before so decided it was the perfect opportunity to do so. Safe to say, it was the first time and the last! The beef was very tender as expected, but I felt that the Dill Pickle was too overpowering for this dish, and the House Burger Sauce wasn’t to my liking. Not for me!

Course 3: Mac & Cheese (Option 2)

Grilled Mac & Cheese, Cauliflower Couscous, Jalapeno Gherkin Ketchup & Pickled Golden Raisins

The Mac & Cheese was very disappointing. It wasn’t like your typical Mac & Cheese. We expected it to be a lot more flavoursome than it was, but, in our opinion, it was bland. This was the most disappointing course for both of us.

Course 4: Fish Finger Butty

Coalfish, Barbecue Gem Lettuce, Smoked Tomato Caviar, Crispy Mussels & Toasted Brioche

There was a considerable gap between our third and fourth courses. I thought that the fourth course would be my favourite as I love fish, but again, unfortunately this was not to my liking. It was underwhelming. The fish was dry and the other condiments unfortunately lacked flavour.

Course 5: Nico’s Fried Chicken

Crispy Chicken Thigh, NFC Crumb, Baked Celeriac, Charred Corn, Black Garlic Emulsion & Chicken Jus Gras

The fifth course was only lukewarm, which was disappointing. We thought the chicken would be more tender, but it was still tasty with a lot of flavour. The Charred Corn was delicious, adding sweet flavours to an otherwise savoury dish. Again, each component complemented the other very well.

Course 6: Warm Cookie Dough

Hazelnut & Chocolate Cookie, Summer Raspberry, Dulce De Leche, Praline Ice Cream & Vanilla Espuma

The sixth and final course was delicious. This desert can be enjoyed separately or mixed together. Each of these components blended rich, sweet and fruity flavours to make a deliciously balanced desert.

Overall, our experience was mixed. The service was good, but unfortunately very slow. The staff were hard working and they were run off their feet. Our meal took 2 hours 40 minutes in total, which was too long, especially considering we were served our first three courses within the first hour.

We have always enjoyed the Tasting Menus at Six by Nico, but this was our most disappointing experience, in terms of both the food and the service.

Would we return? Probably in the future, but not for a while.

For more information, visit https://sixbynico.ie/.