sophie's - the dean hotel

went for a cocktail on a sunny evening during the week.

the room is beautiful, bright and airy with huge windows offering views over the city. initially we took a seat in the terrace but the views are better in the bar

the staff are friendly and efficient- the cocktails are a little on the pricy side and i would say, not quite asgoodas some of the other cocktail bars in the city,

still worth a visit though!

had heard a lot ofgoodthings about this place so stopped by last friday night. on the evening in question a private party had reserved the outdoor roof area so we proceeded to the main restaurant grabbing seats at the bar. it was busy but lacked atmosphere - there was no music - so after one drink my companions and i decided to go somewhere else.

oh sophie's ..where do i begin ? in a nutshell : a-ma-zing. rooftop views over dublin, cool design, friendly staff, ridiculouslygoodfood. had the eggs bennedict and french toast making it the best brunch of our trip to dublin.

came here last weekend to celebrate an anniversary and luckily the weather provided some superb views of dublin from the rooftop bar! the layout and seating arrangement in the rooftop bar is nice and spacious and creates a great atmosphere as you can have agoodlook around at everything that's going on!unfortunately got seated right under the speaker so that was a little irritating... the menu was unsurprising but still offered agoodvariety. we both ordered the ginger/carrot juice which was so refreshing and tasty. food wise i choose the huevos rancheros with eggs, chorizo, pinto beans and guac, i also ordered the crispy baby potatoes (couldn't resist!). everything was delicious, the dish was very well present in a skillet and super filling for a brunch meal. my boyfriend order the full irish which also looked delish. overall the food was great, speedy friendly service and great value. next visit will hopefully be back for some cocktails!

i adore sophies for a drink and a chat with friends, however i feel it really falls short on food. 
having popped in agoodfew times for drinks, i decided to head in for dinner. i had read so much about sophies and went in with such high expectations, that was my first mistake. 
while the views and atmosphere are like no other, the food wasn't what i expected from such a venue. 
we ordered the italian antipasti board to start. it was nice but nothing you could find in any italian in dublin. although an antipasti board is and antipasti board anywhere you go. 
for mains, i tried the pizza as i had heard so much about them and himself tried the steak. two very simple dishes that are very hard to get wrong. 
when they arrived the steak was more blue than a medium rare, they quickly rectified this however upon its return it was still very much on the rare side. as we were hungry we didn't ask again. my pizza was unfortunately a little soggy in the middle, definitely not what you want in a pizza. even the taste was very average and not the high standard i had been made believe was there. 

i've given it 3.5 purely because of the atmosphere and the venue for drinks out. i will definitely be heading back for a night out with friends or a couples drinks pre dinner, however i will leave the food next time. so disappointing.

came here on friday night and had a lovely espresso martini, lovely atmosphere and view over dublin. didn't eat anything but food lookedgoodand it was nice to be able to see the kitchen from the bar. really want to come back to try the food and in the day time to get a proper view of the city!

went here with a large group. the venue is cool and is a nice setting in the evening time. the set menu isgoodwithout being too exciting. service was average for example didn't come around to take drinks orders etc and felt like they were rushing us out for next sitting.

last night we decided to try out sophie's which is on the 5th floor of the dean hotel; very nice atmosphere and decor.
i had squids for starter and pasta with seafood for main, both really taste andgoodportion. fish seemed fresh and it was well cooked.
my boyfriend was disappointed with the lack of starter options but he really enjoyed his main meal which it was a fillet steak.
our friends had the scallops and fettuccine for starter, and pasta with seafood and pizza for main meals. they both enjoyed their meals and they were satisfied. overall it was an enjoyable experience but a little pricey!!

i was treated to a work lunch at the relatively new and much talked about sophie's on the top floor of the dean hotel.

a previous visit (around christmas 2014) left me not overly impressed so i admit upfront i wasn't overly enthusiastic with my workmates choice of restaurant.

no doubt there is a massive novelty factor in taking the lift to the top floor and experiencing the exceptional panoramic views of dublin city. for a friday the restaurant was quiet enough and it was clear from glancing around at the other diners that it is the restaurant of choice for business lunches.

the tables are mostly booth style which i liked as there is an element of privacy and it is also nice and spacious even for larger groups. as you enter you walk by the bustling kitchen and can see the chefs at work.

our server ciara was absolutely brilliant (my issues with my previous visit centred mainly around the skills of the staff). ciara was polite and on point at all times - noticing the little details and checking in throughout our meal without ever being intrusive. service was prompt and efficient.

i had the chicken with pappardelle and spring onion. most colleagues went for the same with some opting for the beef. sophie's should really consider expanding the descriptions of the dishes on their menu - maybe silly of me but i had no idea there would be lashings of cream all over the chicken. the beef is prepared sous-vide and it would have beengoodto know things like that before choosing.

given the prime location and beautiful views i feel like sophie's should be a top class restaurant but while it is good, it isn't fantastic so to me there is a disconnect between the food/service and the setting. what about a fresh loaf of bread to share or having the water infused with mint or some of the smaller touches that make other restaurants stand out? the finesse or acute attention to detail is what i think is missing here - for example, there was a tub of sea salt on the table and the teapot was noticeably chipped. why use one of those infuser teapots if you're going to put teabags in it?

sophie's isgoodbut has the potential to be great.

i got the chance finally to go to sophie’s after all the rumors and the noise about this place. to be honest, after my visit my opinions are very divided: a part of me agrees with the glamour it brings to the some times rough dublin; but the other part was a bit disappointed when we talk about the food itself. it is really nothing special! i am really looking forward to see if the dinner menu surprises me in agoodway.

yes, you are on a rooftop drinking mimosas, let’s feel like carrie bradshaw in sex in the city for one day, but if you are looking for a revealing taste in eggs, sophie’s might not be the place. this time we were 8 girls around a table which gave me agoodoverview of the menu since each of us order something different.

they mostly have the typical: eggs florentine and benedict, irish breakfast, some granola for the healthy ones etc… if i had to recommend you something i’d rather go for the full irish, after all you know you can’t go wrong without it! something i really would highlight is the fresh juices they make in here. don’t miss the carrot and ginger one of you want agoodkick off in your day!

bon apetite!

grade: 7/10
price: €€

when a birthday celebration comes up for one of the girloes we always like to celebrate it in style and classiness, and what better way to do this than to feel like you're living in new york while still in dublin. this is what sophie's roof top bar at the dean hotel feels like. there was so much hype about sophie's from all my dublin hunzos, we couldn't resist. but this feeling didn't last for long. the brunch menu sounded nice, but when the food came out it looked like it was something from a new york diner. not classy, not classy at all. however i will give agoodrating because of its uniqueness.

sophie's was a great experience. it was very busy so we got cocktails at the bar while we waited for our table to be set. i tried two different cocktails and they were reallygoodand fruity!! i had the veal meatballs for my main but i wish i had gone for the steak, chicken or hake! the pizza also looked very good. i had the sticky toffee pudding with salted caramel ice cream for dessert which was very tasty and light. i'd definitely like to return to sophie's soon.

lovely hotel/restaurant very fancy/ hipster style joint!goodmusic and nice vibes... there's also a swing!!!!!!!!!! small but cosy, slightly expensive, but nice cocktails! ☺️

except for the view (and a great one that is), you'd never think you were in dublin at sophie's. i wasn't keen on going here for brunch originally. but was certainly glad we did by the end. their huevos rancheros was the best i've had in a long time. there's agoodselection of signature cocktails, but i totally recommend sophie's bloody mary.goodluck getting a table on the outdoor terrace once the weather gets warmer!

went here yesterday as a party of eight for a birthday brunch. it was exactly what i expected - great views of dublin, cool interiors andgoodfood and cocktails. i had the steak and eggs which was tasty although the meat was quite fatty. to finish off i shared the brownie which probably was the highlight of my meal and the bacon infused bourbon was also tasty.

everyone seemed really happy their meals and the service was great. i'll definitely return for a visit when the sun is shining to use the outdoor area which looked fab.