I absolutely love food and there is nothing I love more than going out for lunch or dinner. While I have my tried and tested places I love to go - I do like to try new places. In this spirit, I had dinner in The Butcher Grill in Ranelagh, Dublin 6 recently.
The restaurant looks original and unique, both inside and out, and it really does look like an old fashioned butchers. It is a small restaurant with a capacity for 35 people - so you have to book a table at the weekends well in advance. As you may guess from the name - meat is the specialty and in particular beef. I had heard great things about the restaurant so was really excited to visit - which I did eventually on a busy Friday night. 
To start I shared the Barbecue Baby Back Ribs with Coleslaw - I am not normally a ribs person but they were gorgeous! For a main I also shared the CoteDeBoeuf which came with smokey beans, sage onion rings and garlic butter. We also shared a portion of fries. The CoteDeBoeuf (pictured) was beautiful - melt in you mouth, so tasty and the perfect size for two. For dessert we had a pecan pie and a selection of sorbets - pink grapefruit, raspberry & strawberry and blackberry. We also had 3 glasses of wine & 2 diet cokes. 
There is a great atmosphere to the restaurant and the service is personal, friendly and laid back. The menu is short and concise and there are a number of specials each day. Be warned though - The tables are very close together so when you are booking try ask for a window table.
It is on the pricey side - so it is not somewhere that you would be visiting every week. But for a special occasion or when you are craving some meat - it is a real treat! I am already looking forward to my next visit.
The Butcher Grill
Ranelagh, Dublin 6
