Aperitivo Cicchetti

Love this place. Second time here. We had the bolognese and fontina cheese arancini as a starter, and I had the porcini mushroom pasta as my main . My husband had the Norma pasta and my daughter had the lasagne. Everything was well prepared. The arancini are particularly good. Fairly pricey wine but good quality.

Lovely nee Italian place in city centre, the space is small but cozy and perfect for this season or a date. The staff is super friendly and will take care of you, the food portion is perfect to share and it tastes great. They have a delicious Negroni’s menu too. The place overall is not cheap but it’s worth it for a special occasion. We will come back for sure.

Finally name it to this great restaurant! Absolutely loved the small plates. Highly recommend the Arrancini and the Frito Misto per duo. We tried several pasta dishes which were all super tasty! Great cocktails and wine list and really attentive and helpful staff. And we cannot forget the super yummy tiramisu and Nutella tart! Cannot wait to return to sample more of the menu! Great restaurant for a date!

+2

Had an amazing time here! Service is great and the food is so nice. So fun being able to try so many dishes at once. And I had one of the nicest Hugo spritzers I’ve ever had here! Definitely recommend and will be back

+4

I really enjoyed this experience. The food was top class and the waiters were very attentive. The restaurant was cosy - only complaint was the table was a bit small. Overall, I would really recommend as a date night or a meet up of a small group of friends. Would especially recommend the carbonara.

+2

Great new little Italian restaurant in what used to be an Old Subway store. Admittedly, it's on the small side but that just means you're never waiting too long for service. Plates are small and the wine selection is fantastic. Everything we got, from the bolognese arracini to the tirumisu, was delicious. Looking forward to heading back to try out some of their other dishes. 🍝

My mother and I go to Aperitivo every time she visits me in Dublin. We love the Italian tapas idea, you can order as much or as little as you think you need depending on how hungry you are. The quality of the food is so luxurious and great value for money for what you get. The staff are exceptional and they have a wonderful selection of wines to compliment your meal. I recommend Aperitivo to everyone who asks for a place to eat in Dublin.

delicious! it's definitely worth trying, the food is out of this world and the staff is very welcoming and caring. we recommend the gnocchi with pesto and the lasagna. even the coffee is absolutely fantastic, and the tiramisu was the best we've ever had. we WILL be back!! + great music

A very unique dining experience with a fun Italian twist. Both the drinks and food were packed with flavor. This was one of our favorite spots while visiting Dublin, would recommend!

Fantastic food, almost everything can be made gluten free. yummy cocktails too! Celiac friendly!

Absolutely amazing experience! I had never had Italian styled tapas but the food was perfect and service was excellent. Staff were so friendly and made the overall experience unforgettable. Would definitely recommend the arancini and the calamari.

Grab your dearest friend, book a 90-minute seating, and have a lovely, decadent evening of small plates, negronis and wine. Everything we sampled -- and we tried to sample everything -- was carefully made, saturated with flavor, and designed to make you want to sop up every bit of sauce with a bite of bread. It was a memorable night in Dublin for its coziness, flavors, and quiet but invisibly attentive service. The negronis, a house specialty, come in variations -- I loved the house, my friend (a negroni snob, but a nice one) thought the classic was perfectly balanced. The short ribs, the arancini (particularly the piselli e menta, amazing), the gamberi all'Nduja (spicy, gorgeous prawns in garlic, tomato and onions) all stood out (we ordered two rounds of the short ribs and prawns, and regret nothing). It's a meal to linger over at tiny, intimate tables. Enjoy.

This is the most amazing place to eat. Small with tons of atmosphere and great staff. The food is so tasty and having several small plates means you can enjoy different dishes. Would definitely go back.

Great fun - staff were great Good menu and delicious wine Nice selection of cocktails also Photos of food and price at end

Today we went to dinner with friends to celebrate personal achievements and we had an incredible experience. All the staff were extremely wonderful, they gave us great recommendations and as it was our first time at the restaurant they explained the menu to us. At the end, I commented that it's my husband's birthday and they surprised us. What was simple but memorable for us. I'll come back more often.

Food was amazing ! Everything cooked to perfection ! Couldn’t even take pics as we all ate so quick. Staff were excellent and attentive and gave great advice on the wine really enjoyed this!

Amazing place for aperitivo! An Italian friend recommended this little place in the city. The atmosphere is great and food didn’t disappoint either. We got a few Camparis to drink as well as dishes to share. The burrata and panzerotti (mozzarella and salsa al pomodoro) were absolutely delicious. We also ordered pasta: cacio e pepe and carbonara, and both were good too. To finish off we obviously had to get a tiramisu each!

Loved this tapas spot! The food was super tasty and perfect for sharing. We tried a bunch of different dishes and honestly, everything was great. The vibe was chill, and the staff were really nice too. Definitely a place I'd go back to and recommend to friends.

Excellent meal and service here. Food was absolutely delicious and the prices were fair. Ignore the reviews complaining about portion sizes, they explain that it’s a tapas/small plates style menu. I paid less than €50 for three plates, two glasses of wine and the service charge. Very reasonable and very satisfied after!

Recommended... this is a tapas place, so everything is on a tapas size... many plates to order to fill yourself. Wine and cocktails list was extensive too.

+1

Great cozy joint for aperitivo - drink and tapas style food - we carbonara, porchetta, burrata, calamari and arancini. We also had an aperol spritz and an Hugo. Everything was well presented and tasty. Best thing is the service.. lovely waiters and very friendly atmosphere- recommended if you are in town , but book in advance!

Aperitivo is an Italian food restaurant which serves ‘tapas style’ food. The dining area is quite small and cramped so it meant we are sitting quite close to other people next to us. The quality of the food was good, but the price we were paying for the size of the portions was a bit disappointing - €30 for 3 small dishes. Overall, this place was nice to experience but not worth the cost.

Incredible food, we just took a star off because of the price for the quantity of food we get. It was very savory though, but don’t forget you have to take 2 or 3 plates to be full.

What an environment! Lovely place. Perfect to go with your love. Italian tapas with a great wine selection. Highly recommended it!

We have a great time! The place is small but has a very cozy atmosphere. The wine was really good. They have a variety of different types of Italian entrees. Please note that some portions are small, only for one person.

We stumbled upon this whilst out looking for somewhere to eat and finding crowded restaurants with limited menus. Aperitivo turned out to be a hidden gem. A small and very intimate space, cozily decorated and low key, Aperitivo had surprisingly high quality food. It’s cooked to perfection with creative flavors. My one question is value. These are small plates. One might even think of them as Tapas, which seems to be how the restaurant suggests they might be considered. Fine. But is a tiny split skewer of admittedly delicious chicken, really worth $19? Side dishes sold separately. It’s a small operation. The Maitre’d, (whom I suspect is the owner,) and two waitresses. I don’t know how many kitchen staff, as the kitchen is upstairs. To conclude…delicious, cozy, European feel restaurant. Full bar and many cocktails created. Aperol Spritz is seemingly the house cocktail and was ordered often by other diners. Food is very tasty and well done, if a little pricey. Highly recommend a try!

Can't fault the food, it was excellent- but cost per mouthful is insane. About 30-40% extra per 'tapas' serving would be ideal.. Left hungry & service charge far too much considering. Also, the lighting was too dim at table level.- a few table lamps wouldn't go astray Sadly, we w come back and won't recommend.

Really nice idea, great service. However, we ordered 6 dishes: arancini, mix of seadfood and courgettes, gnocchi and ribs with mash potatoes which were amazing. It was a good start, we got so excited but when we ate the last two, classics of italian cousine, risotto and carbonara, tasted horrible. Risotto wasn’t al dente and creamy at all, and the sauce had an artificial flavour. Carbonara tasted very weird, too much smoked and watery. It was missing cheese in the souce to incorporate both souce and pasta. Very disappointing.

+2

Tables very close together so not much privacy Arancini and calzone dishes were delicious Highlight for me was the beef stew , tiramisu and the courgette fries Tiramisu was creamy and very tasty The carbonara dish was under seasoned and underwhelming Definitely also try the aubergine meatballs

Well okay they have ‘Italian tapas’ concept but for these prices I'd suggest to prepare bigger portions. Our cocktails were very small especially classic Negroni had a big room 😟 whiskey sour was so and so.Limoncello spritz was watery. Honestly I don't know if I will come back because I can eat better food in town (I can spend less). Waiter was very friendly and nice.

If you open an Italian restaurant in Dublin you have to take in consideration the competition. The Place is cozy and small, It looks so nice but tables are really close. A glass of Vermentino costs €10.20 and a Spritz €10: you can have the same for €7.50 in other places in town. Two panzerotti extremely small for €12, it's too much: they were unleavened. My grandma from Puglia (where pazerotti come from) Is dying for the second time. The tagliatelle with mushrooms were good, the mushrooms were fresh and the tagliatelle ok. Let's talk about "bucatini": the pasta was overcooked and we couldn't taste the vodka. If you open in Dublin were the competition of the Italian restaurants is extremely high, your quality has to be excellent. This Place Is too expensive: "cicchetti" in Italy means small dishes but here everything Is overprized and the food quality does not match with It. The service charge was €5.98! I'd suggest to prepare bigger portions. Honestly I don't know if I Will come back because I can eat Better food in Town (and sometimes I can spend less). It's a pity because the Place was reccomended from a colleague of mine

My boyfriend pre-booked a table for us (€20 per person, so €40 for the booking - He paid of course, because most of the restaurants works like that in Dublin when they’re crowded). We arrived and I felt a bit rushed by the waitress (she was really polite and smiling all the time - but you know when they keep coming all the time to ask about the order?!). We decided to order a Carbonara (€9.85), Amatriciana (€8.8) and a portion of Calamari (€10.95). We just drank water, that is “included”. In the end, we thought the prebook was including the price of the bill (as all the other restaurants does in Dublin), but for our surprise we had to pay the full bill anyways, that was €33.30 (it means the service is already included - without asking us). We were quite of shocked in the end. About the food: Food is good, but not amazing. Calamari was delicious. Carbonara was good. Amatriciana was good too. The portions are literally small plates, and I mean… small, smaaall plates. (I had bariatric surgery and eat 150g usually, I ate an entire plate - so yeah, it’s probably the size of the plate they serve - perfect size for me). Price: price is not worth at all, as they charge regular price as other restaurants, but for small plates. A person with normal apetite needs to eat 3 (at least) to not leave hungry. In the end with prebook + bill + service, we spent €73.30 (for 3 small plates and went to Burger King to eat after). Staff: they are all polite and kind. But I felt rushed some moments before making the order. Ambience: small (as the plates, haha), make sense need to prebook, but it’s cosy and cute, even tho you have no privacy at all. We always give €5/10 tips when we are going out, but this time we didn’t felt worth it. We don’t have intentions to return, as is not worth of the money spent in the end.

Price of menu on website is not the same as price in the restaurant, they seem to have raised their prices but havn’t updated their website - they also automatically add a 12.5% service charge on the bill, I used to come here because I thought it was good value but not anymore, they have increased their prices and made their food sizes even smaller

Nice place and interesting concept but a bit deceiving on the menu. A plate of San Daniele prosciutto (for 2 people sharing) @ 16 €, turned out as 4 small slices of speck (Italian smoked prosciutto) on 4 slices of bread. The carbonara was made using speck too and not guanciale. And a portion of burrata for 2 , again @16 €, was a small “ovolina” that is not for sharing. Food did not taste bad but not authentic and disappointing (or faithful to menu).

Definitely overpriced for the portions and has nothing to do with Italian cuisine quality. We had the lasagna which was below the average, homemade chips were too greasy, ragu arancini had barely risotto in it, just a crispy ball filled mostly with peas and a bit of meat. The only good thing was service, waiters were really kind. Overall, does not worth the price.

Menu deceiving, had negroni and the lady bartender had some guy with a backpack at the bar telling her how to make it, it was not a good negroni. The manager then arrived and sat with said guy talking about anime, manga etc. We did not need to hear that. We had to go for a pizza after as the portions were minimal, I know it’s called aperivo but then serve aperitivo food instead of advertising lasagna and carbonara that are then served on side plates. I will not be returning.

Service was good with a very intimate setting but was let down by how bland the food was in comparison. Ordered a mixture of pastas ,arancini and the prosciutto with the bread. No positives to say carbonara was more of a gimmick coming out in the cocktail shaker and arancini was extremely dry.

The food and drinks were all amazing, the atmosphere was nice although the restaurant is incredibly small. I can't help but leave a negative review because they made me pay an extra €10.45 service charge which screwed up my night!! It says on the receipt that it's optional, but when I asked the waitress (Sofia) if I have to pay it, she said that it's a charge for "carrying our food to the table" which is like 2 steps away. Now don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind tipping that much or even more, but it didn't feel optional at all!! If anything, it was utterly disgusting of them not to explain that beforehand.

We recently ate in this restaurant. Food was amazing however the service fee was insanely high. €10.35 for service is not ok. We also went to then pay and split the bill and our waiter charged us an extra €1 which was extortion. Wouldn’t recommend due to this.

As we were first greeted, we were extremely happy with the attendance of the staff -until our dishes arrived. The zucchini fries and calamari were absolute nightmare and swarming in oil that tasted unpleasant. We had to eat it in order to suppress our hunger. Panzarottis we’re fine yet 12€ for two little bites? No. Pastas were also disappointing, lasagna was almost fried and tasteless and ravioli came in ONE piece. House Negroni was barely for two sips. At the end, we were extremely disappointed, and when the staff was collecting our plates they asked us if we were happy with everything and our dishes, we said that the staff was amazing and also the ambience and effort as well, but we were not pleasant at all that it was just not for us or the Italian dishes that we are used to. After expressing that we were not pleasant we have asked for the check as well, and the manager did not even bother to look at us when handing the check and the whole time. When a customer says that they are not fulfilled with what they’re expecting as a manager you need to check up on them and ask what was wrong, how they can make up for it, or what we did expect at the very first beginning. But instead he handed us the check and ran away and not even one ‘good evening’ after the payment. In the end, we paid €65, treated like outcasts when expressed our disappointment and still hungry. If you’re not open enough to take a criticism, don’t ask for it in the first place. Please be advised and choose better options.

Total rip off and a tourist trap. If you have ever eaten any Italian food in your life, you’re gonna know that this is not the place. Greasy, tasteless, two bite dishes - no where near Italian and staff with an attitude when you tell them that you were not pleasant with the taste. If hungry, just boil a spaghetti at home I’ll assure you that it will be much better.