Olivier's

[JayBee]

I know Olivier gave up the lease at Vaughan's in Terenure (the menu seems to have stayed pretty much the same but every reference to Oliver"/Olivier has been removed from it. Yesterday I passed O'Briens on Leeson St/Sussex Terrace and the restauarant upstairs is closed "due to unforeseen circumstances".

Anybody kow what's going on? When I read about Terenure closing I think it said he was taking over another premises?

[unclepat]

I heard he's taking over the School House Hotel in Ballsbridge..not sure how concrete the info is but he's definitely gone from Lesson St.

[JayBee]

Thanks for that info Pat
I suppose O'Briens is a bit close to the Schoolhouse if he's going to be pitching basically the same offer

[markh]

Today's LIving Social deal is a €90 voucher for food and drink in Olivier's for €45.

[unclepat]

I'm hearing very mixed reports...might drop in over the weekend and see for myself. Not sure the discount scheme will do them any favours. I've spoken to a couple of restauranteurs who rue they day they got involved.

[Melendez]

I reckon if restaurants that were thinking of running with citydeal etc, stepped back for a moment and just offered a similar deal through their own website, facebook and some minimal advertising, they would at the very least avoid having to share the proceeds, maybe target more reliable future customers, and maybe have their customers turn up under more favourable conditions and times. There have to be more efficient ways of not making money on your customers, if you aren't giving half the little bit they are prepared to pay to a third party. It gives you a few more options regarding offering a more appropriate deal, or concentrating on maintaining standards through the offer period.

I really like Olivier's - pissed off I missed this.

[Melendez]

A Michelin Star restaurant, Bon Apetit, doing LivingSocial today and the Four Seasons (albeit the Ice Bar) doing today's Boardsdeal. Where will it all end?

[dolores]

Did the Oliviers deal, ended up adding 80 Euro to the bill. Food was good but overpriced, and I would happily have spent the money elsewhere. The Schoolhouse lacks atmosphere - especially when it is almost empty.

[Melendez]

I tried booking my Bon Appetit meal for the first Saturday in July. Despite online bookings being available for all times that night, I was told, on the third attempt to get an email response, all I could have was a slot during the early bird shift on Saturday. After a pleasant chat with the delightful Graham, who seemed bemused that I thought I could get a slot at a prime time on Saturday, I contacted LivingSocial who cancelled and refunded the voucher without any hassle.

[markh]

Sorry about the late posting of this but the site seemed to be off the air this morning - I see that Bon Appetit is back on the voucher scene again today with LivingSocial - deal is two main courses and two glasses of fizz at lunchtime (up to €94 value) for €39 or else a €70 voucher to put against the cost of your dinner for €35. I still can't understand how (or why) they do these deals... Anyway, it's available for another two days if anyone's interested !

[Melendez]

A couple of glasses of bubbly could cost a euro each to the restaurant, you probably end up ordering wine extra as well. Thornton's do a 3 course lunch for €25. I'd say it is marginal which is better value. As for the dinner, you'll get €35 off a €150-€250 bill. With the previous offer I was only going to be allowed off peak time slots. To be honest I'd prefer a few quid off the main menu to getting an early bird menu every day of the week, but I think it should be a customers right to get a discount to for advance bookings off-peak as opposed to it being a special deal.

I'm probably being biased as I had a row with them last time. Secretly I would like to try the food as I've never been there, but it would stick in my craw to hand over any hard-earned, bargain or not.

[Melendez]

L'Ecrivian today.

http://deals.menupages.ie/lecrivain2for75.aspx

I only went once, yonks ago, and was unimpressed. Other half has been a couple of times recently and reckons it isn't even value at half price. But it has to be, yes? Even if it is Mon - Thur.

[Melendez]

I went on this offer last week. Despite having a debate (not an argument) with herself about the relative merits of buying the voucher in the first place, we both really enjoyed it. They seem to have unstiffened considerably from the last time I was there, yonks ago. Nice friendly greeting. Lovely table in the mezzanine. The amuse bouche was announced to us as a "snack", which made me wonder were they dumbing things down for the great unwashed voucher holders and whether I should be insulted. I decided I preferred the word snack and allowed it.

I'm not sure the base ingredients justified the price tag of €75 for a three courser, but everything was beautifully cooked and presented and there was plenty of interesting little details. Service was impeccable and friendly, though maybe a few too many different faces turned up at the table. Highlights of the evening were the sommelier attemping to allow an enthusiastic amateur a graceful draw in a wine knowledge power struggle at a nearby table, and the Pimm's sorbet which didn't even attempt to be a palate cleanser, just another tasty course.

The bill incluing voucher came in at €160, including pre dinner drinks and a bottle and glass of wine, which was excellent value. It would have been €75 more without the voucher, which would be questionable value midweek. I'll snap up a couple of vouchers if he runs the promotion again, but I'd find it hard to justify full price.

Pity he couldn't just run the promo himself through the website if he's slack midweek, as I'd imagine he would have made a satisfactory few quid on us if he got all the money we paid. Having to pass over money to Menupages might make it less worthwhile to run again.