Chameleon

Love the way they served Indonesian cuisine. Definitely has an authentic taste in each dish. The kuropuk that they serves with the noodles and fried rice is delicious. Enjoy that they served it as a tapas, so you get to try a lot more.

I just love this restaurant! Superb food and staff is very attentive! If you want something special and different, ask them to book the private area with curtains. I think you can have up to 6 ppl there. It was only me and my boyfriend and we simply loved it.

One of my fave restaurants by far. I had the vegan set menu and everything on it was delicious. My faves were the curry burger and the BBQ cauliflower wings.. The waitress was super friendly too and gave me advice on how to recreate the soy sauce.

Really interesting take on tapas style menu with Asian inspired dishes. The staff were great and helped out with the menu as it's not straight forward. There didn't appear to be any beer on tap which is strange for Dublin but it didn't spoil the experience. I really wanted to give this place 5* for being brave with the menu and generally​ taking a risk doing something a bit different but for me, the flavours weren't bold enough to really leave a lasting impression

Take a trip to Indonesia from the comfort of Temple Bar. Fantastic set menus featuring 6 or so dishes ranging from 34e up (29e for the early bird) that cater for vegetarians, vegans and they even have an off menu coeliac option. So much food you can't finish it and it's all absolutely delicious. Rich mixes of spices, coconut milk and tropical fruits balance out the curry dishes. Really enjoyed our experience here and we'll be returning again.

Friendly and professional staff! You can feel really welcome! The menù is just amazing, various and well done! The set menu is enough for a person! Delicious Asian tapas! VEGETARIAN SET MENÙ IS SUPER!!! Good location and well designed! Quality for price is good! Strictly recommend!!

This place was fantastic, I’ve deliveroo’d from the quite a few times but had never got the chance to actually go to the restaurant. We ended up going for my girlfriends birthday dinner with about 8 people, usually this means you have to order from the set menu. I called them up and explained that we were very very set on Bao (by the way, try their Bao, it’s FANTASTIC) and they let us order from the Tapas menu. Amazing, friendly staff, great service, fantastic food, and accommodating, oh I’ll be back, don’t you worry about that. The decor and ambience is great too, and there are some comfortable couch tables which really I’ve an authentic feel. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed I promise!

Delicious with huge portions in the set menu. Cozy atmosphere.

Excellent food and a great value! My gf and I came in last night without a reservation and were lucky enough to be seated right away. We ordered the "java" (meat) menu, along with 2 of their tapas (sweet sambal udang and Javanese short rib of beef), and an extra side of rice. We appreciated the variety of flavors in this single meal. Some things that stood out: 1. The noodles in the noodle dish were of a great texture and were spicy (which I loved) 2. You could tell the short rib really had been cooked for 10 hours bc of how it fell apart and melted in your mouth 3. The beef redang and kari Java (lamb) has a generous portion of meat. If you want to enjoy the sauce completely, I recommend asking for an extra side of rice to eat it with 4. The satay was fried! It was my first time having fried satay and hopefully not my last Overall the meal was fantastic and because of that, it made me feel less guilty about getting Indonesian while in Dublin. Definitely check it out!

An excellent find in the heart of touristy Temple Bar! I split the Java tasting menu with a friend and also ordered some pork bao buns. This was more than enough food! One of the tasting menus would almost be too much for one person to eat. Everything was fantastic though. I especially likes the Javanese short rib dish (very tender and melt in your mouth) as well as the pork bao bun. Overall, a great restaurant that I would come back to next time I am in Dublin!

A great and unique find in the Temple Bar area! The food is delicious! It is good to come with a small group so you can try lots of different options. It was suggested to order about 3-4 items per person but my group was good with about 2-3 each, with a few sides. We had the pork bao, Ayam satay, Bami Goreng, Javanese short rib, and short rib bao. For sides we had fries, basmati rice, and mixed pickles. They place adorable hot plates lit by tea lights to keep it all warm while you eat. My favorite was the pork bao. The pancake was the perfect texture of fluffiness and dense enough to balance with the pork. The pork melted in your mouth and had a delicious slightly sweet sauce on it. This place is worth it!

Big big fan of this restaurant. In fact it may well be one of my favourites in Dublin. My favourite aspect of this most favourite restaurant is the general atmosphere. You need to sit upstairs as it's a world apart from downstairs. You climb up some windy, narrow rickety stairs, up into a small room decorated with candles, sumptuous table coverings, drapes, fairy lights, and heavy carved and embellished wooden furniture. There are options to sit on floor cushions on the low tables, or sit on the normal height ones. Totally down to personal preference - some people find the low tables really uncomfortable, but I personally love the feeling of sitting cross legged squashed in with other people - it gives a real social aspect to the already social way of eating the shared style platters. The food as many people have mentioned is really, really good. It's all shared, and there is a LOT of it. My only mention would be (and this is the reason for docking a star), that the menus are quite padded out with the cheaper dishes (salads, noodles, etc), and the more outstanding ones (crab cakes, pork belly to name two) are a lot more far between. It's not cheap, so it would be nice to see the ratio shifted a bit. Regardless, this is my only (minor) complaint. Service is outstanding as well - really friendly, efficient and quick, and just a pleasure to be in the presence of the guys who work here. Oh - try the chocolate banana desert. DE-LISH. BONUS: Get a free Bellini with a Yelp check-in! BOOM!

I've never had Indonesian food before but the menu here was quite intriguing! We decided to get two of their set menus and share all of the delights! We were not disappointed and even ordered a few more items that looked interesting! My favorite items were the steamed buns with prawns and duck, the short rib and the steamed fish.

First off, just keep note that this place doesn't open on Mondays and Tuesdays - I'm not sure why this is the case but I've never come across this before in Dublin. Secondly, the food is delicious for the most part so it's worth the strife of having a mere five days to choose from. Chameleon is an Indonesian tapas joint (Iopas?...) with a super chill atmosphere to boot. As per the usual tapas restaurant, you pick a number of small dishes from the huge amount available and potentially share or hoard all of the food for yourself. There are traditional tables and chairs to sit at or these extremely comfy Asian-style small tables surrounded in cushions - recommended if you can grab one of these. I went for the short rib bao, opor ayam and cumi cumi goreng (because who could refuse with a name like that?!). Each of these were great in their own ways, the bao being my personal favourite. Then, for dessert, I had an entire baonut to myself. This genius concoction is, as the name suggests, a load of ice cream and caramel sauces on top of a bao bun. This was probably the highlight, though I'd probably recommend sharing as it is huge. Although it can be quite expensive here I'd recommend checking it out. This would be a nice spot to choose for some anniversary or small event.

Definitely a letdown considering the hype around this place and how good the menu looked. The portions for the set menu were quite small and really very mediocre for the price. We arrived early and I was able to get the 'early bird' price for the mixed seafood and meat menu, but honestly I don't think I could name a single protein dish I liked. There were 2-3 overcooked shrimp, 2-3 pieces of overcooked chicken on a skewer, etc... My friend had the vegetarian menu and really liked it, and I will say the noodles that were on both of our menus were tasty, but that's pretty much it. Also, I was excited for the 'opium style seating', but it was actually quite uncomfortable for me to sit so low and crane my neck and back while eating. Overall, wouldn't bother to come here (not sure if there are other Indonesian options available in Dublin but this ain't it).

Three of us chose this place to try on 'dine in Dublin' week and boy am I glad I did. The food here is indonesian, and for the week they were offering a full meal for 30 euro, which is about 20% of their usual prices. As well as the 3 course dine in Dublin option they also had a Rijst Tafel option, which is 7 small dishes plus rice and condiments (as well as dessert and tea/coffee). We all went for this option. Rijst Tafel is perfect if, like me, you are chronically indecisive in restaurants. Like tapas you get to try a number of different dishes without committing to one. It also helps you be more adventurous because if you don't like some new thing you have 6 other options to eat. The food was fantastic. I even liked the dishes I thought I wouldn't like. We had pork, chicken, beef, and crab all with varying degrees of spiciness. There's a fair bit of chili in most things, but I think it cured the cold I had been nursing! I would say the decor and atmosphere upstairs is nicer than downstairs as they have some low coaches with low tables which is really atmospheric. On saying that sitting at a normal table was quite nice too - they all had comfy leather seats. Chameleon even manages to avoid the main problem of most Asian restaurants - the absence of desserts - by having a few "Anglo-Saxon" staples like chocolate brownies and cheesecake, which were as good as the rest of the meal. I was already going to give it 5 stars when the waitress asked me what type of tea I'd like, as they had a selection. I'd give it 6 stars if I could! I will definitely return.

Charming. Had a lovely dinner date with hubby here as it's right around the corner from the Project Arts Theatre. We ordered the rijst-tafel summatra which focused on fish dishes as well as a shrimp noodle dish to share. Honestly if I had ordered the noodles as my dinner I would have been disappointed as it was small and expensive. The rijst-tafel on the other hand was incredible. About seven separate dishes were included and each one that arrived at the table was more delicious than the last. I had the best calamari of my life, a gingered white fish, some incredible chili pepper prawns, and a surprisingly delicious warm kale salad. There was also fried and boiled rice, a noodle dish, sesame salad, and crab cakes. My advice is stick with their special rijst-tafels and you will be a happy customer. One is easily shared between two people if you plan on adding an appetizer or dessert to the meal. I loved all the sauces and toppings (peanut and coconut shavings!) for the dishes. It made for a lot of new flavor combinations and a fun dinner experience. I was also impressed with the friendly service and the explanations about the food like a homemade chili sauce that was perfectly spicy. With the dark wood and soft lighting you are almost guaranteed to have intimate conversation so add some very decent but inexpensive wines and you've got a perfect date spot.

Had high hopes considering the reviews and the amazing looking menu (and not that low of prices). My husband got the meat tasting menu and I got the seafood one. Honestly, the best parts were the sides (fried noodles, salad, steamed veggies). The shrimp was so mushy and overcooked that it took me a moment to figure out that it was even shrimp. The fish had absolutely zero flavor -- I'm not even sure how it's possible to suck 100% of the flavor out. The lamb curry was sweet and didn't even come close to the depth of flavor at any Indian place we'd been to. The short rib, chicken, and fish ball were ok -- but nothing memorable. Not awful, but we were pretty disappointed to pay 80 euros when we could have probably had better food at an Indian takeout place.

Indonesian food is hard to find outside Holland and obviously Indonesia. It is my favourite and so I was happy to have found this place in Temple Bar in the heart of Dublin. The restaurant is small but they have created a great atmosphere. The wine list is impressive. The food is delicious and the service exemplary. You can choose from around 6 different Rijsttafel (rice table) menus, based on meat, fish and/or veggies. Don't expect to find the same foods as in a Dutch Toko or restaurant. The flavours are a bit subdued compared to the Dutch Toko's, probably because they have to cater to a public that is generally not familiar with Indonesian food. I would certainly go back here.

First time that I tried Indonesian food and it's Very tasty. Menus are a little bit expensive but they are interesting since you can try 7-9 different little dishes and it's even more interesting if you take different menus to share with others ! If I come to Dublin again I would definitely go back to that place!

I have no idea why it's taken me so long to try here... it has a fantastic reputation for great food and celebrated 20 years in business last year - no mean feat in Dublin's competitive food scene! On one of Temple Bar's side streets, it's just out of the way of the madness. We were seated downstairs where I think they seat all parties of 2... upstairs in a large dining area that was buzzing this particular Friday evening.... no January blues around here! The menu is amazing... basically it's done tapas style but instead of just choosing your individual dishes you choose a menu. Each menu has 5-7 dishes within and most menus have a couple of the basics in common, for example rice or greens so when you both order your menu these sides portions are to share. We decided we'd just order 2 different menus and share the lot - my favourite way to eat! We chose the Rijst Tafel 4 Java and the Vegetarian Rijst Tafel whcih gave a huge variety of dishes! The Rijst Tafel Java offered Chicken satay served with peanut sauce, Crab cake, with haddock, Asian herbs, chilli & mango dip, Irish beef Rendang in a spicy coconut milk sauce with cinnamon, confit of Fermanagh black pork belly, Salad with cucumber, mango, Chinese leaves with a peanut and black sesame dressing, Seasonal greens wok fried and Wok fried noodles with beansprouts, ginger, garlic &soy sauce. And the Vegetarian Rijst Tafel had a Balinese Yellow Curry with long beans, sweetcorn & mangetout, a Potato & chickpea cake of sorts with carrot, banana shallots, celery, Portobello & chestnut mushrooms in crispy tempura with peanut sauce, the same salad as the other menu and same greens and noodles too and some spiced rice... so a feast by anyone's standard! There was SO MUCH food here that we couldn't manage to get through everything. With the veggie menu at €28 and the other one at €32 it was an unbelievable amount of food for €60... in fact it barely fit on the table! The food was great, wine was reasonably priced and the staff were friendly and helpful to us choosing a suitable menu - I would recommend you all to try out Chameleon!

There is a great ambiance about Chameleon. Great service. And fantastic food. It is like an Indonesian tapas restaurant with lots of choice and a wide menu. I would advise anyone trying this restaurant to get different tasting menus if you are going with others and share as it allows much more variety and adds to the experience. The food is reasonably priced and a tasting menu for two with a bottle of wine and two desserts will only cost around €100. The restaurant boast many awards and along with the amazing dishes the staff couldn't have been friendlier and as first time trying Indonesian food were very helpful!

When Sam and I visited Dublin back in November, I was really keen to visit Chameleon having read a lot of positive things about it and loved the look of the menu. We decided instead of going for the set menus, to just order a few dishes of our own choice between us, which I'm glad we did, although I do wish we could have been sat upstairs where the décor is really lovely. Downstairs is very small and simple, a few tables set up with a bar. We were sat at a nice table near the window and were looked after by really friendly staff who explained the menu to us and how the service worked. We ordered around six dishes between us including Crispy Squid, Pork Wontons, Satay Ayam, Slow Cooked Pork Belly, Babi Spring Roll and Scallops. I enjoyed every dish including the squid - which is weird because I still don't really eat seafood...I'm getting there though! We followed all that yummy savoury food with a Chocolate and Baileys Panna Cotta which was smooth, rich and a perfect end to a really great meal. It's not exactly traditional Irish, but it's something a bit different and I would recommend it to anyone visiting Ireland. My favourite dish of the night were the amazing Babi Pork Spring rolls. They were crisp on the outside and packed to the brim with shredded pork and vegetables. The Chicken Satay Ayam was probably one of the best satays I've ever had - it wasn't too clawing and full of peanut butter as some can be, it was really dark and rich. The restaurant is located in the heart of Temple Bar, so it's an ideal location, but I would make sure if you do decide to go, you book in advance - they were turning people away the whole time we ate!

I had : veggie rijsttaffle, Sauvignon blanc, passion fruit Bellini Yum! Very friendly staff, tasty, tasty food and very unusual seating. I'm a big fan of trying numerous different dishes so this place is perfect for me. Each meal consists of between 4 and 8 small dishes ranging from salads to curries to meat. I opted for the veggie one which had a yellow curry, mushroom tempura with satay, fried rice, noodles, veggies and a veggie cake made from chickpeas. I enjoyed all of them. The only problem was that I totally stuffed myself! I brought the mango and cucumber salad home because I couldn't bare to waste it. A delicious lunch awaits me tomorrow. If you're going for a special occasion it's worth booking ahead to get one of the booths. Very friendly staff who take the time to explain the different dishes

After more than a decade of hearing about Chameleon, I was excited to finally give it a try. It was one of the most disappointing meals I've had in a long time, and very, very expensive. Our order was forgotten (which seems to happen to me A LOT!), that's fine, things happen. However, when the food got there it was a let-down. I ordered from the tapas menu, the prawns, a salad and some kimchi. I was served a tiny bowl of bean sprouts without the smallest amount of seasonning, not even salt, and 2 severely undercooked and entirely tasteless prawns. But it had been over an hours since we had ordered so I was hungry! The salad was equally tasteless, no seasonning whatsoever, and also served in one of those tiny bowls. THe kimchi was tasty however it came in an even tinier receptacle. I ordered 2 glasses of wine, (one was offered because of the order misshap), and I paid 40 euro. Despite the ordering issue, I found the staff pleasant!

Don't browse eat here now! Top notch excellent food. I've eaten at Mario Batali and Gordon Ramsey restaurants and this is one of the best meals I've ever had! We had the Java and Sumatra set menu dishes, every dish was excellent with fresh and perfect flavors. Impressive! What an unexpected treat in Dublin.

Hey! So I reviewed this place previously and had been disappointed but like the old saying goes gotta try again to get past the crafty hen ....or something like that. So went here on a work night out. They accommodation a group of 10 at short notice which was pretty sweet of them tbh. We sat upstairs on the fabulous cushions which made the whole experience awesome! We were advised to pick a couple of different set menus and just sample everything, which is what we did. The food and atmosphere of the place was just outstanding. There was so much choice and the flavour off the charts. I recommend anyone to try this restaurant! Awesome for a date, sit upstairs!

In short, Chameleon is an excellent restaurant. I've never had Indonesian before and I must admit that I was surprised by how delicious everything was. Chameleon specializes in something akin to tapas set menus, you get between 5-7 small dishes per person. This may sound somewhat excessive, but the sizes of the dishes are just right. If you're with friends, it's best to get different menus and share the dishes. I would highly recommend Chameleon and will be going back myself.

Rijsttafel (rice table) is Dutch Indonesian; similar style to tapas except served with rice as the anchor. My first attempt to come here on Sunday (on which they are open according to their website) met with closed shutters. Alright. On the second attempt, we arrived on a weekday without a reservation around 7 and were promptly seated in the upstairs cushioned area reminiscent mostly of Japanese and Himalayan restaurants. Quickly, Chameleon made us feel right at home in Amsterdam by not offering tap and charging EUR7 for two bottles of water, which I guess is a more subtle way of including a service charge. (I hope the staff gets some of the spoils of highway robbery at least.) Chameleon boasts at least five different kinds of rijsttafel (and at least two mini-versions, one vegetarian, for early bird) and unlike other establishments had no minimum number of persons per order so we were able to order a Java (EUR30) and a Sumatra (EUR35), 8 courses each with the Java focused on meat and the Sumatra focused on fish. Standouts across the two were the prawn curry, the pork belly and the beef rendang, and the variety was enough to satisfy the most fickle diners. Chameleon is not cheap and saying it is the best rijsttafel in town is not necessarily saying that much because it is, as far as I know, the only rijsstafel in town but it does live up to its advertised acclaim. On a special occasion, an expense account, a sugar daddy or a financially independent cougar it's definitely worth a go.

I never before tried Indonesian food so I was curious and nervous when a friend suggested to go there for their early bird. But we both were very happy with our choice. As we were on our way to the theatre we were very early and one of the first quests of the night. We got a table upstairs. Luckily a table with chairs - I wouldn't have been as relaxed having to try and sit on the raised floor at a low table. Even though it added to the atmosphere having them around. The only disadvantage of the table was that is was very small and the waiter had problems to place all our dishes. I made use of the Yelp check in offer of a Bellini - it was mixed with lychee and very tasty. My friend went for the land menu and I for the sea. They came with small bowls of spices. We both tried each others dished and had maybe one dish were we thought it could have been more interesting. bit it didn't take away from the enjoyment. Even though we were nicely full we were tempted by their petit fours as a dessert and they were just jummy and ideal - even though obviously not Indonesian. I'll definitely we back.

Hi there,The Dane is back. What a wonder full place. A last a place where they don't look at you like you are from another planet when you say : No I am not finished I am just going out for a smoke. I chose a 7 dish(or was it 8) course together with my friend and that was the best meal I have had so far in Dublin. The only reason they don't get 5 stars is because of their wine card,but I guess I have to look far and around for that in Dublin. But a place which is absolutely worth a visit, and for sure I am coming back.

We ordered the tasting menu and it was fantastic. A huge amount of tasty Indonesian treats served with a variety of dipping sauces. The tasting menu was super social and the second floor of the restaurant has traditional seating on pillows. Great for large groups and also couples

In a nutshell, one of the worst service experiences I have ever had. To be fair, it looks nice inside and the food is not bad, but not good enough to overcome the following rant: Our table was booked for a group of eight the previous day. When we booked the restaurant said we had to make our food orders in advance because they were not used to dealing with large groups (yes, 8)! So we did. Shortly after the last two of us arrived (ten minutes later than everyone else), they laid our starters in front everybody except the two of us that arrived last. They were so late with the last two starters that the rest of the table had to start eating and had finished theirs. A repeat event happened for the main course. I had alerted it the staff several times during the meal but no apparent attempt was made to satisfy us. All that and we had ordered our food the day before! This place also had the audacity to include a "service" charge on the bill. Enough said.

Dublin's one and only Dutch - Indonesian Rijst Tafel Restaurant! What the Beep is that you might ask? As I certainly did when I was taken here. Well, it is a restaurant that serves rice, a rice table. Humm! Rice? I was taken out to eat rice, to choose from a menu that serves rice! How exciting! Well, it kind of is because it is different to other places around town. Your meal consists of a bed of rice served with small sometimes spicy side dishes. The nicely spiced Indonesian food livens up the taste buds with out the need to douse them with water afterwards, and the a la carte menu is creative too, but Rijst menu is the best. I cannot remember what we ordered as we didn't have a clue but everything that came to our table was devoured after we commented on how well served, presented and nice it smelt. I will definitely be coming back here again with a big group of friends to introduce them to this wonderful place.

I asked up front about the Yelp offer and, to be fair, they were very apologetic and said they had asked Yelp several times to delete the offer. Despite this, we had a great meal of 'Asian Tapas' dishes. The food was delicious and we really couldn't fault it. The beer is on the expensive side even for Temple Bar but the service was friendly and we'd definitely come again. We had 4 dishes plus a 2up order of steamed buns with brisket. Despite our best intentions not to have dessert, the choices were gorgeous-sounding so we just went for it. We had a lime tart and a panacea with caramelised fig and honey - both were sooo good. All this plus one half-pint of Howling Gale and a glass of Gruner Veltliner came to about €40

So I've been there couple of times already.. And I'm in love with the service and the quality of food in this place. One thing that tops the food is the service.. ESPECIALLY top floor service.. Always book tables in the top floor!! You won't regret it! One thing i guarantee is you'll see the most beautiful smile ever!! Ask for the waitress from Cork! You're welcome!

Quite low average, playing well the ethnic card to their advantage. Formula could be great, but although friendly, the staff is just sympathetic unsophisticated temple bar fare. Not rushing back soon, price is well over perceived value.

The food here is really very good. Great selection on the menu and the waiter was able to recommend dishes too, which is beat for first timers. The wine was very nice and again the waiters can recommend wine to suit your dish. and overall the service was very good and quite quick. The portions are generous and there is plenty of food for two people. my girlfriend and I got a seafood tray, which had a great selection of seafood all prepared excellently. I will defiantly go back.

First of all I have to say that the place looks amazing and the food looks okay. Having said that the food tastes just dreadful. In short: - The Rice was undercooked - The Rendang needed at least another hour of simmering. And let's not start about the lack of spices. What was served was basically half stewed beef with an oily excuse of something that probably meant to be satay sauce. - Sambal, They have different versions, including a homemade one. Even the spiciest version they have is more sweet than spicy. - Bami was cold - The satey was okay. - The pangsit goreng was just bland If you want Indonesian food, go visit Indonesia or the Netherlands and walk into a local toko. If you only want a good atmosphere with friendly staff and food that pretends to be Indonesian sure go visit the Chameleon. During payment the waitress kept asking me why I was laughing. I am afraid to say that I did not have the heart to tell her that it was either me laughing or crying

You know when you're hungry, but not too hungry? That explains the internal state upon stumbling into this place. It's tiny, quaint, cozy. We ate upstairs and were immediately attended to. The waitress suggested the "Early Bird Menu" as it it was less filling than the traditional selection of plates. Basically it's akin to tapas, a little soup, a little salad, a few things here and there. Generally Indonesian food is so full of flavor, that you focus less on quantity. I had the Vegetarian Early Bird Menu which is comprised of the following SWEET POTATO SPRING ROLL- With coriander and Thai basil served with a spicy mango dip (Soooo good) RED CURRY - A curry with squash, courgette, bamboo shoots & Thai basil (this was ok, but I missed having the traditional chicken in the curry) NASI GORENG - Wok fried rice with ketiap manis (sweet soy) garlic and ginger topped with fried shallots (good) ASINAN - Salad with cucumber, mango, Chinese leaves with a peanut and black sesame dressing (good) I left here not feeling totally stuffed, which is great when you dont feel like you need to go for a walk to digest. The tables are awfully close together, so if you plan on having a private conversation of sorts, this may not be your best bet. Otherwise, it's charm will outwin you.

I've heard consistently great reviews about Chameleon, and it's a place that on paper, I should absolutely love. The food is Indonesian, and the decor is dark and very romantic, with big cushions on the floor where you can lounge to eat at low tables, just like the Indonesians do. (There's 'proper' normal height tables and chairs too for those who might find floor-seating uncomfortable.) To be honest though, my experience here was very disappointing. Between two of us, we ordered the the Rijst Tafel, and a dish of fish cooked in a banana leaf. While the RT was an interesting opportunity to try a few different dishes (like Maire, I too am chronically indecisive when it comes to ordering), the fish was one of the worst I've been served. This method of steaming the fish in a banana leaf is used across Asia to keep the flesh moist and to seal in flavours like lemongrass and chilli. But this dish was completely overcooked, dry and very tasteless. For around €18, it was very poor indeed. I've never heard another bad report about the restaurant, and for that reason I will give it another try sometime. But I won't be ordering fish.

Having discovered The Chameleon on a trip to Dublin two years ago, we had since built it in our memory as a one of the best Dublin had to offer. We recalled the ambiance, the service, and the absolute bounty of intricately spiced and savory fare. Of course, upon our return to the city, a visit here was essential. Upon return, we discovered it to exceed the exaggerated expectations our memories had set. Well accommodated by a friendly staff, kept full on drink, and of course led on an epic seven course journey of Dutch-Indonesian glory. This is a must-go departure from the everyday Irish menu.

Chameleon is an Indonesian food restaurant - steep stairs, but worth the risk. The decor and ambience on the floors upstairs is great, not to mention the mouth wateringly delicious food!!!! Staff very helpful and enthusiastic about food.

Don't offer a Yelp check-in deal if you are not prepared to honour it! Was just told "Oh, we're not doing that anymore..." ?????? Food was good. The ambience might have been nice at a different table. We were upstairs but right in the middle, completely cramped, noisy, and crowded.

This is my favorite restaurant in Dublin/Ireland. Love the variety of dishes, the spice of life as they say. It is a social restaurant the way you share the food and the staff are very friendly. Both thumbs up, summing up; great food, excellent staff, very clean, great choice of food, nice wine, coffee and most importantly divine desserts. Not be missed.

I used to go the chameleon about 18 years ago on a regular basis with my girlfriend (now wife). Kids got in the way and we hadn't been back since then. So on a rare Friday night in the city, we thought it might be nice to try it out again. I was expecting to be disappointed, as everything changes over time, but was delighted to see that little had changed and they still offer excellent food at reasonable prices in a really charming atmosphere. I won't wait another 18 years for my next visit.

On a friend's recommendation, my boyfriend and I made a booking here during our holiday. We are so glad we listened. Chameleon serves up traditional Indonesian Rijst Tafel. This basically means you can order a family style serving from a set menu. It's a great way to try a lot of dishes and share the food experience with your date or friends. Our food was delicious and plentiful. The wine selection to accompany it was decent. There were choices of table or a more traditional floor seating. It is a small place, but it can accommodate larger groups. With its location in Temple Bar, it's central to many of the drinking and dining establishments in central Dublin, so it's easy to find. I suggest reservations or walking past to make a booking earlier in the day to avoid disappointment.

Had a lovely meal in the chameleon. Arrived early and were seated downstairs - which is pretty small. Got talking to the waitress (who turned out to be the owners sons girlfriend - and v friendly) and got invited to eat upstairs. Upstairs is lovely, Its much nicer. You sit on cushions on the floor and the light / mood is excellent. Red drapes, candles etc. the food is v tasty too. they did 20% off so we had a meal for two and drinks for €50. If you are going be sure to ring ahead and book the upstairs. A lovely little place to grab a feed before going to a show / play / movie

We stumbled upon this place one evening when we were quite hungry. It's tiny and charming- with a second floor that has seating on pillows. The food was delicious and exotic- and service was spot on. The prawn crackers with dips were yummy, and the chicken with vegetable and coconut curry was amazing! Can't say enough- give it a try!

During my one night in Dublin last summer, I was dumbfounded about where to eat dinner. I wandered the streets for a couple hours, dipping my head into various places, and using my nose to guide me, as my mom always does. I was bombarded with a bunch of average looking menus until I stopped in front of Chameleon and was intrigued by their dishes. I stepped inside to see the tables packed, and it smelled nice, so I asked for a table for one as I was traveling alone. The hostess, who I believe was the owner, took me up three flights of narrow, steep stairs, to a dimly lit room with tables on the floor, lots of cushions and purple walls with purple lamps streaming rays of diffused light onto the tables. The atmosphere was like no restaurant I'd ever been to before. I took my shoes off, got comfy and dove into their extensive, exotic menu. I ended up getting a 7 course meal for 25 euros and a glass of white wine, since it was still warm outside. I almost sent back the acrid, slightly bitter wine, but decided it wasn't worth the trouble. A sav blanc I believe it was. The food however, was damn good! Superb calamari, lamb meatballs, a mango salad, noodles with veggies, and some chickpea fritters that they allowed to me to substitute for the chicken satay. They sounded SO good on the menu, but I didn't want to order a whole bunch and waste them, so I used my charm and industry experience to seduce the waitress into sweet talking the chefs to make it a part of my meal. Let me tell you , they were outstanding! Don't remember what the name was, but if you see some fried chickpea thing on their menu, get it!! There was another dish too, but less memorable than the others. I struck up a convo with my lovely lady neighbors, relaxed, took my time, enjoyed the breeze coming through the window and wished there were more places that had this kind of ambiance. Work on the wine list a little, keep up the good service and food quality, and you have a 5 star place! Still, a solid 4 is nothing to balk at. Definitely worth a visit!

Great food nice atmosphere and good service. I will be back for the beef rendang :-)

Amazing food, service and drink. The atmosphere is nothing like I have ever experienced before; So fun with cushions so you can sit cross-legged. Being from Toronto, I can certainly appreciate the cultural authenticity. I also have to commend their accommodation to my nut allergy. I usually feel as though I'm imposing but they were so sensitive and detail oriented. Great explanation to each dish and contents. Can't go wrong with this restaurant, the quality and quantity of food is tapas style and is so delicious and the service is amazing. You will leave full and so satisfied, Great night out in Dublin! Njoy!

I've visited here twice so far and will definitely be back again soon. Looking at the menu can be a little daunting at first because it seems like there's so much but all the servers are so helpful and will talk you through the menu to help you decide. The food here is absolutely delicious, the last time I visited I was part of a party of 6 and nobody was disappointed, we were each able to try a bit of everything and although it seemed like a neverending amount of food arrived to the table, very little was left over.

Very expensive for mediocre food. I'd heard so much about this restaurant. I was excited! The inside is fabulous. So cosy and intimate. But the menu is restricted for dinner if you are upstairs. You have to order an entire "page" which is about 7 dishes. But the portions are small. The food was ok. Most of what I ate I couldn't identify as it all tasted the same. The noodles were greasy and tasteless. The beef was very average. The satay tasted like any other satay I've had.Nothing stood out as being phenomenal. I've honestly had better food in "Mao" restaurants. It was nice but certainly not the culinary experience I was anticipating. Based on food alone I wouldn't go back. BUT...The dessert was amazing. Passion fruit type creme brûlée. Just beautiful. But for the food plus a drink and dessert it came to a whopping €52, for just me. Lovely set up but not for the budget-controlled and not for someone familiar with the real tastes of Indonesia. If I could get just dessert and a coffee I'd consider a return but definitely not for any kind of dinner.

Really awful experience My wife and I wanted to celebrate a special occasion. Booked in advance for 7pm. Arrived and told our table wasn't ready. There were people at our table with quite full glasses of wine who hadn't paid their bill. After waiting by the door for some time in small surroundings, it obviously became a little uncomfortable. After about 10mins we told the person at the door that we would rather come back then wait by the door. We were told that she could not help us and our waitress would be with us in a minute. After talking another order the waitress, eventually, told us that it would be another few minutes. We told her that we would come back. Half an hour later, we received an extremely rude phone call asking us "where we were" and that now the table was ready. The person on the phone was extremely rude. It really was a terrible experience and I would implore people not to chose this awful place.

This place is an all around win. Great food and ambience. Rijsttafel is great for when you want to try a myriad of dishes in one meal. And everything was great. I had the vegetarian meal that came with about eight different things! The salad stood out with pineapple and mango slices with a savory dressing. A very unique and delicious taste. Everything was very good, and there was plenty of it. We got to take some leftovers home. Also, there is an early bird menu where you can get basically a half order rijsttafel at a good price if you aren't very hungry.

Truly amazing experience. I've always wanted to try an Indonesian Rijsttafel on my visits to Amsterdam. But now we finally tried it in Dublin. And I have to say my expectations were exceeded. The super-friendly staff gave us good advice and so we ordered two different menus. The food was delicious. The meat was so tender. And all the little dishes were so well flavoured. I can totally recommend this restaurant.