Now that I’m married and middle-aged (how much things change in a year) I suppose half my goings-out either start or take place completely in a restaurant somewhere. So where’s good to go.
I like the following city-centre eateries:
L’Ecrivain: been there once, very expensive but the food is fucking top class. Rabbit was awesome
Winding Stairs: actually a bit disappointed with it but want to like it so I’m keeping it on my favoured list until I go again and decide whether it’s good or not
Dobbins: haven’t been there since it was done up but a fine place altogether
Diep le Shaker: not generally a big “foreign food” eater but this place is smashing
le caprice on sth andrew street: great place & food is superb, try the veal
Fire @ the mansion house: wonderful setting, attentive staff, probably better for a midweek meal as it gets hammered at the weekends
The Port House, a tapas bar of grafton st, is top quality and very reasonable. Great place to bring a bird. They also have a sister restaurant Bar Pinxtio down in temple bar, setting is not as nice but has without a doubt the coolest restaurant toilets I have ever been in.
Excellent idea Rocko, here’s my take on some of the places I’ve been and I’ll start with the best
Chapter One - Excellent from start to finish - food, service, atmosphere, decor - perfect. Worth more brownie points than you can ever imagine.
Bang Cafe - massively overrated and expensive. Food was decent but definately not worth the money
Gruel - Keep going back to this place time and time again. Great food without the bullshit and high prices. Lukewarm white wine was not appreciated though
Wild Geese (Ranalagh) - Herself brought me here for my birthday and was the scene of my Mary Harney celebrity spot. Really nice food again and great service
Mermaid Cafe - Been here a couple of times and have always been happy with the food and the service
The Strawberry Tree (Brook Lodge) - Prides itself on the claim that it’s the only 100% Organic Restaurant in the country. Very close to being as good as Chapter One. The nicest bottle of Red I’ve ever had was here.
Places I’d like to go:
Thorntons
The Winding Stair
The Tannery (Dungarvan)
Balzac (La Stampa)
Don’t get to go out much these days but I was at this restaurant a while back. Small bit outside the Pale (Waterville Co.Kerry) but seafood to die for. I’m not a big fish lover but I had the Tuna steak and it was delicious. Mrs. Locke had the John Dorey (Dory) and it too was out of this world. Has a strong golfing feel to the place too which is always a plus.
[quote=“Fran”]Excellent idea Rocko, here’s my take on some of the places I’ve been and I’ll start with the best
Chapter One - Excellent from start to finish - food, service, atmosphere, decor - perfect. Worth more brownie points than you can ever imagine.
Bang Cafe - massively overrated and expensive. Food was decent but definately not worth the money
Gruel - Keep going back to this place time and time again. Great food without the bullshit and high prices. Lukewarm white wine was not appreciated though
Wild Geese (Ranalagh) - Herself brought me here for my birthday and was the scene of my Mary Harney celebrity spot. Really nice food again and great service
Mermaid Cafe - Been here a couple of times and have always been happy with the food and the service
The Strawberry Tree (Brook Lodge) - Prides itself on the claim that it’s the only 100% Organic Restaurant in the country. Very close to being as good as Chapter One. The nicest bottle of Red I’ve ever had was here.
Places I’d like to go:
Thorntons
The Winding Stair
The Tannery (Dungarvan)
Balzac (La Stampa)[/quote]
Fran, what have you heard about the Tannery in Dungarvan? Wouldn’t be a million miles away from where I’m at, could give it a go.
I have to find out the name of it etc and what part of dublin its in but it was the best restrauant for entertainment…We got a horrible starter (its compulsory,everyone gets one kind of a squid type of fish) and we were regretting coming. then the chefs come up and cook your meal in front of you…everyone sits around a island where they cook. The meal was fantastic,then the entertainment starts, the waiter came up to me with what I taught was tomatoe ketchup and spilt it all over my jeans untilll i realised it was something like snow spray. Then the music came and a group of five waiters blasted out the tunes on gutairs with ‘you raise me up’ and ‘ring of fire’ for about a half hour. It was brilliant, You need a sense of humour for it there was one misrable dry shite who wasnt impressed at all.If your going with friends your better off not telling em this let them see it for themselves. The food was A1 and the service was just brilliant. I’ll find out the name etc…
Vaughans in Liscannor Co. Clare, is one serious spot for the seafood. Definitely worth a visit if your ever in that part of the country, have had a couple of faultless meals there.
Firstly, to blow the trumpet of, in my opinion, the finest chef in the country, Paul Flynn of The Tannery in Dungarvan. It is top class, and Locke, Fran, or Rocko or anybody else looking to treat a lady companion, book the tannery townhouse and stay over… its smashing.
I also ate in Balzac 12 months ago (to the week actually), and at the time Paul Flynn was executive chef there. He transformed La Stampa which was an average restuarant in the best dining room in dublin into a restaurant that fitted in with its setting.
I have also had the pleasure of dining in Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud this year, and the service and food quality top class as is probably befitting of a two star restaurant.
I had sunday lunch in The Mill at lyons before its decline and it was great, and despite Corrigan being a bit of a coont, i will try out his new place on the green…
Haven’t made it to Chapter One yet, but it top of my too do list, closing followed by the Winding Stair.
Fran, I am also a fan of Gruel and might hit it sunday afternoon before the munster leinster match…