cactus flower wrote:

On a day like today, I would like to be in Baltimore at the harbour, overlooking Sherkin, sitting out in the sun and drinking a pint with a sea food pizza.

Your talking about 'Le Jolie Brise', right? One of my favourites too. A great day out is a trip out to Sherkin, a walk across the island to the Silver Strand, a bracing swim, back to the evening ferry returning to Baltimore - the whole rounded off by some fresh fish steaks with the best real chips in West Cork and nice salad - looking across the sparkling sea to the sun setting behind Mount Gabriel.

One disappointing note though is that the house wine is usually pretty atrocious -and at 18 euro a shot, unnecessarily so.

Hence the pint!

And if anyone is ever in the magnificent town of Clonakilty they will not be disappointed by Harte's cafe - right in the centre of the town.
With very few exceptions EVERYTHING is home-made with great care taken on all cullinary fronts. It's open between 10 and 5 and the grub is great. From mouth-watering breakfast baps made with smoke-cured real ham, fluffy scrambled organic egss and melting gruyere through delicious homemade soups (every day) to the excellent lemon tart, the place is a real gem. Did I mention the scones? And the home-made jams? The fish-cakes are superlative and as for the bread and butter pudding...Honestly folks, this is a must-visit if you are in the West Cork area and looking for sustenance.

I'd nearly head down to Clon just for that Aragon - you described that restaurant so well, thanks.

Do you know the Rectory in Glandore? I had a posh meal there once I felt very fashionable. Ada Hayes' pub has good quality pub grub in Gleann d'Ór too. These places are near Baltimore so if anyone is in the vicinity they're worth paying a visit depending on your budget.

Pretty good cuisine in Vaughan's Pub in Liscannor, near Lahinch County Clare. Small, neat helpings with plenty of attention to quality and flavour. I've eaten pave of cod there and duck with sweet potatoes and orange sauce - main meals are about €15-€18; desserts are steep at €8 and you're guaranteed not to push yourself over the edge into heartattack territory with the size of the portions of sweet stuff.

Great soup and chowder too. Good for families as you can sit outside and there's hand-cut chips and battered fish which is very tasty.

http://www.vaughans.ie/

Was at the GastroPub in Dun Laoghaire a few nights ago, was fairly nice food. Very good value.

johnfás wrote:

Was at the GastroPub in Dun Laoghaire a few nights ago, was fairly nice food. Very good value.

Seeing as I will never be in Dun Laoghaire ever again in my life as I hate the place can you tell me what the food was like and so on? Maybe it'd reduce my hatred and bitterness temporarily and who knows one day I could make a flying visit back to Dublin to go farther afield than The Forbidden Planet, Tower Records or the airport.

It is your typical GastroPub, a clear copy of the phenomenon from the UK. I read recently in the Sunday Business Post that the guy who opened it is going on a major expansion worth millions.

I had the Sirloin Steak and black pepper butter, which was in the region of 18 euro. About a fiver short of what you pay in most restaurants - alot less than Shanahans! It was very well done. Only bad point was the chips could have done with being a bit nicer. They didn't taste quite home made. Had a delicious Sticky Toffee Pudding for my desert. The girlfriend had a nice Chicken Ceasar Salad for less than a tenner.

Good atmosphere in the place. I believe the floors were salvaged from Dublin Port many years ago and the bar is from a school laboratory.

Kate P wrote:

Auditor #9 wrote:

Lads you can't beat Carvery and you can't beat Eddie Rockets especially the milk shakes o god

I half disagree with you:
99 times out of a hundred you can indeed beat carvery with a big stick and a few rubbery vegetables. Uuuughh.

I'm with your there, Kate. My heart sinks when Carvery is mentioned. That said I had lovely meal in the Dew Drop in Kill last Sunday. It was REALLY good and they have very attractive waiting staff.

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But Eddie Rockets is good - I had a fish burger there lately and it was good.

It's good, but it's very expensive for what it is.

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I like Avoca very much - downstairs in Suffolk Street is less spendy than upstairs and there's a good takeaway salad bar too but that is spendy.

I know the food is good, but I often eat alone and the various people around me become my unwitting dining partners, Avoca in Suffolk street seems to have the WORST people on the City for that sort of dining.

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Afternoon tea at the Four Seasons is one of the best meals I've ever had.

Did it once, saw it twice. Nuff said.
However it wasn't the Four Seasons in Dublin, I had dinner there a while ago and the food was delicious, if not a little boring choice wise.

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If you're in Tullamore this weekend to welcome home Mr Cowen, Sirroco's just down from the Garda Station is really good - freshly prepared in the moment - pizzas, pasta, fish, chicken, steak etc. Yummy tiramisu. It's good enough value too - pizzas especially.

Lunch in Tullamore Court Hotel is good too - I don't eat spuds much when I'm out because they're too filling and I'll be asleep for the afternoon but their mash is very good. Good chowder.

I've not been to Tullamore in ages, might be worth a trip for tiramisu!

[/quote]
Great chowder and fabulous mash at Fallons of Kilcullen. The late lamented Red House moved its menu (part of it) and its kitchen to what used to be Berney's of Kilcullen. I haven't been there for a little while - but it was really good. Delicious creme brulée.[/quote]
Ah the Red House, sigh.

Anyone for a Taco Kebab?

Ooh thank you johnfás that sounds wonderful although I don't know that chain but I recognise the name Shanahan's. Indeed sirloin steaks are usually about a fiver more than what you paid - I never eat them in restaurants though, don't know why. Maybe I got one once and it was more like Shoe loin steak and that was that for me and steak.

There's a pub in the centre of Ennis called Knox's which has very reasonably priced food for around a tenner and lovely sticky toffee pudding or profiteroles too for around a fiver. Early bird costs €22 for 4 courses, €19 for 3 but the afternoon is off the menu for €10 -€12 main and dessert another fiver as above. I had a chicken curry there and a chicken sandwich type yoke and it was quite good - chicken in the baguette was a bit burned but very tasty. Quick service too.

Suggestion: maybe we should title our individual posts with the names and locations of the restaurants to see if they pick up some hits...

I had supper in the Kildare St Club last night. If people get the chance to go it is worthwile for the surroundings and the experience. Food was decent enough, I had lamb.

Speaking of Kildare street, TOWN is a great place to eat, Spendy but worth it.

Thank you for all your tips. Much appreciated. The restaurant business has a high casualty rate and places one remembers were good once have, in the meantime and unbeknownst to me, become bad and either a) no longer exist or b) are at death's door. I need to find a place at the end of September in Dublin for a special occasion and your recommendations (with the obvious exception of Ard's Golden Arches enthusiasm) are most welcome.

One should visit this place at least once in a lifetime

http://www.gundel.hu/etterem/index.php?lang=hu&mid=197

(English option top right)

Cactusflower, you have seen some of this menu as I would draw from it for my last meal.

Magnificent institution and still reasonable(ish) for the very apex of fine dining. Andrassy room is beautiful.

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I need to find a place at the end of September in Dublin for a special occasion and your recommendations (with the obvious exception of Ard's Golden Arches enthusiasm) are most welcome.

Outline your criteria - location (roughly), small or large group etc, etc and we'll see what we can do for you...

Kate P wrote:

Quote :

I need to find a place at the end of September in Dublin for a special occasion and your recommendations (with the obvious exception of Ard's Golden Arches enthusiasm) are most welcome.

Outline your criteria - location (roughly), small or large group etc, etc and we'll see what we can do for you...

The occasion is the girlfriends birthday. So somewhere quiet, private and uncramped with decent food. Price range is not an issue. Thanks Kate.

Slim Buddha wrote:

Kate P wrote:

Quote :

I need to find a place at the end of September in Dublin for a special occasion and your recommendations (with the obvious exception of Ard's Golden Arches enthusiasm) are most welcome.

Outline your criteria - location (roughly), small or large group etc, etc and we'll see what we can do for you...

The occasion is the girlfriends birthday. So somewhere quiet, private and uncramped with decent food. Price range is not an issue. Thanks Kate.

Sorry Kate, meant to include the location................ Dublin City & County.

How about Roly's in Ballsbridge? Food is always quite simple, but excellently prepared. There is a level of hustle and bustle but also intimacy at the same time. A true Dublin institution. It is one of my favourite places to eat with the other half along with family occasions, graduations, confirmations etc.

A lovely roast beef dinner, vegetables just right, Yorkshire pudding as well. Superb Wexford strawberries for dessert.

Where better could you have lunch than cooked by Mum in your kitchen?

johnfás wrote:

How about Roly's in Ballsbridge? Food is always quite simple, but excellently prepared. There is a level of hustle and bustle but also intimacy at the same time. A true Dublin institution. It is one of my favourite places to eat with the other half along with family occasions, graduations, confirmations etc.

Ooh yes, Roly's is great.

Thank you for that, gentlemen. My knowledge of decent places to eat in Dublin has gone from limited to zero and I really appreciate the help. Given the occasion. I don't want to mess it up.

(PS Cookie, the summer concert thread has 2 links (to be seen in conjunction) one from the 2004 minimum-maximun tour.)

Slim Buddha wrote:

Thank you for that, gentlemen. My knowledge of decent places to eat in Dublin has gone from limited to zero and I really appreciate the help. Given the occasion. I don't want to mess it up.

(PS Cookie, the summer concert thread has 2 links (to be seen in conjunction) one from the 2004 minimum-maximun tour.)

(I saw them. Bill Bailey is a genius)

Just a word of caution - make sure you book a table.

johnfás wrote:

Just a word of caution - make sure you book a table.

I will indeed johnfàs. Interesting that the recession, if that is how one describes the economic state of Ireland now, has not yet impacted the gastronomy industry to the point where booking would not be essential. Perhaps this particular establishment is recession-proof but in your experience, is there a marked decrease in eating out to the point where some places are hurting? Or has it got to that stage yet?

Recession my hairy hole! You try getting a table in any half decent reataurant in the city an you'll know all about the recession. Indeed, try getting a table in any pub in the city on a Friday evening and you'll know all about the recession.