Posts filed under 'Food and Drinks'
If I have to spot one element that truly characterizes the Irish spirit I would find it in their curiosity. It is not a noisy attitude towards life and people. No. It is a curiosity of a different kind: an open-minded unassuming approach to discover and embrace the beauty of the unknown.
This way I saw Dublin changing and growing so much during the years at so many different level as represented by its lively and intriguing food and wine scene. The Irish have been exposed to so many different influences and they took so much out of them that they managed to develop a great palate for food and wine second to none.
It is thanks to this beautiful intellectual curiosity that a refreshing new attitude towards cooking is spreading around. Cooking is not just a way of providing food but a rewarding social activity that brings family and friends together.
During the years I spent teaching at the Italian School of Cooking I have been always amazed by the social power of cooking. Before the class, all I can see are only basic ingredients on the cooking stations: it is an apparent state of tranquility ready to explode into laughter and flour. I see the students arriving and timidly interacting sipping a glass of wine. Then they go to the classroom and something changes. It is magical: people start to gel in a natural way since the preparation of the food is something deep rooted into human nature. It is a bonding moment, just like kneading, nobody can teach you how to do it, it is a personal experience: you let your hands go and all of a sudden you find yourself chatting to new friends almost looking in awe at your own hands working the dough. Something inside has been awakened and wants to express itself.
Cooking together makes the food taste better with a true sense of achievement transforming flour, oil and eggs into the perfect raviolo that you are biting right now.
All of a sudden I have a familiar memory of my granny teaching me a little trick or two but it is not Italy, it is Ireland with its magical curiosity.
And it feels like home.
Giuseppe Crupi
ITALIAN SCHOOL OF COOKING
Unit C4, City Link Business Park,
Old Naas Road – Dublin 12 – Ireland
December 13th, 2011
Jaye McCaffery ate at Gallagher’s sponsored by the Facebook Chat client Chit Chat. Chit Chat enables it’s users to send Facebook Chat messages from their desktop.
If it’s authentic homemade Irish food you’re looking for, then Gallagher’s Boxty House is the place to visit. This is a restaurant that is as popular with locals as it is with tourists. To sample truly traditional Irish dishes in Dublin, the Boxty House is a must.
Location
20-21 Temple Bar. Gallagher’s Boxty House is right beside the main square making it the perfect spot to start a night out in Temple Bar. Nothing beats an after-dinner wander through the cobblestone streets to absorb the lively atmosphere or perhaps visit some of the surrounding traditional music bars.
Ambience
When you’re welcomed with the phrase ‘Bia, caint, ceol agus craic’ meaning ‘food, talk, music and fun’ you know you’re in for some true Irish hospitality. The Boxty House has the warm feel of a traditional Irish kitchen with its long pine tables, wooden beams and open fire. The staff are friendly and the service is relaxed, yet helpful.
The tunes you’ll hear on the sound system are a laid-back mix of traditional and modern Irish music. Live traditional music is played most weekdays and at weekends and adds to the convivial atmosphere.
The Menu
A choice of Starters includes Irish favourites such as Potato Cake €4.95, Oak-Smoked Salmon €8.95 or Galway Bay Oysters €10.95.
Boxty
So, what exactly is Boxty? It’s a traditional Irish pancake made with finely grated potatoes and cooked on a griddle. Gallagher’s Boxty have been given a modern twist and are presented with a range of fillings to suit everyone’s taste.
The main Boxty dishes are all priced €12.95 and are served with both traditional and contemporary fillings such as Irish Ham and Cabbage in parsley sauce, free-range Chicken in a creamy smoked bacon sauce or slow-cooked Irish Lamb with a yoghurt and mint dressing.
Other Main Courses on offer include Irish Stew and Dublin Coddle, both €13.95. Dublin Coddle is a traditional supper dish similar to a stew. The Boxty House recipe uses sausage and bacon slowly simmered with potato, and seasoned with parsley. Stews and Coddles are also available as starter portions for a reasonable €6.95.
There are excellent Vegetarian options including a Chilli and Cheese Boxty and a Spiced Roast Vegetable Boxty, both priced E12.95.
Other main courses include Sausage and Mash featuring award-winning pork and herb sausages, Fish and Chips the traditional way, and a selection of Steaks. Also offered is a typical Irish culinary dish, Bacon, Cabbage and Champ. Champ is traditional recipe of mashed potato with scallions.
There are Side Dishes of homemade Dumplings (flour and herbs) and an Irish kitchen staple, homemade Soda Bread. Here you’ll find yet another old Irish favourite, Colcannon, a mash of creamed potatoes, cabbage and scallions.
Desserts.
From Poached Pears in Mulled Wine to Bailey’s Cheesecake, the difficulty here is deciding which to choose. An absolute must is the home-made Bread and Butter pudding. There is excellent ice-cream sourced from a Kilkenny family-run farm, who have created such flavours as Baileys and Brown Bread, or Honeycomb and Chocolate Chip. Not to mention a choice of Irish cheeses served with water biscuits and cranberry marmalade. All desserts are E6.50.
There is a selection of French and Italian Wines and also a fully licensed bar from which to enjoy a pint of Murphy’s or a 10 year old single-malt whiskey.
An Evening Value Menu offers a smaller but no less delicious selection of dishes. Two courses are E16.95 or three courses for E20.95.
Note that a 12.5% service charge is added to all bills.
Breakfast, Brunch and Lunch
Can’t make it to Gallagher’s Boxty House for dinner? Then do breakfast! The traditional morning cure after an evening of merriment is the full Irish breakfast and none come fuller than that of the Boxty House.
The Full Irish Breakfast and the Smoked Salmon and Poached Egg are both E10 and are served with Tea or Filter Coffee. The Boxty House is open for breakfast from 9am on weekdays and from 10am for weekend brunch.
If you’re in the Temple Bar area between 12-4pm on a weekday you can’t beat the fantastic Lunch Menu. Beef & Guinness Sausages, Cottage Pie and a selection of Stews and Salads are served in generously sized portions and priced at E5.
There is also a good selection of children’s dishes served before 6pm.
Reservations are taken but book early if possible. The staff are extremely helpful so even if you show up without a reservation, they will do their best to accommodate you. There is wheelchair accessibility. Most major credit cards are accepted.
Open Mon – Fri 9:00 – 23:30 Sat and Sun 10:00 – 23:30
June 16th, 2010
“…Barcelona & Wine…
I was away last week in Barcelona gorging myself on tasty tapas and lovely local vino,
so I’m on a bit of a Spanish wine kick again.
We have a cracking Spanish red on promotion now called PARRELL 2006
Its from the DO Montsant in the hills not far from Barcelona and the wine is an oaky number made from a blend of Garnacha, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It was matured for 9 months in oak and comes in at a fairly healthy 14% alcohol. It’s a big wine for sure and with all those grapes in the mix with the oaky character I’d suggest giving it a good breather. Great with anything meaty really but I’m going to try it this weekend with some Chorizo and Patatas Bravas!
RRP 15.95 PROMO PRICE 13.95!
…Georgian Wines…
Thanks to all the adventurous souls who tried our new Georgian wines.
I was amazed at the positive reaction overall, we ran out of the wines three times in the last few weeks!
If you haven’t tried them give them a go! Something really quite new and different in our little world of wine.
…Talk to us about…
Golf Day Prizes..with the Golf season back in full swing we’ve recently supplied prizes (hampers / wine gifts etc..) for society and company golf days… Feel free to contact us if you have a Golf Day or event coming up. We’re always glad to advise and do a deal!
Wedding Wines..some of the hotels are now allowing people to bring their own wines for the Big Day (with either free or nominal corkage)..We’re glad to advise and assist..Prosecco receptions are the fashionable option on the “glass of fizz” for weddings and our Teresa Rizzi Prosecco is one of the best quality and value we’ve come across.
RRP 11.95 On Promotion 2 for 20euro!!
Party Wines..If you’re having a Birthday / Anniversary or party event we can help on the wine front. We can offer you a deal on volume, supply wines Sale or Returrn and provide wine glasses on loan…Our house Chilean Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc at 6.99 per bottle is hard to beat for barbies on the “good-value” front..
We have some South African wine offers lined up for you next week with the fun of the World Cup on the way..”
-
John McGrath
Nectar Wines
June 9th, 2010
Have a meal in some of the French restaurants in Ireland from the 20th May to the 9th June and take your chance on being the lucky winner of a trip to France.
From Dublin to Kerry, Galway and more, you will have the opportunity to take part to a special competition in nineteen French restaurants (List Supplied Below).
Enjoy your meal, pick up a free copy of the Traveller in France magazine then log on to our website.
You might be the lucky winner of a week stay in Vendée thanks to Pierre & Vacances or a four nights stay in the Pyrénées Orientales.
Don’t forget to include The Traveller in France magazine to your menu to enjoy holidays in France!
Bon appétit and good luck!
Rathsallagh House
Dunlavin
Co Wicklow
Bodega
54 John Street
Waterford City
The Bayleaf
No. 71, Main Street
Mallow, Co. Cork
Cashel House
Cashel, Connemara,
Co. Galway
One Pico
Molesworth Place, off St.Stephens Green
Dublin 2
The Glencairn Inn & Pastis French Bistro
Glencairn, Lismore
Co. Waterford
D’Arcy’s Restaurant & Townhouse
Kenmare
Co Kerry
Granville Bar n Grill
Castle Street Macroom
Co. Cork
Chez Max
Baggot Street
Dublin 2
La Cave
28 South Anne Street
Dublin 2
Le Gueuleton
1 Fade Street, off Georges Street
Dublin 2
Pichet
14-15 Trinity Street
Dublin 2
Les Freres Jacques
74 Dame Street
Dublin 2
Fafies
Kevin Street
Dublin 2
Patrick Guilbaud
Upper Merrion street
Dublin 2
Pearl Brasserie
Upper Merrion street
Dublin 2
The Blackboard Bistro
4 Clare Street
Dublin 2
Bon Appetit
9 James Terrace, Malahide
Malahide
Dax Restaurant
23 Upper Pembroke Street
Dublin 2
May 24th, 2010
Finding a good restaurant to enjoy a meal with family and friends can sometimes prove to be a daunting task. So Dublinevents has compiled a list of what we feel are some of the best choices of restaurant and night out. Restaurants in Dublin
Harold’s Cross
With its great food and entertainment, Harold’s Cross Greyhound Stadium offers you something a little bit different on your night out. No only this, but also when you make a reservation through Dublinevents on a Friday, you will receive €10 off per person on the Friday night Restaurant Package! Read More ..
Shelbourne Park
An exciting night is guaranteed at the Shelbourne Park Greyhound Stadium. There are great packages available and it is a great place to enjoy a great dinner at the Dobbins Grandstand restaurant Special Packages are available for groups and there are Seven Luxurious Corporate Suites. Read More..
Venue Brasserie
This restaurant and cocktail bar venue by Charles Guilbaud offers stylish contemporary décor with a vibrant atmosphere to accompany classic European cooking. read more ..
Dobbin’s Bistro
offers a great atmosphere in which to enjoy a meal. Dobbins’ take a great deal of pride in their food and source their ingredients locally. Having recently been refurbished, it is also stylish and comfortable. read more ..
Gallagher Boxty
With its high quality food great service and friendly staff the Gallagher Boxty Restaurant is ready to serve you with the very best in food and service. The atmosphere of Gallagher’s Boxty House is nostalgic, cosmopolitan and yet timeless. It is popular with tourists and native Dubliners. Read More …
The Farm Restaurant
Situated only a hop, skip and jump from Dublin’s main shopping street, Grafton Street, The Farm restaurant brings quality, home-style, organic food to the heart of Dublin. The Farm selects it’s beef, lamb, salmon, wine, beer etc. from local, organic produce. Read More..
The Farm Restaurant
Regular doses of traditional Irish music coupled with a wide assortment of traditional Irish dishes, Old Punch Bowl has the warm and appetizing atmosphere of the genuine Irish culture.
Read More
April 26th, 2010
Taste is the fascinating name which Jackie Murphy has given to her restaurant in Monkstown, Co Dublin. Taste and see … is an open invitation and well worth responding to because chef Michael J. Murphy is providing quality fare at a gourmet level. Jackie’s taste is reflected in the comfortable environment she has created, which, in fact, lends a sense of occasion to an evening out. Her choice of cream and brown seating, the chandelier, the comfortable leather settees in the pre-drinks area reveals flair and style. It is sophisticated but relaxing and the venue for people with … taste.
The Taste restaurant is located adjacent to the coastal amenities of South Dublin and within walking distance from the recreational tourist area of Dun Laoghaire Harbour which also serves as the port for cross-channel ferries. Taste provides visitors with a top-quality first taste of Irish cuisine for tourists arriving from the U.K. Taste only opens for dinner, but it has an early bird menu up to 7 p.m. Sunday brunch, a highly popular family occasion, is served from 11 a.m. If you are feeling a tad religious you can enjoy Eggs Benedict. Eggsactly!
To assist your choice from the dinner menu – subject to your taste buds – recommended is the following meal: for starters, of course there is homemade soup, pate, prawns crabmeat and mussels, but why not indulge in Roulade of Chicken and Duck with salad greens and a delectable orange and walnut dressing. The taste buds are celebrating already. There is a big temptation for an alternative: it is roast asparagus with parma and chilli crème fraiche. This is the perfect mid-recession dilemma! Endure the hardship!
For a main dish much fancied is the Crisp Skin Salmon Fillet served with creamed leeks and white bean ratatouille. A side dish: why not try buttered spinach? Also there is an excellent selection of meat, poultry and game dishes.
When you see the floor to ceiling selection of international wines, you will be glad you left the car at home.
Taste is a splendid venue at which to treat friends. It ticks all the right boxes.
November 13th, 2009
If a Chinese restaurant is good enough for Chinese people living in Dublin, it is the best recommendation for local customers and visitors to the capital city.
The Good World Restaurant in South Great George’s Street, Dublin 2, which has been pleasuring the taste buds of its clientele for the past 18 years, conforms to this high criteria. The statistical profile substantiates this: 50% of the clientele are Chinese and the other half are made up of locals and visitors. The reality of this customer profile impacts on you when you see the menu is in the Chinese language and English, of course.
One of the joys of dining in Chinese restaurants is that it is so easy to share. With the dishes sizzling aromatically beneath your nostrils, your appetite is dispositioned towards banqueting in diversity. In the Good World a distinguishing feature is the variety of mouth-watering sauces. For instance, there are several duck dishes on the menu and all have different sauces – sesame, taro, plum, orange, lemon and even crab meat sauce. And doesn’t the honey sauce on those spare ribs provide that finger-licking succulence for that popular starter. Chinese cuisine is synonymous with choice which is wide within each section. Consider prawns for a moment: Good World has seven different dishes to match a variety of tastes via sauces such as garlic and black bean sauce. If you wish to push the boat out, the fresh seafood dishes appeal: on menu is fresh lobster, sea bass, turbot or deep sea Abalone – for seventy five Euro. That may be for Lotto winners, but the early bird menu offers an excellent three course meal for under twenty Euro.
Enjoy living the good life in the Good World Restaurant. Bon Appetite!
November 13th, 2009
When it comes to Italian restaurants, the Topolis at 37 Parliament Street in Temple Bar is the real deal. Even the homemade bread has the rub of the garlic. Its location adjacent to the City Hall with its adjoining civic open space places it close to a popular focal point for tourists. The location’s main advantage is being part of the vibrant lifestyle which is Temple Bar – a 24-7 destiny for – shall we say – socialising Irish style. Naturally, in the Topolis, the 12 inch pizza looms large on the menu which indicates a selection of 16 which are cooked in situ in their woodstone oven. There is real substance to the wide range of ingredients and the evidence of the popularity of the Topolis pizza range is being surrounded by customer tucking in with relish in a restaurant with 80 covers. The kitchen is the scene of heavy duty cooking and diligent preparation of meals. A glance at the substantial nature of the starters is sufficient evidence alone. Much fancied are the deep fried mushrooms stuffed with gorgonzola cheese or the tiger prawns wrapped in filo pastry. The selection of meats, olives, artichokes and parmesan make Antipasto Misto a strong preference. The Pasta meals are so appealing that several visits to Topolis will be necessary to satisfy your enjoyment of the best of Italian spaghetti and lasagne dishes with their delectable accompaniments.
A quality selection of fine wines are listed, but this Italian restaurant admits Chilean wines are emerging as the most popular.
Opening hours are noon to midnight.
Lunch specials are served from noon to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday and the Early Bird from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday to Sunday.
November 13th, 2009
Surely the real source of enjoyment on a holiday is to experience something different. Expenditure on air travel and hotel accommodation just to experience more of the same is not the brightest idea for a vacation. Globalisation has standardised many elements in the tourist industry – not all of them bad, mind you – but where do you look for a change that will transport you into the cultural delights of another nation? Paradoxically in Ireland you gravitate towards the traditional. When is the best time? Party time actually. Where? The Irish House Party is the highly recommended venue which is located in the Lansdowne Hotel, 27 Pembroke Road, Dublin 4.
The best tonic on a holiday is a good belly laugh. The craic is the Irish brand name for humour and at the Irish House Party it is interwoven into the song and dance merriment. The hilarity is derived from Irish writers of the calibre of Oscar Wilde and distinctive Dublin stories which come with the guarantee that “you won’t hear them elsewhere.” On a really good night out participation in the fun is a great option. Champion Irish dancers will teach you some simple Irish dancing routines and you can learn a song in the Irish language. Top Irish musicians set the joyous tone of the all embracing entertainment as you wine and dine in style on a four-course meal (menu choices).
Party time is officially from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. but the craic can continue at the late bar. The cost is 48 Euro per head and includes dinner and the show. The Irish House Party is a popular event and reservation is essential. This family owned hotel is a short distance from the centre of Dublin.
November 13th, 2009
Dublin is blessed with easily accessible coastal beaches and harbours such as Howth and Dun Laoghaire, but the distant backdrop to many a city street is a mountain. Visitors who have tasted the pleasures of central Dublin, including Temple Bar can drink in the spectacular scenery of the adjacent Wicklow and Dublin Mountains from the comfort of a bar stool. Shane O’Donohoe’s Rural Pub Tours facilitates this stressless activity by transporting small groups through the hills and valleys. Having spent time shopping and browsing in the city, a nice contrast and welcome break for holidaymakers in rural Ireland has a lot of appeal. Thirst will never be a problem because there is always a watering hole around the next bend. Drinking in the view and drinking pints of Guinness in uniquely atmospheric country pubs is a hardship worth enduring! Traditional style hostelries display interesting memorabilia and fascinating curios. They also provide traditional Irish Music. The tour, which only takes place at weekend, lasts for nine hours, visits pubs of the calibre of Johnny Foxes – the highest pub in Ireland – the Blue Light and Glenmalure Lodge where the participants dine in style in what was once a hunting lodge. On weekdays Rural Pub Tours organises evening trips from 7 p.m. during which three pubs are visited including The Merry Ploughboy in the foothills of the Dublin Mountains.
The tours start in Nassau Street beside Trinity College in the city centre. The cost of the weekend tour is 59 Euro per person and includes dinner and the weeknight trips pitch in at 30 Euro, but dinner is not included.
Last words from Shane Donohoe: “There is more to Ireland than Temple Bar.”
November 13th, 2009
The Farm Food Restaurant in DawsonStreet, Dublin 2, is quite an exhilarating place to dine and wine. The experienced owner Desmond Coffee, who has been more than 30 years in the food and drinks business, diligently honours organic food not as a fad or a diet, but as a lifestyle choice for a growing clientele. In commercial terms it is a business with a genuine future. Visitors to Dublin will appreciate the social buzz of a purposeful clientele obviously enjoying the organic food and relishing the sense of occasion. The menus are especially enlightening and communicate the organic message with clarity and even enhance the drinks list under the title of Bubbly Treats. You haven’t lived if you have not saturated your taste buds with a Serpentine – a crisp dry bubbly and crème de menthe. Now you know this organic restaurant has some style. An exciting place to be when you can imbibe Whitestable organic ale or a Longueville pure juice natural cider. But you thought you would have to threaten yourself with sobriety! You got it all wrong. Seriously, it is a venue where you drink and eat healthily. Recommended for your Farm summer lunch is the Lobster and Whiskey terrine as a starter followed by Pigs With Blankets. What? Relax. It includes Pork, Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Sausage served with Puff Pastry and creamy jalapeno sauce. This mouth watering meal can be washed down with an organic Chilean Chardonnay.
There is a rich diversity of organic dishes available including vegetarian choices, burgers, salmon. Desmond Coffee’s policy is to provide his customers affordable, tasty, homemade, locally sourced fresh produce and as much organic and free range as possible. He is succeeding big time.
November 13th, 2009
South William Street is a prime area for strolling and browsing, pedestrians dominate, cars are intrusion, cafes and restaurants spill onto street pavements, people relax on the flower bedecked steps of Powerscourt Town House, the cobblestones harkback to a previous era … but once a dull back street, it has undergone a metamorphosis and grabbed a vibrant life for itself. Located in the heart of this popular inner city thoroughfare is the stylish Gourmet Burger Kitchen, a U.K. franchise which has seven outlets in Ireland including the Six Counties. The smart look of the comfortable restaurant furnishings elevates the status of dining on burgers, and, in this kitchen, there is every justification for doing so. The wide variety of burgers are freshly made on the premises and not shipped in from some food factory. G.B.K. built its reputation on quality and generous portions. The quality is based on 100% prime Irish beef and freshly made ingredients. The G.B.K. menu includes a reasonably priced list of starters and a selection of salads and six vegetarian dishes including a delicious Aubergine and Goat’s Cheese offering. There is also a selection of ingredients from which you can build your own burger. Smaller burgers are available and they are not just for kids and that will suit some people’s capacities.
As well as the classic burger, Cajun, Satay, Barbecue, Jamaican, Kiwi and Thai burgers are available to satisfy a diversity of tastes. If you are set on something special and spicy, Spanish Chorizo will appeal. Irish Lamb and Greek Lamb burgers enjoy “speciality” status. G.B.K. is different, big time. Enjoy.
November 13th, 2009
Shaken or stirred
Just as you like it at Harvey Nichols First Floor Restaurant
Bond fanatics should make their way to Harvey Nichols First Floor Restaurant, Dundrum this Autumn to enjoy some of the best martinis in town – whether you like your martini shaken or stirred, dirty or smoky, with a twist of lemon or an olive, you will be spoilt for choice.
Or hold your own James Bond Party at Harvey Nichols – a name synonymous with exclusivity, style and glamour, and host to some of the best parties in town. The new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, launches in October, so why not host a cinema and martini party at Harvey Nichols First Floor?
Located a 50 yard stroll from the Movies@Dundrum cinema, head to Harvey Nichols for a pre-cinema dinner (from €24.50 for two courses), or late night drinks in the First Floor Bar. Alternatively, indulge yourself and book one of the First Floor spaces exclusively for your James Bond cinema party and give guests a bespoke Harvey Nichols experience.
Harvey Nichols can organise everything from an intimate dinner or cocktail party for 10 to a seated dinner for 100 and champagne reception for 300, or can also host a private shopping evening, food and wine tasting or private cocktail master class.
So join in the Bond mania this Autumn with martinis as you like them or a bespoke 007 event in Harvey Nichols First Floor – after all, you only live twice!
September 3rd, 2008
Ron Black’s is all about socialising around food and drink.
Its city centre location makes it a convenient meeting place for locals and tourists and the split-level arrangement is exciting. The quality furnishings in Ron Black’s create a comfort zone; especially the lounge area at the rear of the ground floor bar and restaurant area. There is a variety of choice for a variety of moods and needs.
Whether you want to sit at the bar, people watch at the window or recline lazily on one of the couches at the rear, you can at Ron Black’s. You can even invite 150 of your friends to a party with its own private bar.
The restaurant area seats 200, making a lively atmosphere. The quality of the service is exceptional from a Europe-wide staff blessed with extra charm and courtesy.
The lunch menu combines excellent flavours with great value. Nothing on the food menu exceeds €10.50. If you have a soft spot for side orders such as delicious onion rings or cheese and garlic ciabatta. Main meals include beef cannelloni, Thai chicken curry, lasagne and Caesar salads, but even in these sophisticated circumstances, bangers and mash, fish and chips and burgers are also on offer. The younger members of the party will love them.
Sunday brunch comes highly recommended and the prices for evening meals do not drift upwards.
Ron Black’s is located opposite the Mansion House in Dawson Street.
March 4th, 2008
Pub chain Thomas Read has won the Best Multiple Operator award in the Irish Region at the Ireland & UK Theme Bar and Restaurant Awards 2008.
They were also nominated for Best New Bar, Best Drinks Selection and Best Bar Team.
The Best Multiple Operator Award was judged throughout all 32 counties of Ireland and the winners were announced on the 26th February in Belfast
All the winners automatically qualify as finalists for the Ireland & UK Theme Bar and Restaurant Awards Final. This takes place on the 17th June in London.
The Theme Bar and Restaurant Awards celebrates the best in the hospitality industry.
Now in their seventh year, they include four regional nomination parties and culminate in the Ireland & UK Final, where over 800 key professionals celebrate the dynamic and exciting industry.
The winners are chosen through a mixture of online voting, extensive canvassing of opinion from key regional contacts and mystery visiting. At the end of the process a winner for each category in each region is announced, with the four regional winners subject to further scrutiny and mystery visits prior to the announcement of the Ireland & UK Theme Bar and Restaurant Awards 2008 Winners on 17th June.
The four regions are: Ireland, Scotland, the South of England (covering everywhere south of Birmingham) and The North of England and Wales (this covers everywhere north of Birmingham and Wales).
The Thomas Read Group has successfully operated some of Dublin’s finest, cutting-edge and market-leading bars and restaurants.
Along with the original Thomas Read & Oak Bar, the group’s portfolio has expanded into different markets and includes popular venues such as Ron Black’s, The Bailey, Searsons, Lincoln’s Inn, The Globe, Ri-Ri, Pravda, Harbourmaster, Floridita Dublin, Thomas Read Smithfield, Thomas House, TRG Airport, Bodega Wine & Tapas Bar and Kingswood Country House.
They also run the Dawson Lounge, famed as the smallest bar in Dublin.
Recent additions including The Champagne Bar and The Winding Stair Restaurant & Bookshop prove the company’s commitment to leading the way in the food and drink sector.
The award winning Winding Stair Restaurant & Bookshop is situated on Lower Ormond Quay. Specialising in simple Irish cooking with an organic direction and extensive wine list, their latest award is the Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand.
Its ‘unique’ atmosphere has been maintained and it still attracts many regulars who visit daily. The Winding Stair establishment is widely seen as one of Dublin’s hidden gems.
The Champagne Bar, located on the 1st Floor above Ron Black’s, is renowned for its large selection of Champagnes & Wines and its beautiful décor.
On the back of this, the Thomas Read Group has secured the ‘exclusive distribution’ rights for Henri Abelé Champagne in Ireland. This excellent Brut Traditional NV is true, highly-spirited champagne with distinctive floral aromas and a pleasing crispness.
With an expanding selection of venues, the Thomas Read group should expect even more success in the future.
February 29th, 2008
If you are looking for a traditional Dublin pub, there are few better choices than the Lower Deck. Situated canalside at Portobello, the Lower Deck has benefited from the infill operation at the harbour.
The pleasant paved civic area that has been created enhances the Lower Deck’s environment and also provides some shelter if you are a smoker.
While the harbour may have changed dramatically outside, inside the ambience in the Lower Deck is just as gracious, homely and comfortable as ever.
The black and white pictures of old Dublin at the entrance to the pub set the scene. The panelled mirrors and the dominance of timber have resisted the advance of modernity, but for one important exception – the TV screens. This intrusion is allowed because the clientele love their sport – especially the GAA teams Tipperary and Dublin.
It is an ideal venue for visitors seeking a live music scene and a party night out. A great range of musical tastes is catered for, with sing-along cabaret shows, plenty of rock music and traditional Irish music.
Inside or out life is good on the Lower Deck.
January 31st, 2008
If you want Mexican food with a twist, look no further than Cactus Jacks.
This elegant and relaxed restaurant first opened in 2002 in Galway. Quickly growing in popularity, a second branch was opened on Millenium Walkway, Dublin three years later. The addition of the Belgard Square branch of the Cactus Jacks shows just how popular this restaurant is.
The menu in Cactus Jacks is always creative, combining consistency in food quality and colourful plate presentations. With superior service and a friendly atmosphere, this gives their guests a gracious, memorable dining experience.
At Cactus Jacks, all the staff pride themselves on offering an excellent alternative to the standard fare with a contemporary menu successfully combining the very best of authentic Mexican cuisine with more traditional dishes such as steaks and seafood.
Cactus Jacks, Millennium Walkway, Middle Abbey St Dublin 1 Tel – 01 8746198
Cactus Jacks, Belgard Square, Tallaght, Dublin 24 Tel – 01 4514111
Cactus Jacks, Courthouse Lane, Quay St. Galway Tel – 091 563838
January 24th, 2008
Jaipur, winner of the Best World Cuisine Award in 2004 counts celebrities such as Bono, Van Morrison, Pierce Brosnan, authors Maeve Binchy and Hugh Leonard among its satisfied customers.
Jaipur is an authentic Indian restaurant in the charming village of Dalkey, which nestles between Killiney Hill and the Dublin Bay coast. Everything on the menu celebrates traditional Indian cooking, no more than the special Gourmet Menu. Priced at €40 Euro per person, this includes eleven delectable items.
As well as using traditional ingredients, the chefs in Jaipur recreate authentic cooking methods. For instance, to produce the rustic smoked taste for the kebabs, the traditional Punjab wood charcoal method is used.
According to manager Poojary, the Jaipur menu: “reflects the confluence of flavours drawn from the four corners of the Indian sub-continent. We endeavour to cook each dish in its purest traditional culinary form with spicing levels determined by the customer or the talented chef, Sunic.”
Jaipur talented staff have interpreted Indian cuisine and reproduced it in the context of the contemporary Irish environment. The result is a cooking format along European lines which is a process of refining the sauces and producing distinctive layers of flavours for the palate. This detailed dedication is truly admirable.
Jaipur in Dalkey is open seven days a week from 5.30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Early bird specials are available from 5.30 to 7 p.m – three delicious courses for just €20.
January 8th, 2008
The Unicorn in Merrion Court is a famous name in Dublin’s restaurant scene, where it has served its citizens and visitors for over 60 years.
The Unicorn is an established rendezvous for the movers and shakers in society, especially for Saturday lunch when it is popular with political animals, media types, thespians, musicians and playwrights. It offers a lively contemporary atmosphere with a sure-fire sense of occasion and a fidelity to Italian cuisine which is “religious” in its intensity.
Proprietors Giorgio and Jeff, who acquired the restaurant in 1995 from the family who ran it for the previous 58 years, believe in hands on management. The details of the traceable origin of the food are included on the menu. They monitor the quality of the food and its regional origins in Tuscany, Lombardy or Piedmont.
The outdoor terraced section of the restaurant which makes the Merrion Court a most colourful scene is a smokers’ sanctuary par excellence. Weather permitting, al fresco dining is enjoyed by non smokers to.
The Unicorn is a highly successful business which has expanded to a piano bar in a separate building and thriving retail outlet for Italian food. The professional staffs, including chefs Paul Skelton and Brian Farren, enjoy a well earned reputation for friendliness and efficient service.
Book a table at the Unicorn to experience the excellent Italian cuisine.
November 28th, 2007
From the moment you step into Poulot’s Restaurant in Donnybrook, Dublin, you are entering a comfort zone, designed so you can relax and enjoy your meal.
And you certainly will enjoy your meal. Charming though the environment may be, the food prepared and cooked by Jean-Michel Poulot surpasses everything. A speciality is a Japanese-style yellow fin tuna, while the loin of venison is wonderful and delicately flavoured.
Poulot’s is not cheap. How could cuisine of this calibre be so? But it is superb value. For sheer flair, its excellence will make any celebration memorable.
The imaginative dishes set Poulot’s in a class apart. Starters include rabbit loin served with basil risotto, pepper compote and sage butter or seared duck fois gras, served with fig compote, toasted brioche and vinegar syrup. Main courses like the fillet of barbary duck is worth ordering just for the buttered green cabbage with which it is served. Seafood dishes include spiced scallops or roasted fillet of sea bass. Both are highly recommended.
For good calorific value try Opera Carupano for dessert. It contains 70% cocoa chocolate fondant! A little of what you fancy indeed.
November 15th, 2007
There are many great wines – some that are known for the vibrant colour, some because they are bursting with flavour, some because of the pleasing packaging.
Beaujolais Nouveau stands out from the pack. It is a wine free of pretentiousness, without the complexities that may intimidate those new to wine tasting.
From Thursday 15th November, Beajolais Nouveau is available at La Mere Zou, in St Stephen’s Green, Dublin. You can book a table at this wonderful restaurant quickly and easily with DublinEvents.
Beaujois Nouveau is very much an ‘immediate’ wine, so don’t miss your chance to sample this year’s vintage.
November 13th, 2007
Perched comfortably on the banks of the river Dodder, Ashton’s is the restaurant you’ve been looking for.
By combining a quality menu with excellent atmosphere and convenience you won’t believe, Ashton’s seems almost to good to be true.
Ashton’s unique selling point is its address. Unlike other restaurants amid the jostle and traffic of the city centre Ashton’s is on the Clonskeagh Road; right in the heart of D6.
Convenience is the order of the day at Ashton’s, lying as it does within easy reach by many bus routes and the luas, or maybe even within the reach of a leisurely stroll – which you’ll certainly feel the benefit of after sampling their wonderful menu! There’s no better time to enjoy hearty local produce, especially since the food is so excellent.
When dining al fresco, you’ll find Ashton’s beautiful riverside garden to be one of the most unique, relaxing and atmospheric outdoor locations in the city.
Having recently refurbished their bistro and introducing a new seasonal menu, Ashton’s are a restaurant that is sure to be talked about for years to come, in fact, it’s already becoming quite the place to be seen among the city’s bold and beautiful, so you never know who you will be seeing propping up the bar or sitting down to dinner – unless you are there first.
For added convenience, you can reserve a table at Ashton’s with DublinEvents.
November 12th, 2007
Who would travel to Italy and not eat spaghetti?
Well, when you travel to Ireland you have to try the local speciality – boxty. And where better than Gallagher’s Boxty House, who specialise in this rustic dish.
Boxty is a traditional potato pancake. While the name comes from the Gaelic “Aran Bocht Ti” (meaning “Poorhouse Bread”) the chefs at Gallagher’s Boxty House have turned this simple dish into a wonderfully special and mouth-watering meal.
Gallagher’s Boxty House is situated along the old cobblestone streets of Dublin’s cosmopolitan Temple Bar district, and has made serving unique Irish food presented in a contemporary, European context a speciality.
The ambience is just right for a restaurant located in vibrant Temple Bar with live traditional and modern Irish music played every day.
Prices start from €9.95 to €12.95, making Gallagher’s Boxty House an ideal choice for a lunchtime meal, available from 12.00pm – 4.00pm). The Early Bird Menu offers great value at €15.95 for 2 courses or €18.95 for a three course meal, available from 4.30pm – 6.30pm.
You can also pick up a Gallagher’s Boxty House polo shirt, cigarette lighter or keyring as a souvenir of your visit to a restaurant that celebrates the finest traditions in Irish cuisine.
You can book a table at Gallagher’s Boxty House quickly and easily with DublinEvents.
October 29th, 2007
Restaurant Six is a popular pre-theatre dining venue, just outside the Gate Theatre in Parnell Square.
Formerly part of Groom’s Hotel, the building is rich in tales of after-hours socialising by politicians. It recalls an unlamented by-gone era of gombeenism (loan sharking) which may be good for a laugh as you await your starter of spicy crab or enjoy a traditional dish of boiled bacon and cabbage served with rich parsley sauce.
Highly recommended is the scallion mash which is the complement for braised shank of lamb – a quality alternative to fish or steak. The mash tastes delicious, especially when mixed with the juice of the meat. That menu is available from 5.30 p.m. to 7.15 p.m. from Monday to Saturday.
The main evening menu is a different kettle of fish! The excellent choice of starters includes Dublin Bay prawns, battered mussels tossed in smoked bacon and parsley dressing or seafood chowder.
Surf and Turf provides an interesting combination for main course indulgence. Prawns are served with fillet of prime beef and make an excellent combination.
Fowl choice includes shredded roast duck (greatly enhanced by the hoi-sin sauce) and pan fried breast of chicken (stuffed with spicy chorizo sausage). Lamb and steak are also available, but the roast tail of monkfish with mussel and prawn provencal is truly special.
A thought has been spared for the vegetarian diner who can opt for a baked spinach and cherry tomato omelette which is served with tasty pan fried onion and herb fried potatoes. Access to Restaurant Six is through Hotel entrance.
October 24th, 2007
Celebrity chef Gary Rhodes has opened his first Irish venture, the exciting new restaurant RhodesD7.
RhodesD7 has Gary Rhodes distinctive touch, using top quality local ingredients, as well as inspiration from his travels across the world.
The food in RhodesD7 is a fusion of traditional Irish favourites and European cooking – Gary Rhodes always tries to celebrate local cooking in his restaurants, and RhodesD7 is no different.
Main courses include braised shank of lamb, served summer vegetable ragout and champ potato. Among the other hearty, rustic mains is the RD7 Ploughman’s, a speciality at the restaurant. This is made with Cashel Blue quiche, baked ham and piccalilli, smoked salmon, Irish Camembert, rabbit and foie gras terrine, tomato and basil salad and chips. The combination of flavours is stunning.
A selection of 120 wines is available to compliment your meal, with every major wine producing region represented.
Gary Rhodes will oversee RhodesD7, while head chef duties go to Paul Hargreaves. Paul has worked with Gary Rhodes for the past six years, and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to RhodesD7.
Find out more about RhodesD7 or book a table.
September 3rd, 2007
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