My Profile
Glen Forbes
Member since: 16 November 2007
Location: South Dublin
No. of Reviews: 19
Status: Connoisseur
Last Visit: 07 December 2010
Member since: 16 November 2007
Location: South Dublin
No. of Reviews: 19
Status: Connoisseur
Last Visit: 07 December 2010
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63% |
Ouzos Bar and GrillPosted on 07 May 2012
It’s Friday afternoon and I’ve finished work. Walking through a picturesque and bustling Dalkey I see a sign outside Ouzos restaurant, “Lobster and Crab feast for €24.95.” My girlfriend is a big lobster fan so I figured this might make a wonderful treat to the start of a long weekend, and I've been to Ouzo's before and had a wonderful experience.
We arrive into Ouzos without a booking. Downstairs is small, one corridor of booths and a hall sized space filled with 4-5 tables. The colours are white and orange, there’s a lovely light atmosphere in the restaurant. The restaurant seems to be full of the more mature diners. There’s a little screen behind the service area/bar screening what’s going on in the busy, small kitchen.
The Waiting staff are very welcoming, all is white shirts, black trousers and ties, very clean and professional looking and accommodating, we’re brought over to one of the tables with the request we’re to be done by 8.30. It’s 6.45 so that gives us loads of time.
The menu is a bit confusing. The first page is lined out with the lobster & crab feast and the other side is the early bird. It’s not clear if you can mix and match. I suspect probably not. My girlfriend is a little disappointed that it’s not the “feast” for 24.95 we were promised. There’s a supplement on the lobster for the weight. There is a full menu also but we both decide to try the feast menu.
The girlfriend orders goat cheese parcels for starters, me the calamari. For the main we both have the surf & turf. Her starter is very solid and beautifully presented. Crispy pastry parcels stuffed with melting goat cheese on a slice of beetroot . I swap a parcel for some of my calamari. It’s delicious. The calamari is a generous portion but it’s just deep fried calamari, nothing more. Some seasoning on the calamari or the batter wouldn’t go amiss. The calamari is a little hard, though is not chewy.
Our mains come with a fine steak with 3-4 crab claws on top.
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The Box TreePosted on 01 May 2012
I owed my girlfriend for helping me look after my niece and nephew. And it so happens that online offers came up from menupages.ie. After perusing a couple I thought a half price voucher for 2 starters, mains and desserts for The Box Tree in Stepaside village sounded right for her so I purchased and done.
We reserved a table on a wet and windy Wednesday night and arrived on time bar getting a little lost on the way. We entered the restaurant and were greeted immediately. The Box Tree is quite a small venue, and is full of dark browns and greys, it sort of looks like a modern rustic cabin in the woods. There is antler like light fixtures and the tables are dark brown. The kitchen is at the bottom of the room and the bar is on the right.
The menu is high cuisine. My girlfriend orders scallop for starters, I order the winter salad with honey roasted pear. We also order 2 glasses of champagne (just as a thank you!)
Reagans' starter is fantastic. The scallop comes perfectly cooked on a beautiful bed of delicious black pudding. My salad is good, the honey pear, Wicklow brie and walnuts all a sweet, savour y and crunch to the dish, I'm going to be picky and say it was undone by too much rocket which made it a little messy to eat.
My main was the delicious venison, cooked to perfection which came with red onions and mash. Reagan had the duck done two ways, also beautifully cooked. Desserts were the special of the night, a white chocolate cheesecake and Reagan had the rice pudding with blueberry sorbet. The rice pudding was warm, hearty and reminded you of your mum's cooking on a cold day. My cheesecake was excellent, very light and a perfect way to top off the meal.
The staff were friendly and excellent. There is a note on the menu saying all the food is locally produced and encouraging any local growers to contact them, they'll use their produce in exchange for meal vouchers and wine.
The food, for the quality that it is, is reasonably priced but I wouldn't consider it a cheap restaurant. Still a wonderful ni
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Rustic StonePosted on 18 April 2012
It's a lovely sunny late Saturday afternoon in Dublin. I'm rarely off at the weekend so to be in town is a treat. We've just come from a wonderful matinee show at the Project Theatre on the way to another show so we have time to kill. We come across the Rustic Stone, and looking for somewhere to treat ourselves to a good meal, we have a look at the menu advertised on the wall. All sounds very good and what you'd expect from a Michelin chef. In we go!!
We're immediately greeted by a member of staff and after a double check to see if there is a table for us, we get the nod and are brought to a table at the back of the restaurants. The restaurant is all wood browns and greens. The atmosphere is busy but relaxed.
The staff are friendly and competent. We're given menus and water. The menu has a legend at the end saying which little dot means gluten free, super food, dairy free etc. The mains are broken down to small portions and large portions. It's all very interesting food, nothing really bland here and and the descriptions are written seemingly by chef Dylan McGrath.
A lot of the dishes sound delicious and a lot catches my eye. We decided to share the bread and dips for starters; 3 types of bread with hummus and baba ganoush. It's delicious and plentiful for two. The bread is fresh and tasty and the dips are fab.
For main I decide to have 2 small portions; one is the glamburger, the other the lime salad. Reagan gets the sirloin of beef. The burger is delicious, especially the paprika on the bun. I get 4 polenta chips and Reagan gets a portion of polenta chips. The polenta chips are tasty, but 4 will do it. Reagan couldn't finish her portion and I couldn't face another after four. Her steak is beautiful. My salad is delicious and full of healthiness, the fruit is very fresh, but the lime dressing is very aggressive. I'm a lime lover, and even for me, it was too much.
For dessert we order the fruit sushi and the strawberry Knickerbocker. The Knickerbocker is the way to end a meal. It is a delicious dessert.
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BearPosted on 18 April 2012
Where the old ‘pop-up’ version of Crackbird was on South William St comes Bear. We peep in for lunch as we pass. My girlfriend Reagan says she read a great review of the place in the latest Food and Wine magazine, so it seems rude not to try it no?
The interior of Bear is all brown with the immediate front of the restaurant facing a large window facing South William St. The tables are long with stools. Up the steps there are lower tables with chairs.
It’s all quite nice inside and the back looks mysterious and romantic while the front, near the window is casual, airy, bright and open.
The old radiator hangs from the wall that didn’t keep me warm when I came here in February when it was Crackbird; thankfully it’s a lot warmer inside now.
We’re seated near the window in the airy open space; the restaurant is quite empty, two couples and a single lady whose food arrives as we are being seated. The most amazing looking steak is on her plate, so we quickly scramble to see what’s on the menu.
The menu at Bear is different every day, as ours is dated “Lunch Apr 16th” I can’t remember the full menu, but we pair our order down to two of three dishes; a pork and chickpea stew which just sounds delicious, the steak with fries and the sandwiches.
The steak comes with the option of two cuts; minute steak or a rosary cut. Neither of us has either heard of this cut of meat. We ask the waitress and she explains it’s the meat between the ribs. It’s the one we noticed that the lady had ordered when we came in.
The sandwich comes with the option of pork, beef or chicken. We decide on the rosary steak and the pork sandwich baguette with harissa mayo and jalapenos. For drinks we both go for the homemade lemonades; for her the traditional lemonade and for me the ginger lime lemonade.
Our drinks come promptly and in giant jam jars. There’s plenty of value in the drinks though I am beginning to get tired of getting drinks in quirky containers. Our food arrives and we decide to share the dishes.
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CrackbirdPosted on 17 January 2012
I really wanted to like Crackbird. I see all the wonderful review on Yelp, and my girlfriend was very keen to bring me. She had been a couple of times with great reports and brought home some of the chicken, which was tasty even warmed up in microwave.
We arrived for a late lunch on a cold wet day. The interior of Crackbird is basic at best, a couple of fairy lights here and there and we were seated near the cash register. The first black mark I found with the place was it was bloody freezing inside. I know it’s a pop-up restaurant but not a heater in sight!! Come on guys. We had to seat ourselves and get the attention of one of the waiters to order. We ordered the buttermilk chicken and waffle fries to share.
My girlfriend blushed in embarrassment. I blushed at being cold and having a cranky expression about the service. “Maybe they’re having an off-day!” she said. I nodded and agreed probably over my attempted control of my shivering
Both the chicken and the waffle fries were beautifully cooked. I can’t fault the food, it was great. Reagan had some of the house lemonade which was delish. I had to hunt someone down who wasn’t too busy chatting to order a coffee.
The bill was about €30. Again we had to ask. Not one of the staff approached us throughout the entire meal; we weren’t even asked the standard “Everything ok?” After my girlfriend feeling bad that I hadn’t enjoyed my Crackbird experience was apologising while I was being awkward about her feeling she had to and feeling bad that I didn’t enjoy it as much as her previous experience. I’ve resolved to return to Crackbird before it closes; maybe they were just having an off day. Just in case though, next time I’m bringing a warmer jumper!!
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Mandalay RestaurantPosted on 22 July 2011
Every time I come to this restaurant I keep singing in my head “Don’t you know the way to San Jose..” but replace the San Jose with Mandalay. I also get some images of the movie Rebecca; “I still remember Mandalay..” The restaurant version is set in quiet surroundings just past Santry Stadium on the way to the Crowne Plaza Hotel. I’ve been here on a good few occasions, the other night we were here for my Mum’s birthday.
The restaurant has a very nice Asian decor (check out the bathrooms!!) with little Buddha’s sitting here and there. The staff are all Asian and very nice, polite, warm and friendly. They offer both Chinese and Thai food on the menu. The menu is huge. You could read it for years, they have so much different dishes on offer I wonder how the kitchen staff cope!
We go for the Peking duck to share for starters. The duck is tasty and plentiful though the pancakes are a little sticky. It comes with a tasty hoisin sauce. We all get 3 pancakes (there are 5 of us at the table.)
For mains I got a little different, I order prawns with a cold Asian salad/kerabu and noodles. We all order noodles and rice with our mains which proves to be too much, we only need a couple to share. The prawns are big and come wrapped in batter. The food is very good.
The bill for 5 including one bottle of wine comes to €180. Although nice, there is nothing incredibly special about the food; it’s good, solid and a great choice if your a fan of Asian, but overall a little on the expensive side in comparison to other restaurants. Still a recommendation if you’re ever in the Santry area.
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Bon Appetit BrasseriePosted on 15 June 2011
We went to Bon Apetit for brunch along with a City Deal voucher we had gotten; 2 mains and tea and coffee worth up to €84. We dressed up to make a day of it.
Just to note, there are 3 sections to the restaurant; Le Bon Vin, which is tapas, la brassaire which is casual dining and la restaurant, which is formal dining. The chef has one michelin star.
Bon Apetit is housed in an old Georgian abode, I ordered risotto for starters, my lovely girlfriend ordered asparagus with hazlenuts, quail eggs and black truffle. I looked amazing, the presentation was lovely. We also got a choice of breads (bacon bread being a winner!!) and my risotto was plentiful and absolutely delicious.
I got a lovely glass of wine to go with my tenderloin of beef (I've never had wine for breakfast before!) which was divine, with beautiful with pomme puree and onion chutney, she got the sea bass. My beef was, as I said, beautiful as was the pomme puree, the chutney, I wasn't so hot about. I'm usually not a fan of sea bass but her sea bass was divine without a strong fishy taste.
It was washed down with possibly the most beautiful cup of coffee I've tasted, and her tea came in a fancy silk made teabag.
I left with a full belly and very happy
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Wrights Findlater HowthPosted on 08 June 2011
We got a City deal for Findlaters; two mains with sides and two glasses of wine up to the amount of €74.
So we were really looking forward to a nice day out in Howth. Findlaters is easy enough to find; on the main st of Howth, quite a large building. We entered a beautiful ground floor bar/eating area and I was a little disappointed when we were told we had to go to the restaurant section upstairs for the city deal meal.
The upstairs restaurant section was nice also, a real coast/harbour town feel and look to it. I noticed little lanterns on the staircase on the way up (there is also a lift!) which I thought would be really lovely looking lit up at nighttime.
The staff of the restaurant were all in casual clothes and denim which added to the feel of a harbour/good fish restaurant.
We both ordered the same meal, the surf and turf, one with string beans and carrots, the other with mushrooms and onions. We had two glasses of white, I think it was chardonnay, which while not rocking the world, was pleasant.
The service was lovely, our waitress was friendly and pleasant. Our meal however was a little disappointing; a rump steak with 5 prawns over it, some pepper sauce which was nice and the sides were good. I had only eaten a bagel all day and was looking forward to a hearty meal. The steak was ok; nothing wonderful and the size of the shrimp was disappointing. I was left hungry.
We did get tea/coffee and desserts. I got a apple crumble with ice-cream which was nice but the crumble came in a jam jar which was difficult to get it out and mix with the ice-cream.
I have to say I did feel a little bit of "put the city deal people in the corner" which I didn't appreciate and I would hope the portions would be bigger if you paid full price. Even still, the point of the city deal or any deals restaurants offer is surely not to show off how good your restaurant is so you will come back and bring others??
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Wongs of ClontarfPosted on 08 June 2011
We went here for a family night out. There's something about Wongs I do like. You enter you feel if you haven't dressed up, you probably should have. The interior is cool, very dark, gangsters with their dolls and mobs you can imagine in the little corner tables of the restaurant of hidden down the back.
The staff are incredibly pleasant, Wongs is the type of place your water glass is topped up every 5/10 mins, which can walk the fine line of good service or a little annoying. We decided on the 4 persons to share meal. We didn't leave hungry. The portions were very generous and plentiful.
The first starter was aromatic duck which was delicious; really crispy duck and beautiful thin pancakes. The 2nd starter arrived which was skewers of satay chicken, spare ribs, dumplings and spring rolls. All delicious, especially the ribs.
Mains were next; there was to share beef in black bean sauce, chicken, pork, sea-bass with fried veg and prawns in the most beautiful rich sweet and sour sauce. I'm not gone on sea-bass, I find it a very fishy tasting fish but the rest of the food was delicious. Desserts was a choice of banana fritter, which I had but am not a real fan of, and ice-cream. Tea and coffee was included.
I suppose I've no real reason to give Wongs only 3 stars; the food is really really delicious and the service and ambiance great. I suppose it might be the lack of originality; the food you can get in any Chinese restaurant albeit not as good. The meal for 4 was €35 not including wine, so it's a little price heavy. Maybe for those with bigger wallets...
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Milano (Clarion Quay)Posted on 17 April 2011
We entered the restaurant was quiet busy. We were brought to a little table on the corner wall at the back of the restaurant by what I assumed was the manager. I have to say I felt I had just gotten the worst table in the restaurant, along a thin noisy corridor-like area at the back of the restaurant where opposite were lots of bigger family tables. I’m usually not fussy but there was something going through my head I remember a sales coach teaching us in one of my previous jobs “Be good to yourself, get the better car, ask for a better table in a restaurant...” So I did a very unlike me thing and I asked could we be moved. The staff was very accommodating and this was no problem. Our order was taken and we were moved to a bigger table by the window (which was a little drafty and we had a very animated couple beside us but it was still better!)
The food is good comfort food. We had the dough balls with garlic butter for starters, I had a beautiful romana-style American Hot pizza for the main, my other half got herself the sweetly nutty pizza with goats’ cheese, mozzarella and walnuts covered in a forest floor of rocket. The pizzas were delicious and munched down. We had a delicious banoffi pie for dessert and tea. The bill only came to €46, for Dublin eating this is pretty good.
The layout of the restaurant is questionable, where we were moved to was nice but it was obvious the staff couldn’t really see us and it didn’t help we were very close to a loud and a little nutty couple (which is no one’s fault really) and our original table I really felt as we were only two we were shoved into a little corner to make way for the bigger familifamilies coming in. My better half did mention the ladies toilets were disgusting. I didn’t have the atmosphere that it had last time, the tables were full of noisy families and the staff though very good seemed a little rushed off their feet.
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Elephant & CastlePosted on 02 March 2011
Went to the Elephant & Castle at the start of the month to munch on what are regarded as the best chicken wings in the city. Elephant & Castle is always, always busy, which is a good sign of good food if you ask me. It was about midday and we had to wait 20 mins for a table. No worries, we had a stroll around Temple Bar and popped back. Elephant & Castle is a white building with wooden interior and there is a lively, fun, busy vibe created by the staff and eaters. The menu is generally burgers, BLT type sandwiches, wings, ribs and salads and they have a nice selection of soft drinks, including their own lemonade and a ginger beer.
We went for a starter portion of wings and ribs, I had one of their ginger beers. Both dishes were messy and plentiful. The wings are delicious, but don't know if they're the best in Dublin. They come in a spicy sauce and my partner likes barbecue. We didn't have any more food this time, but from previous visits all the food is plentiful and delicious. If you're looking for a fun spot albeit not spectacular food or are a fan of good wings around Elephant & Castle could be for you! Overall enjoyable!
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The Butcher GrillPosted on 26 February 2011
I had read a fantastic review of The Butcher Grill in the paper a couple of months ago and it sounded worth a try! All I can say is OMGOMGOMG!!! WOW!! Yum!!!!!!! This place rocks!!
Eating at The Butcher Grill is not just about getting dinner, it's an event! You enter through curtains into a tiny little square room and felt I had been transported into a 19th century apothecary shop. I was waiting for Holmes & Watson to walk in! The room is very small (so word of note, very difficult to get a table, this was my 2nd attempt, book well in advance, you will realise why when you see the size of the place) and covered with white tiles. It is also covered in a wine rack of white and red wines all of the same label, Bovine I, II & III. There are 3 house wines of each. Our table was dead in the middle, as the seats are all stools or on a height and the space is quite tight it may not suit elderly people or the claustrophobic type!
The menu is what you expect from a restaurant, this is meat country, no place for a vegetarian! The majority of the small menu is meat but there is one fish dish on the menu and one of the specials was a monk fish. The starter special was a scallop but we decided to share the ribs. They arrived on a wooden butchers block and were divine, the sauce on them was amazing and with plenty to share. For main I had the veal burger but the potato rosti with spinach and cep butter stole the show. It was one of the nicest thing I ever tasted. My beautiful lady had a roast duck breast with pickled chicory and duck leg pie, I especially loved the duck pie. We washed the meal down with a bottle of bovine I, which was a mild, sweet wine and was delicious. Dessert was a orange and vanilla pannacotta which is what I imagine heaven tastes like, really!!!! You didn't want to finish it, you just wanted to stay there forever!!!
I can't but recommend the Butcher Grill apart from the drawbacks I mentioned (not to veggies!!). The bill for two came in at close to €100 but it's not just the food your getting, the place
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Harrys Cafe BarPosted on 07 October 2010
I took my 3 housemates out to dinner in Harrys Cafe last night, I have only previously been there for breakfast, and after a chat with the owner thought I would come in and try the evening menu. They do a very good deal Tue-Sat evening for two, if you buy 2 starters you get one of your mains free.
The atmosphere is very comfortable, a real local, relaxed and familiar air about the location. We ordered the nachos, chicken wings and fish cakes for starters. The nachos were the first to arrive and looked as divine as they tasted. My chicken wings were good, a nice spicy sauce covered them and an ample side of blue cheese dip. I also got a bowl of water and extra napkins without asking (which is always a nice touch, wings are messy you know!).
For the mains 3 of us were too tempted by the char-grilled homemade beef burger with emmental and jalapeno relish, the other had the chicken. The burger was hearty and tasted gorgeous. The chips were skinny but plentiful. I had a glass of South African White to wash it all down and we were provided with plenty of water, again which we didn't need to ask for. Needless to say the service was pleasant, unfussy and prompt.
The quality of the food is only met by the price, 4 starters, 4 mains (we got two free as per the deal) and a glass of wine came to e60. You can't go wrong with that value. Needless to say I'll be returning to Harrys for more....
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Kinara RestaurantPosted on 10 June 2009
I very much enjoyed eating here. There was four in my party including myself. At the door you are greeted very warmly by a gentleman in a turbin which is a nice touch. The restaurant is quite small but to its advantage as it wafts of wonderful smells of different meals being served. The service is quite quick, you are quickly given water which is constantly refilled and popadoms to keep the hunger at bay. The majority of us having eaten here before went straight for the tikka masala which comes in wooden bowls with either pita bread or rice (or both if you wish). It's the best tikka masala I ever tasted. I would recommend the organic wines on the menu. One of my party was a little disappointed no veg came with the meal but I don't think traditional veg comes with a pakastani meal.
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ely winebarPosted on 10 June 2009
I have to say it wasn't brilliant, I went last Friday night for a meal before going to the Concert Hall. we skipped the starters, my colleague had the fish pie with mash which was a huge portion and looked fantastic while I had the pasta with chicken. I found the chicken pasta to be disappointing, a bit bland and not very filling but my colleagues meal was very enjoyable. We had the fudge cake and ice-cream for desert which was delicious and coffees. The service was a little slow even though the restaurant was quite quiet and also we were put up on the balcony after booking a table, my colleague was quite old and found the stairs a little difficult. We had to ask for the bill 3 times.
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Chez MaxPosted on 05 February 2008
I went here for my birthday over the weekend with 5 friends and we were all impressed. The decour is akin to a Parisian cafe, French music is playing, the waitress and the chef are French, it's like being transported to Paris for two hours. Even the menu resembles an old French newspaper.
I had the onion soup for starter which was gorgeous and there was plenty of it, my colleagues had the liver vol au vonts and salmon. The main I had the tomato tartlet which was excellent, my friends had the lamb shanks and the cod all which were excellent. Dessert topped off the night by the most delicious creme brulee I've ever tasted which ended up being shared around the table topped off with a coffee with chantilly cream.
For the quality of the food it wasn't too expensive aobut €230 between 6 including two bottles of wine. Highly recommended.
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Il PostoPosted on 28 November 2007
I have to say I really enjoyed this restaurant. I brought two friends of mine here and everything about it was wonderful. It's a little pricey but with the quality of the food and service provided it's worth it. We had steaks which were delicious and our waiter suggested a excellent wine accompaniment. Excellent starters and deserts. A good place to go to impress someone or treat yourself!
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Washerwomans HillPosted on 16 November 2007
Washerwoman's is a good spot if you have a family night/with someone who's doesn't do exotic food or need to go somewhere cheap and cheerful.
The food is typical, steak, pasta etc but the portions are huge and the price reasonable. The atmosphere is good with an old world style and the service is down to earth and friendly.
I can recommend the steak, veg and spuds were included in the cost of the meal the last time I was there
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The Cedar TreePosted on 16 November 2007
Fantastic restaurant, one of Dublins long established eateries. This is an exceptional spot if you are looking for something different. I tried everything Lebanese from the starters to the wine. The Lebanese coffee is strong but worth a go (it comes in a fancy copper pot) and the falafel for starter or main course is worth a shot. There's a fantastic dessert (can't remember its name, ice-cream in pastry) which tops off the whole meal. Reasonably priced and the staff are extremely friendly and accomodating. All in all a great dining experience
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