Lets go Gastro!

I know I've written about Gastropub but I want to say to you all again, what a gem! It really is a little secret and that is down to the name. It lets the place down. The word "Gastropub" evokes for me images of fat football supporters wolfing down pie and chips in between slugs of local beer, it certainly doesn't tempt the more discerning customer or an Irish family out for dinner. I don't think I'm alone, since when I have mentioned it to anyone I always get the same response "Oh yeh, the old port view, nah I haven't tried it...".

Its probably a remnant disgust from the old port view days, it was a grotty little hotel where you only went if you fancied half cold lasagne served with the chefs fingernail or 'whose hair is this' soup. So the Gastropub has inherited that mass swerve of passing public heading for the Metals where the nice new restaurants are!

Anyway myself and himself ran in there one night after getting irritated by a snotty maitre d' in a local restaurant and I had one of the nicest salads of my life, it was with squid and was so good I asked for the chef, something I have never done before or since! We've become regulars and it never fails, the menu is updated often, the food is modern and different and always always leaves you nicely full but wishing there was just one more spoon! They do a fantastic Sunday lunch offer, with a roast chicken and veg for 4 adults for 35 euro. Where would you find it?

Tonight we went for the Early Bird menu, 3 courses for only twenty quid! I had pate, followed by Lambs liver. The pate was lovely, although the tomato bread served with it was long toasted, cold and practically inedible. The lambs liver, served with black pudding, was divine. Bill and Mary had burgers, I tasted both and they were superb.

As with our last visit, it was the dessert that once again had me wishing for another spoon - we had sticky toffee pudding and it was unbelievably good. A perfect portion, just enough sauce and icecream along side. All of us were licking our lips and talking about the next visit - hoping they'd still have that on the menu.

The staff as always were friendly, if not a little run off their feet and forgetful, but welcoming and apologetic when they had to be asked twice.

Overall Gastropub is one of the best family restaurants in Dublin, if not the best.