Corinna Dunne

If you ever pop across the water to Dublin, the Elephant & Castle in Temple Bar is renowned for its Buffalo wings.

I would not recommend Fitzers at all. I was there about 5 months ago and I was shocked at how lazy, uninspired and sloppy their food has become. This is a restaurant that is definitely past its sell by date. Regarding Shanahans, this is much more than a steak house. Only venture here if you have very deep pockets indeed. It is one of the most expensive restaurants in Dublin. There is some great meat in Ireland and Shanahans certainly has it, and cooks it wonderfully. Personally, when I'm paying a lot of money for a meal, I prefer it to be more than a simple sourcing/cooking excercise. If you are interested in upscale restaurants, I've posted some short reviews on the 'Help Ireland' thread. Elephant & Castle in Temple Bar is great for casual dining. They only take reservations for large numbers, so drop in and get your name on the list if you want a table. Then all you have to do is pop across the road to the pub, and one of the staff will come over to tell you when your table is ready. We call it 'an Irish solution to an Irish problem'! The buffalo chicken wings are legendary and a simply must have. This is also a great spot for brunch at the weekend with plenty of newspapers to browse through as you tenderly nurse your well earned hangover. Also good for brunch are The Mermaid and Odessa.

← "Gastronomy of Italy" by Anna Del Conte (Pavilion Books Limited, London) may be of interest. It is broken into a number of sections: The development of Italian gastronomy The regions of Italy Recipes A - Z of Ingredients Terms and Techniques Italian wine It's a bit of a tome, but a wonderful book. I am also a big Marcella fan.

Also, if I remember correctly, there are 2 places called Liphook in Hampshire. It's the one near Petersfield (the other one is a little hamlet further down).

I think I know the Japanese restaurant you're talking about. It's actually on a golf course, and I can't remember the name of it at the moment. I was there a few times... but 5 years ago! I remember the sushi being good and they also had my favourite thing: shabu shabu.

Here's the local scoop on high end restaurants in Dublin: Chapter One (+ 353 1 873 2255), my top choice. This wonderful restaurant doesn't have a star, but that doesn't stop it being booked up for weeks in advance. This is contemporary Irish cooking at its best, with wonderfully sourced ingredients. I was there about 2 months ago, and cannot remember exactly what I had, apart from their charcuterie starter (served from a trolley)... which in itself is reason enough to go there. There was also a wonderful trio of creme brule. which was delicious, light and restrained. The front of house team are great and this is a genuinely welcoming, unstuffy restaurant. A lesser known fact is that Chapter One also does an extremely reasonable fixed price pre-theatre menu which is limited to 3 or 4 choices per course. There is a charming little theatre, The Gate, nearby and a member of staff will even collect your tickets for you from the box office while you dine. This earlier sitting is managed wonderfully and you don't get the sense that you are being rushed. L'Ecrivain (+353 1 661 1919), is another good restaurant excelling in contemporary Irish cooking, but a little bit more expensive. Thornton's (+353 1 478 7008) and Guilbaud's (+353 1 676 4192) are the most expensive, and while I haven't been at either of them for some time, I think it is fair to say that their influences have more of a French slant and they are definitely more formal. As far as I know, Guilbaud's still does a reasonable lunch menu from Tues - Fri, which might be worth checking out, but expect plently of business people. Thornton's is cheaper at lunch too as far as I remember. The Tea Room (+353 1 407 0800), in the Clarence Hotel (owned by Bono and Edge of U2) is probably the nicest upscale restautant for a reasonably priced lunch As it is in Temple Bar, away from the main business hub, it tends to attract fewer business people than many of the others. It is an utterly beautiful room, so try your luck and ask for a table by the window when you are booking (although I think they might be all for 4 people). It's worth noting that this is the only upscale restaurant open on a Monday night. I was last there about 10 months ago for dinner and I had a mixed experience. We had the tasting menu, which started out well and from what I recall, ended with a bit of a whimper. We also gave the sommelier free rein to select for us. I thought I had given him a reasonable indication of our price range (more Chablis than Chassagne Montrachet), but we ended up running up a wine bill of about Euro 160 (some great wines by the glass though). Frere Jacques (+353 1 679 4555), whilst more towards the middle end of the scale, is a big favourite of mine. It is the only typical old school French restaurant in Dublin and offers great value on its fixed price dinner menu (Euro 35 plus 15% service) although I invariably go a la carte. The fish is excellent, (which isn't as usual as you'd expect in Dublin) and you can select your own lobster from the tank. They also have a truly great cheese board - mainly French and Irish cheeses - and they are extremely generous with the amount they serve. Of particular note is their well priced wine list, and you are in safe hands if you leave the selection to them. The Unicorn (+353 1 662 4757) is the place to go if you put atmosphere at the top of your list. This is the buzziest place in town. It's a good space, with tables outside when it's any way mild, but if you are directed to the smaller area to the left when it's very busy, beware, as this is pure Siberia. The food is Italian, a bit inconsistent in quality and relatively expensive for what it is. The wine list has got quite expensive too, if I remember correctly. Saturday lunch however is particularly good, with a great weekend atmosphere and delicious anti pasta. Two restaurants I haven't been to are Halo (+353 1 887 2421) which is mainly fusion (not my thing), and Mint (+353 1 497 8655) which is the first of the new gastronomy type restaurants in Dublin. I'm off to Barcelona soon, so intend to get a benchmark for this type of food before giving it a go.

A strong recommendation! Thanks Doc. I am going to try to change my booking to Abac. I couldn't find a wieb site, just a tel number (34 - 93 319 6600), so will try contacting them tomorrow (no reply tonight... Sunday!).

Hi Bux. I'm trying for a table in April too. I've just left my booking on their web site, (thanks to eGullet threads) but I don't have a tel or fax number. Could you possibly post them, as I'd like to cover off all angles if I don't get a reply to my email.

I'm looking for a 'new gastronomy', dare I say, El Bulli type experience (as I haven't had an opportunity to sample this type of food before). On this basis, would you select Albac over Alkimia?

Thanks, just been on that thread. I could only find lunch prices for Can Roca and Can Fabes. Have you any info on San Pau, Hispania and Aligue?

I have read eGullet reviews on Rafa, could you please give me a little more detail on La Xiera, Hostel la Granota and El-Roser 2? And thanks for this great post on Can Roca.

Great, great posts. A virtual dining experience. Does anyone know the cost of the fixed price lunch at Can Fabes? I'd also be interested in the cost of lunch at El Celler de Can Roca, Sant Pau, Hispania and Aligue. Thanks in advance.

Gosh, that sounds pretty damning. Did you go on to Cinc Sentits for dessert because you were still hungry? Any other eGulleteers been to Alkimia recently?

Thanks Pedro. Great threads. Will report back on my return.

I made a booking at Alkimia yesterday, and nobody there spoke English. As I speak neither Catalan or Spanish, I had to make do with my very rusty French. Do they have an English menu? Has anyone eaten there recently?

Do not miss Can Bonay in Peratallada. Many other interesting places in the Empordà: Pedro will tell you, as he is sort of the 21st century spirit of Josep Pla, Do not miss either el Celler de Can Roca, ask Josep Roca to serve you a whole menu, paired with the convenient wines (and remind him to let you taste some fino or manzanilla sherries in it!: those are almost the only perfect spanish whites, ) Have a nice stay! ← Thanks Jesus. Could you please tell me a bit more about Can Bonay? I checked the site, but it is in Catalan. Which brings me to my next question... is language going to be a problem outside of Barcelona? I don't speak either Catalan or Spanish.. just very rusty French.

I'm visitiing Barceolona (first time) from 20 - 23 April, and thanks to the wonderful contributions on the Forum, have found all I need for that part of my holiday. I've booked Cal Pep, Botafumeiro and Alkimia, so I'm very excited about that mix of styles. Here's where I need help. I will be staying in a little farmhouse about 30 miles due north of Barcelona in Valles Oriental from 23 - 30 April. It appears that this is the 'back of beyonds', which is fine for the R & R we are seeking, but I'd really love some restaurant recommendations for lunch within say a 100 mile radius of our hideout... some very quirky, local, rustic type places, where we can really get a feel for the countryside. I have already taken note of the following (not necessarily rustic) destination restuarants and would welcome comments, new suggestions: El Cellar de Can Roca Le Santa Maria, Sitges Lluernari, San Quirico des Valles Espai.COCH at Can Fabes Aligue, Monserrat Gratallops, Irriductibles Sant Pau, Sant Pol Rafa and Snack Mar/Las Golondrinas in Roses I'd also appreciate some wine suggestions eg the perfect Spanish white for fish, grilled meat etc. PS: This is my first posting. I live in Ireland, so if you are visiting Dublin, I'd be happy to suggest some good spots.