Floaty boat
Five minutes from St Stephen’s Green, between Baggot and Leeson Streets, sits La Peniche, the only cruising restaurant in Dublin. (The MV Cill Airne, docked near North Wall Quay, floats but doesn’t sail. Geddit?) It offers a unique dining experience, al fresco, alongside the tree-lined Grand Canal – or below deck in the wood-panelled dining room should it rain. While this charming little barge could have rested on its quirky laurels, it instead delivers on all three counts: Price. Personality. Piquancy. Board for lunch at midday and choose from a small but salivating menu of Mediterranean and Irish delights, with main courses all around the €10 mark. Salade Niçoise for us; Beef and Guinness stew for our out-of-town visitors. The portions are deceptively large so be sure to leave room for dessert. Meringue with strawberries, chocolate brownies (both €4.95) – Sally made less noise with Harry than we did licking our plates clean.
There are two evening sailings (at 6pm and 9pm) which cost €45 for three courses or €37.50 for two, with a €10 cruise surcharge. La Peniche’s owners tell us some big changes are in the offing – in the next few months the barge will get a complete refurbishment, and the menu will be updated. We look forward to our next sail...
Grand Canal, Mespil Road, Dublin 2. 087 790 0077. www.lapeniche.ie
Haven't eaten here yet. By review given sounds like it may be worth a try. I firmly believe we do not use the beautiful waterways in and around Dublin half enough especially when it comes to dining. I'm waiting to be able to recommend a must go restaurant to the several hundred guests we come into contact with each week at Almara Accommodations Dublin.
Posted by: Brian Whelan | February 28, 2008 at 01:04 PM