EATING OUT IN JANUARY

1. Keeleys, The old Airport Road

Location: Grand location, but you would need a car to get it. It is on the side of a main road.

Atmosphere: The atmosphere is lovely in this pub. We went on new years day so it was extremely busy. The downstairs is much nicer than where we sat upstairs but it was nice.

Staff: Keelys was very under staffed on new years day as you can imagine there was lots of sore heads ringing in sick that day. So we gave them the benefit of the doubt for not being quite as quick as we would want them too. However, they were all very nice.

Food: I ordered the roast beef dinner which came with veg, mash, roasties and gravy. Unfortunately it did come out cold so we had to send it back but, once it was hot the food was delicious.

2. The Pidgeon House, Clontarf

Location: The location of the pidgeon house is beautiful. It is just off the coast road which makes it a perfect location for lunch or brunch. There is a gorgeous area where you can sit outside and they have heaters looking out on to the street.

Atmosphere: The

atmosphere as very busy, but it was all very casual which I really enjoyed. Some people were there for lunch, others there for drinks and some just there for coffee and cake. It is a café with a restaurant feel to it.

Staff: The place was extremely busy and the staff were up to there eyes, but they were all lovely. They apologised for the delay with drinks, and even took them off the bill at the end even though we hadnt complained.

Food: I got smashed avocado with coriander and lime on toast with a poached egg. It was so delicious and the flavour was immense. Perfect for something light to have and plenty of room for dessert after.

We then ordered scones, which came out with freshly whipped cream, home made jam and butter. They were extremely fresh and to die for. I will definitely be going back here when I get a chance. DELISH

3. Moloughneys, Clontarf

Location: This restaurant is situated right beside the pigeon house in clontarf just at

the sea front. So it is an gorgeous location for all the same reasons the pigeon house is.

Atmosphere: I went here for lunch with my mam and sister on a Friday afternoon. The atmosphere downstairs in the restaurant was lovely. It was busy but not hectic and everyone seemed to be happy to be there. It is quite a casual feel to it, but a little bit higher class than a café. It was a misture between café/restaurant/coffee shop and pub - if that makes sense. However, they had no seats available downstairs, so we took a seat upstairs. We were the only ones there so the atmosphere died a little bit but the decor was just as nice.

Staff: As we were the only people sitting upstairs in seemed the staff kind of forgot about us, which is understandable as it was so busy downstairs. However, they were all very nice, and did not come over to the table without a smile.

Food: We went for lunch - but I got more of a dinner dish because I was STARVING. I got Chicken kiev with bacon and sweet potatoe fries. It was literally the best chicken kiev I have ever had and as for the sweet potatoe fries ... Well I would go back there just for them.

4. The Waterside Hotel, Donabate

Location: This hotel is located right on donabate beach. Obviously with it being January we had to sit inside, but in the summer it has a lovely beer garden which looks out on to the sea.

Atmosphere: To be honest this hotel is so quiet. There was literally no atmosphere in the place. I went on a Sunday night and there was a couple of families there and they had music on but it just seemed a bit dead. It was okay to head for something quick to eat, because it is only down the road from where I live, but I wouldn't have stayed all night.

Staff: The lady serving us was extremely nice. However, when I first got the restaurant I took a seat and after 10 minutes no one came over to us. I had to go to the bar and tell them we were there. However, once I told them, they were straight over.

Food: I ordered the prawn thai green curry. It was filled with lots of veg and a good few prawns which is rare for a prawn dish. The flavour was nice but it was way to spicy. Also I was starving and didn't think there was enough rice at first, but there was so much sauce and veg that it made up for it.

(Paddy ordered Sea Bass and it looked amazing and he said it as delish, so I wouldn't write this restaurant off altogether. I would go back again. However, if it was far away then maybe not)

Mulinos, Raheny

Location: This hotel is in a bit of a random location. It is beside a row of houses and across the road from a garda station, but it was close to where I originally wanted to go (which ended up being closed) so I didn't mind.

Atmosphere: It was a Saturday afternoon, so I was surprised to see that it was quit empty. However, when we walked in, it was warm and cosy which is what we wanted because it was freezing out.

Staff: The staff were so nice. We did not need to call them once. They came over and asked how things were just enough times. ( There is nothing worse than being in a restaurant and they come over to you 20 times while you have a big mouth full of food) There was 6 of us there so they were very fast for a group that size.

Food: I had the soup which was a vegetable soup. However, it has something added to it which I could not pin point and it was just so nice. It came served with fresh brown bread, but I didn't eat it because I wanted to be able to eat the mains. 10/10 for the soup.

For the main I got steak and chips. I got my steak done Medium. It did come out a little bit over cooked but it was still really nice. It wouldn't be the best steak I had but I did enjoy it. The chips had sea salt and rosemary on them and they were delish but I just could not fit them in.