Offering a broad selection of our excellent local fish and shellfish, Padraig McLaughlin’s bright and cheerful seafood diner is a welcome addition to Dublin’s growing choice of contemporary eating places.
With their no-bookings policy (except for five or more), they are pitching themselves more at the spontaneous diner than as a planned night out – and should you find yourself in the mood for some meaty crab claws, a Nicoise salad with chargrilled tuna fillet or cod in a Carraig Pale Ale batter with handcut chips and house tartare, it’s a fine option. You can even grab your food to go – and should you find yourself outside Kehoes (across the street) with a creamy pint of Guinness on a sunny evening, the prospect of tempura battered scampi or a fish burger in brioche must be very tempting indeed.
Those who do choose to eat in however have a choice of seating. For prime people watching, a stool inside the large front window makes a great solo perch while the enclosed terrace (complete with flaming brazier at nighttime) allows you to watch South Anne Street life go by. Inside the dining room is nicely broken up with a choice of hightop tables or banquette-side tables.
The seaside blue and white decor channels a relaxed New England vibe with shack-style wood-panelled walls, porthole windows and wall fans adding to the nautical diner theme.
Bar three ‘sea-free’ options (including a beef and Guinness pie) it’s all about seafood here and it’s refreshing to have such a range of fish on offer – even if offering such a broad selection of menu regulars might present challenges on keeping it all as spanking fresh as a seafood restaurant should always be. As well as daily specials, the main menu features the likes of oven-baked Atlantic mackerel fillets with lemon butter, plaice fillets pan-fried with a shrimp and mussel dressing or herb-crusted hake with salsa verde. There are nice touches such as some decent deep-fried whitebait served as a complimentary snack, and plenty of real highlights such as those glorious Dingle Bay crab claws
in a gorgeous garlic and harissa emulsion.
Like the food offering in general, the wine choices focus more on value and accessibility than on offering excitement or real adventure, with lots of easy drinking options from Italy and the Languedoc. Another nice touch is their interesting selection of five Brew 22 craft beers brewed especially for them. With a Pilsner, US Pale Ale, Black IPA,
Amber Ale and Pale Ale on offer, the range should keep most beer fans busy and with more to come back and try the next time too.
What the service sometimes lacks in training it makes up for in friendliness, and there’s a sense of a hard-working team who really want to get things right and hang in for the long haul. Here’s hoping they’re here to stay and that relaxed little seafood eateries like this become an enduring part of our gastronomic landscape.
