Wined, dined and rested.

Finding myself in Dublin for a course, I took advantage of the little time I had on the last day before my flight home, and headed to the Temple Bar area of the city to explore the cobbled streets and find somewhere to eat.

Having walked down the main cobbled street in Temple Bar, in drizzle, avoiding the many, many pubs, and having explored the “book fair” halfway along (3 stalls manned by damp enthusiasts but surrounded only by Spanish schoolchildren more interested in chattering loudly about their bright green souvenirs than looking at books) I was pleased to find a tiny seafood restaurant on Parliament Street called the Fish Shack. It was simply decorated with a lot of wood everywhere, and also a tank with live lobsters by the door which is always a good sign for a fish restaurant.

You could choose your own lobster, then have it grilled and feast on it for just €6 per 100gm – I’m not a lobster connoisseur but that seems reasonable to me.
And oh, the drizzle stopped suddenly and bright sunshine poured in through the window at which I sat. I sat there basking in soft warm sunshine which had a definite Irish accent.  Was this a sign? I think it must have been……

The restaurant was obviously popular because even at 2.30pm there was a trickle of people coming in for food, and the waitresses were so smiley, friendly and helpful; it was a pleasure to be there, and others clearly thought the same.
I had a glass of their Sauvignon Blanc (average) but also ordered the fish of the day which was fried sole with chunky chips, with a side order of perfectly cooked green beans. The fish was absolutely delicious – golden on the outside and sweet, melt-in-the-mouth white fish on the inside.

Why is it so hard to find beautifully cooked fish in restaurants?  It shouldn’ t be, and we complain about it constantly because you can be in a lovely restaurant, having had a very tasty starter so you opt for the fish as your main course…..and then you find yourself with a mouthful of shredded cardboard, albeit bathed in a luxurious sauce, and you eat it because everything else is fine but you leave feeling just that little bit cheated.

On the bright side, it does mean that when you DO find the real thing there is a great feeling of having found something important, as I experienced here at the Fish Shack!

Yes, OK, it was glorified fish and chips but it was expertly executed. Great choice, and what a wonderful place to have found in my last hours in Dublin.
I later checked reviews of the restaurant, and it regularly receives full stars, knives/forks or blobs, which does not surprise me at all.
As I headed back to the airport (via the Aircoach – what a wonderful institution) I felt I had indeed made use of the little free time I had in this interesting city. On my return visit I want to have more time to explore and I will find my way to some of the little fishing areas not far from Dublin. This was a great ‘taster experience’, one day I will return.  Thank you Dublin, or should I say “gracias” (see my previous post about Dublin).