Monthly Archive for February, 2011

Gambienis (Careys Lane Cork)

Published on February 24, 2011 in Restaurant Reviews. 0 Comments

I’ve been to Gambienis on a number of occassions and i am a big fan of one particular dish that is served there.  Pollo Bruchettas is a chicken dish served with onions and mushrooms and covered in a bar-b-que type sauce.  It is generally delicious an served with choice of fries potatoes or rice.  There is a fault however.  The food can be relatively inconsistent.  I dont mean that it is good and bad because to be fair it is always good.  It can, however be slighly different each time depending on the chef (who incidentally cook in full view of the restaurant).  Some of the dishes will have more food one day so this can be slightly off putting.  Gambienis is an Italian restaurant and does the traditional Italian dishes well.  The Lasagne and bolognese are tasty and the lunch menu is quality and reasonably priced.  The full menu is in my opinion slightly expensive due to the inconsistencies in the dishes.  Kids are catered for very well by the staff and are provided with the usual distractions such as colouring books that are a godsend when the stress levels rise for the parents. The restaurant does a busy trade in the evenings and is well worth a visit for an evening out.  The place is very clean as are the toilets which happen to be at the extreme top of the building and so offer mandatory exercise for anyone needing to use them.  On the bright side, this exercise reduces the guilt felt by the customer when they tuck into one of the delicious desserts…. Overall Gambienis is a well established well run restaurant that know how to produce quality food.  Some consistency could be attained to make it even better.

Cleanliness. 9/10

Value 8/10

Staff. 8/10

Food. 8.5/10

Family friendly. 8/10

Florry Batts (F.B O Sullivan)

Published on February 19, 2011 in Kerry. 0 Comments

The last pub that we visited in Kenmare on Fos’s stag was Florry Batts. We had just come from Crowleys bar down the road. The bar is on your right on the way in and there is another area down the back with a pool table and an open fire. We all stayed down in this section for our drink. The bar staff here were pleasant and the pint of Guinness was good it has to be said. There was a good atmosphere in this pub.

The toilets were out the back and were fine when i checked then. Kenmare has some good pubs to offer their locals and visitors alike.

Toilet rating: 7/10
Pint rating: 7/10
Overall rating: 7/10

Final comment: Florry Batts is a pub worth popping into for a pint.

Oscars bar

Published on February 18, 2011 in Cork and hotel. 0 Comments

We headed down to Clonakilty recently for a family night away. I had heard very good things about the quality hotel in Clon. To be very honest about it all were true. We stayed for one night and couldn’t fault the whole set up there. We have a little girl and were looking for a child friendly hotel and we weren’t disappointed on that front. Facilities for kids are first class and you can sit back and relax while they are entertained.

Oscars bar was very busy on the saturday night that we were there. It is a big pub with plenty seating areas available. They serve pub grub and there was a lot of people eating there. The bar staff were very efficient and i wasn’t waiting long to be served. The pints of Murphys were very good, i couldn’t fault them. We didn’t stay in the bar area for the night but instead chose to sit out in the lobby where the reception is located. In fact all parents of the smaller kids were sitting here. It was great that they could run around and have fun and have the space and tolerance of staff and other guests to do it. The toilets were well maintained when i saw them and they are just before you enter the restaurant area. We are heading back to this hotel at the end of the month and i’m really looking forward to it.

Toilet rating: 7/10
Pint rating: 7/10
Overall rating: 7/10

Final comment: This hotel is certainly one to consider if you have kids of any age. I enjoyed my overall experience here and Oscars bar is worth a visit.

Man Fridays (Kinsale)

Published on February 15, 2011 in Restaurant Reviews. 0 Comments

Had been here on a few occasions over the years and decided to pay a visit last Sunday night. The thing about Man Fridays is that it is consistent. It is consistently good. I had a Fillet Steak with Bearnaise sauce and it was cooked to perfection and my wife had Turbot which was also cooked perfectly. I had a chicken salad for starter which also had pine nuts, grapes and strawberries in it. Who would have thought that it was a winning combination. I have to say that the place is quite expensive and i dont know if the prices can be justified based on the name the place has. Very little has changed since i first took my wife (then girlfriend) on our first real night out back in 2001. Consistency yes, unchanging yes. It is probably inadvisable to change a winning formula but having been there over a ten year period and seen little changes i have to say i would be slow to go back again. The food is also quite expensive and my wife remarked that it was unusual to see fish on a menu that was more expensive than the steak for the most part.
Overall this is a lovely place for a romantic evening in beautiful Kinsale. There is a good value early bird menu also but for those who have been there and may be hoping for an updated experience then they may be disappointed.
Cleanliness 9/10
Staff 9/10
Value 6/10
Family friendly N/A
Food 8/10
Overall a classy restaurant that lives on its reputation and is consistently good. Average size portions and friendly helpful staff.

PF Mc Carthy’s

Published on February 9, 2011 in Kerry. 0 Comments

After our disappointing trip to O Murchus bar we continued down the street when we came to PF Mc Carthys. This pub had been recommended to us by locals we were talking to earlier in the day. It was buzzing when we walked in and got the drinks in. Live music was just about to start as we went in and we stayed here for a few pints. The pints of Guinness were good here and went down well. I found this bar to be extremely enjoyable.

The toilets are located down the back of the pub. They were in good condition and well maintained to be fair. I didn’t go out but i think there is a smoking area out the back. This is a very decent pub with efficient bar staff and is most certainly worth a visit.

Toilet rating: 7.5/10
Pint rating: 8/10
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Final comment: This pub is certainly one of Kenmare’s hot spots and i’d head in there again.

Ship Ahoy (Crosshaven)

Published on February 5, 2011 in Restaurant Reviews. 0 Comments

Have been to this restaurant three or four times since it opened last year most recently last saturday.   This restaurant claims to be a family restaurant and im glad to report that it most certainly is this.  Kids are looked after with colouring books and crayons provided by the friendly staff and the lunch menu is reasonably priced.  Kids menu is approx €7 per meal but there is plenty of it and indeed i believe the pizza is made from scratch.  Ive had the steak sandwich from the lunch menu and it was cooked as requested with a generous side of chips and mushrooms and onions and certainly was worth the money.  The evening menu is varied and again top quality and fresh ingredients are again used well.  The restaurant is very spacious and minimally decorated but the decorations that are there are steeped in history. Unusually the restaurant does not seem to have a licence to serve alcohol and so allow customers bring their own wine etc.  This restaurant is absolutely suitable for families during the day and will most certainly do the job if a romantic meal is called for in the evening.

Cleanliness. 10/10 

Value.   8/10

Staff. 8/10

Family friendly.  8/10

Food.  8/10

ps. These reviews are my personal opinions and formed from my own experiences having dined at these restaurants.  I have no affiliation or business/personal interest in any food related business…

Captain Americas (South Main Street Cork)

Published on February 5, 2011 in Restaurant Reviews. 0 Comments

Gourmet fine dining this is not.  Top quality food,  great staff and value for money this is…….. An American diner in South Main Street… i have been here three or four times twice with a gaggle of kids and twice with a group of friends (worse than kids). 

firstly family experience… The moment we sat down with 3 kids ranging in age from 4 to 1 the waiting staff were outstanding.  it is truly a pleasure to be looked after by staff that actually like their job and want to be there..  Crayons and paper for kids, Pint of beer for dad (so when the kids kick off and disturb the restaurant he doesnt really mind) soft drink for wife (driver) and a menu that includes main course drink and dessert for kids for around €5.  When the kids did kick off the place was buzzing so much no one heard or cared and the waitress amused kids in her spare few seconds.  Adults food was good quality with plenty of it and served without undue delay.  The only negative thng i could say was that the toilets were not being kept as they should have been and unfortunately this is a situation i had noticed on previous visits.

This is also a great location for a night out with friends but i definitely wouldnt recommend it as a location for a romantic first date (that is if you want a second date).  Again the staff were friendly efficient helpful and the food was cooked well and you can see the chefs in the kitchen working away.. The decor is on the lines of Planet Hollywood with movie memorabilia etc.  There are tables in rows like traditional diners and then you have the cubicles that allow intimate cosy settings for chatting and eating and the fact they serve beer and cocktails adds to the night out if you fancy that kind of thing…

Overall Captain Americas is what it sounds and that is an unpretentious American themed diner with top quality food service and atmosphere.

Cleanliness 7/10 (opinion formed solely on condition of toilets which is unfortunate)

Value 9/10 (especially with kids)

Food 8/10

Staff 10/10