Drogheda Restaurant Reviews

enricoh

Tried the thatch last weekend. Burger was tasty but small and chips we're scarce in a small bucket thing. Missus had a curry but wasn't into it.
Nice decor and attentive staff, but I'm more into the grub than the ambience!

furiousox

Been to a few favourites recently, quick summaries below.

1) Ming Garden - First time here in about 20 years, enjoyed it!
Mrs Ox thought the meat in the beef and black bean sauce was very nice and tender compared to the beef in Woks Cooking which can be quite tough sometimes.
I had a duck dish which was...fine.
An enjoyable and pleasant meal with nice ambience and decor, will drop in again over Christmas.

2) Simona's - One of our favourites, never disappoints.
Homemade diavolo pizza slices and fries, delicious!
Always great food and lovely staff.
Only drawback is it's very noisy when busy, but we're used to it at this stage.

3) D'Vine - Again, one of our favourites.
We always go Saturday lunchtime which gives great value.
Starters, tapas, wine, and the ridiculous steak/frites (a sensational rib-eye steak and chips for 12 quid!) Love it!

4) Punjabi House - Always enjoy our meals here.
BYOB, lovely staff and amazing food.
A treat we try to reward ourselves with at least once a month.

Hope to try Tribe in Duleek soon, never been but very curious to see what it's like.

P.S. I enjoy reading and contributing to this thread, keep the reviews coming and happy christmas!

IvoryTower

Had the steak sandwich in dvine recently it was very good. Its a quiet place for lunch, I guess most people see it as an evening place to go. Everywhere will be packed for lunch over the next week so would be useful to keep in mind.

barney shamrock

Sometimes steak frites isn't on the lunchtime menu but if you ask for it they'll do it for you.

CheerLouth

Anyone tried the new French place in Termonfeckin yet? The World Gate I think it's called?

andrew1977

Myself and the other half were out shopping last night in Scotch hall and wandered into The Hops bar part of the D hotel for some food.

We each had a portion of chicken wings, spicy and BBQ, they were delicious, the small portion had plenty of wings in it and plenty of meat on them too.

Main courses we had a burger each, the new Yorker burger with chips, very large burger and tasty, meat of the burger slightly charred taste too much.

Place wasn't overly busy and they run a sunday - Thursday special of buy 1 get one free on burgers/wings/pizza etc.

The total bill came to 43 euro for 4 pints of Heineken, 2 portions of wings and 2 burgers , cant fault that for the feed we got.

Only downside was that the service was slow and they didn't take away our empty plates after finished our mains, had to move them myself to the next table.

Chelle_C

macadam wrote: »

I cannot believe this about the tiramisu in La Pizzeria. I visit here frequently and always end with the tiramisu when its available as it sells out each and every night, its rich creamy, made fresh each day and its top class I have tried it in other restaurants here and on the continent and none compare to the one in La Pizzeria Clogherhead.

I must have just been unlucky and got a bad one.
Tiramisu is my favourite dessert but honestly, it was so bland the other night that the Tesco own brand wouldn’t have been nicer!
I’ll try it again next time I’m in, to be sure.

Chelle_C

CheerLouth wrote: »

Anyone tried the new French place in Termonfeckin yet? The World Gate I think it's called?

I haven’t tried it myself but a friend ate there this week and said it was wonderful.
She is Italian and said the pasta was excellent.

Another of my friends is French and also rated it highly.

furiousox

Looks interesting!

http://theworldgaterestaurant.com/our-menu

whippet

furiousox wrote: »

Looks interesting!

http://theworldgaterestaurant.com/our-menu

that place is only up the road from me - so will probably check it out over the holidays - however .. this quote from the press release has me a little cynical

The proprietors are two French men, Stan and Thomas, who are both very ambitious and have their sights set on achieving a Michelin star. At least one!

As far as I am concerned if they are focused on a star rather than building a business it will not be good !

it is in a strange location - even the coffee shop that was there didn't do great.

Hoboo

Did Sorrentos last night for a quick pizza. Fake ham/turkey bits, absolute muck. I'd prefer to pay an extra fiver to get fresh meat. How is that place so popular, I suppose ignorance is bliss.

Scotty #

everlast75 wrote: »

Oh Yeah Burger.

90% empty.

Took over 25 mins to make a burger. Won't be back.

Have to agree. Was there one evening last week when the place was quiet empty and waited almost 30 mins for our food. The food was nice and the portions quite big but 30 mins was just too long!

CheerLouth

We went to D'vine on the 23rd because someone on here said it would be quiet. Boy, were you right! Dead is the word I would use. The whole town was bustling and there was no one in D'vine. I actually thought they were closed when I went in first. Food was lovely and they were kid friendly but I found the service lacking. We had a pram with us & I went in first to see if they were open & asked could we use the lift to bring the pram down & was told it was broken & they didn't offer to help bring the pram down. Then, when we finally got in, he left us waiting for ages before taking the order, forgot to bring our drinks etc & it was a good long wait for the food to come too - which I understand assuming they are making it fresh but it was super long and we were the only people in the place. I could actually hear the kitchen dinging the bell but the waiter wasn't going in to pick it up.

Anyway, we enjoyed the food but I think if it was my restaurant, I'd have been wondering where we were going wrong if on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, there was no one in the place for lunch. I'd have had someone with a sandwich board walking up and down the town centre I think.

whelan2

Parents went to donegans last night. There was an hour wait for a table so they left and went to the valley inn

gipi

whelan2 wrote: »

Parents went to donegans last night. There was an hour wait for a table so they left and went to the valley inn

The Valley Inn is our go-to place these days. Great food, good value and friendly staff. Never had to wait longer than a couple of minutes for a table either.

PGE1970

+1 for the Valley Inn.

Great food and good value on the all day "Early Bird".

furiousox

I don't think you can reserve a table in Donegans, is it walk-ins only?
Can go against them when they're busy though, nobody is going to wait an hour for a table.

borderlinemeath

furiousox wrote: »

I don't think you can reserve a table in Donegans, is it walk-ins only?
Can go against them when they're busy though, nobody is going to wait an hour for a table.

It really turns me off the place, I got a voucher as a present and only because of it we stayed waiting for a table. First time was a disaster, about 45mins wait for a table, second time, maybe 30 mins. I still have about €25 left on the voucher and I'm not in any hurry to use it.

Was in the Lime Kiln yesterday for lunch, had the chicken wings to share as a starter and a surf and turf burger, both lovely, just pity I hadn't any room left for dessert. One small bug bear I have is that I find the menu layout too "busy". It's a single page but it's all over the place and every corner of the page is filled with a different food type.

CheerLouth

Went to Scholar's last Friday night for dinner - bar was stuffed, restaurant not so much but the food was beautiful! I had duck, it was amazing, flavour off it was unreal. Mr. CL had a steak which he said was delicious. He had a chocolate dessert too which was really lovely! Couldn't fault it, hadn't been in the restaurant in years but it was such a treat. Staff were lovely too, nothing too rushed and not too slow either, we had enough time to enjoy everything.

WindmillWarrior

We were in Kings on stockwell Street over the Xmas, the food in there is really really good. Best veggie burger I've ever had.
Same goes for Nikko on trinity Street, savage food and service, even giving everyone in the place free starters! Happy Christmas!
Black bull for breakfast, unfortunately very poor.
West 29 - thought it was OK, some of it nice and some quite average
And borzalinos - also quite good, usual Italian fare, but done very very well

Think I need to go on a diet after all that!

whippet

CheerLouth wrote: »

Went to Scholar's last Friday night for dinner - bar was stuffed, restaurant not so much but the food was beautiful! I had duck, it was amazing, flavour off it was unreal. Mr. CL had a steak which he said was delicious. He had a chocolate dessert too which was really lovely! Couldn't fault it, hadn't been in the restaurant in years but it was such a treat. Staff were lovely too, nothing too rushed and not too slow either, we had enough time to enjoy everything.

I really like scholars - I like the old school feel of it and the food is always very good. Also when on a rare night out with the missus the bar is a comfortable place to enjoy some of the top shelf whiskeys

barney shamrock

Has anyone tried the World Gate yet or heard any reviews?

http://theworldgaterestaurant.com/

macadam

Great wee restaurant/Cafe. Most of the food is homemade a are the desserts. The meat pies are delish.

CheerLouth

Went to Sorrentos with the kids on Friday evening for a quick pizza. Was lovely. Was busy enough in it and we were seated and served fairly quickly. Kids demolished their pizza and were delighted looking out the window down on to the street. Can't fault it - cheap and cheerful

garrincha62

Was in Chicken Hut for the Early Bird on Saturday evening after a long day down town getting bits and bobs. Have to say it was worth it. Cheerful staff and the turnaround time from getting our order taken to receiving our food was second to none, bettered only in my opinion by Woodrows. I went for the battered chicken thigh with drumstick accompanied by machine cut chips, drizzled in malt vinegar and served in a recyclable cardboard box (reducing carbon footprint by not needing to wash a plate, which made me feel good) with optional salt. The taste was amazing and I knew half way through that I would go for an extra piece of chicken. The staff didn't mind and I had a plumpy battered breast in my fingers within a matter of minutes. I also asked for another portion of chips which was swiftly provided. I was slightly inconvenienced by having to pay upfront – I’m hardly going to do a runner for heaven’s sake. But my partner reasoned with me that when you buy a pint you pay for it up front and the same goes for rent, in fact sometimes you pay double up front! But I shouldn’t complain as they threw in two 7Ups to sweeten the deal!

My partner went for the gourmet cheeseburger with extra cheese and wilted lettuce. She said there was a satisfying crunch to the onions and no hidden surprises. She literally gobbled it down. Delish!

Though the menu is extensive, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of experimentation and the restaurant appears to have a minimalist vegetable policy in play. That said there are some chilis in the spice bags and burgers do come accompanied with onions and lettuce. Vegetarian options are catered for with the battered onion rings particularly noteworthy. I haven’t licked my fingers as much since I was a child. The food itself is flawless.

The only real gripe for me was the relative lack of seating and a frankly poor door policy. Firstly, I didn’t know whether to push or slide. Secondly, while I am all for equality, anyone is allowed in regardless of attire or social graces. The amount of times we were interrupted by people jostling us or bumping against us was ridiculous – excuse me, I am not at a concert! It’s a minor fault really but something I let the staff know about with a view to having a cordoned off area. The introduction of a continental like fee to determine where you stand/sit would soon settle this issue.

The restaurant itself is in a prime location with great street views, however this is not taken advantage of. The colour scheme of orange, blue and white just works, not too jarring on the eyes. It’s evident that careful consideration has been taken in choosing the right tones of blue and orange. Some tables outside would be a welcome addition to Peter Street. Yes the tables would need to be adjusted for slant, but it’s problems and solutions such as these that help generate employment and add to the community spirit which is rapidly dwindling around the town.
A recent culinary experience regaled to me by good friends got me thinking about how much potential there is in Chicken Hut.

A lot of restaurants are catering for the wholesome experience, whereby customers eat where the food is being prepared. There, you get the whole gamut of smells, yells and pressure that any good kitchen has in abundance. Friends of ours in Hong Kong were raving about this wee butchers/restaurant that only seats twelve people. You have to book a year in advance and even then it’s very selective. You choose your meat in advance and you are led through the process with the animal, from farm to plate via slaughterhouse.

The whole experience takes roughly 6 weeks (generally three pre-meal visits or ‘experiences’ with the animal (farm, slaughterhouse, cold storage). Our friends travelled to mainland China to visit the farm where the beef was being cultivated. This involved getting flights/visas etc. but a minor quibble really for the experience and the memories (they are keen instagramers). They actually stayed on the farm and fed the cow over the course of a weekend. Work commitments meant they couldn’t do the cold storage but they said the slaughterhouse was an immersive experience as they got to administer both the penultimate and ultimate bolt, ensuring as humane as possible an end to their cow. The total cost including flights came in at about €3,000. However, your cow is kept in cold storage at the butchers so essentially after the first visit you’re eating out for free (if you don’t need to pay for flights). I think a similar experience with Chicken Hut would take it to the next level. If they don’t do it, someone else in the town will.

Rating 4/5

enricoh

Good to see drogheda getting a bit of the aul fine dining on the go. A badly needed good news story!
Front of house are a bit surly and havent mastered English never mind drawda lingo just yet though.
Are they going to try push for a Michelin star- I think it's well within them!

IvoryTower

No mention of it's detox effect when it flushes your insides out the next day. 4.5

Scotty #

garrincha62 wrote: »

They actually stayed on the farm and fed the cow...

That's a load of bullocks!

DublinWriter

macadam wrote: »

Great wee restaurant/Cafe. Most of the food is homemade a are the desserts. The meat pies are delish.

Stockwell don't have the greatest hygiene rep...

https://www.thejournal.ie/fsai-closure-reports-2016-3279530-Mar2017/

https://www.joe.ie/news/these-6-irish-restaurants-have-received-closing-orders-by-the-fsai-533837

CheerLouth

Went to Donegan's last week on a rare kid-free night out. Can't say we were impressed but we fancied a change from the Valley - rookie mistake. It wasn't overly busy, went in to the bar. Girl in a blue shirt standing there talking to some friends & didn't acknowledge us. Plenty of tables free so we chose the one in the corner under the telly where we were ignored by all of the wait staff. Eventually, the bar man gave us a menu and we ordered. Waiting on our meal & suddenly, one of the waitresses comes over and says that we'll have to move because she has a party of 5 walk in and she wants our table for them. Ordinarily it wouldn't have bothered me but on this occasion, it did as 1. no one was bothered when we arrived and 2. there were plenty of free tables, they could have pulled two together for the other party or asked them to go into the lounge. Anyway, we moved, food arrived eventually and it was grand. Chips were underdone but sweet potato fries were lovely. Mr. CL called for another pint and I asked for some water - neither arrived. Food was grand, but their service lets them down big time.