Clare Restaurant Thread

johnam

Clareman wrote: »

I've eaten in CoCo twice in the past few months, both times by meals have been excellent but other people at the table weren't that impressed. I would recommend sticking to the Chinese/Thai dishes on the menu, for the price you are paying it really is excellent though.

CoCo was fine when I ate there, but as Clareman's friends noted, nothing too impressive. When it comes to Chinese restaurants, I prefer Jade Cottage in Roslevan for evening meals. The look of their all you can eat style sunday lunch buffet put me off going there for lunch, but for dinner I find it great. The staff there are very friendly and great with kids. I have never had a bad dish there, either eating in or take away. As Chinese restaurants go I think it is expensive enough, but the food lives up to the price.

Clareman

I had a very very bad meal in Jades Cottege a year or so back so I won't be going back any time soon. If I was to rate the Chinese's in town I would have Fortune House as the best take away, Silver House as the best Satay and Coco as the best restaurant.

babygirlz

The Teriyaki SeaBass is to die for in CoCo.

trilobite80

Henry Ford III wrote: »

I've no connection to it, but just wanted to highlight this place as it's excellent in my view. I hope it's ok to do that here.

It's called "Chow" and is situated in the old "Stir Fry" premises on the Main Street in Ennistymon, half way between the AIB and Eugene's Pub.

Run by Hein who is a South African and will be known to many as the proprietor of the chipper in Liscannor.

The food is great, all cooked to order, with no MSG, but the flavours are all there.

Well worth checking out.

Just ordered from Chow for the first time and it is amazing! The cardboard Chinese containers and chopsticks make it seem even better! Now to convince them to make me some crab rangoons!!!!!!!!

ollaetta

Glad to add to the thumbs up for Cocos. Been there a good few times and like it a lot.

Not sure if Knox's was mentioned but had a meal there before Christmas and was very happy with it. Decent atmosphere and pleasant staff.

scrawnyass

Clareman wrote: »

I had a very very bad meal in Jades Cottege a year or so back so I won't be going back any time soon. If I was to rate the Chinese's in town I would have Fortune House as the best take away, Silver House as the best Satay and Coco as the best restaurant.

Jade Cottage is simply the best Chinese food I have ever tasted.We had yank cousins over recently and they said it would be hard to find a place in New York with tastier Chinese food.

CptSternn

scrawnyass wrote: »

Jade Cottage is simply the best Chinese food I have ever tasted.We had yank cousins over recently and they said it would be hard to find a place in New York with tastier Chinese food.

Have they never been to Chinatown?!

golfball37

I have to say I really don't rate the Jade Cottage at all, overpriced and over hyped.

Paid a visit to Cairde on the reviews here and have to say I wasn't disappointed. Fantastic food and very well presented. Will certainly return.

Clareman

I was in the Old Ground at the weekend and I have to say everything about it was fantastic, I was in the Dining Room part of it.

Also, I got cakes from O'Connor's for the Christening, ooooh my they were fantastic, having another piece now with a cup of tea actually

CUPimus

Flanagan's on the Lake
Ballina/Killaloe,

Builderfromhell

CUPimus wrote: »

Flanagan's on the Lake
Ballina/Killaloe,

Is that on the Ballina or Killaloe side ?

kollegeknight

I really enjoyed a meal in the old ground bar last week. Being able to have a pint is always good.

Lady Chatterton

Builderfromhell wrote: »

Is that on the Ballina or Killaloe side ?

Flanagan's is on the Ballina side, close to Molly's.

http://www.discoverkillaloe.com/flanagans.htm

Shapey Fiend

Not to be taking shots at Clareman but do you find yourself not impressed with food very often? Like I said earlier there are lots of decent places in town but nothing that really stands out for me compared with what's available in Cork or Galway. CoCo would be a case in point. Back when it was Jasmine Palace the Asian food was good at least by Irish standards. I've been 3 times since it was CoCo's and it's alright but I can't remember for the life of me what I ate because it was kind of dull.

I'd a cake from O'Connors for desert as part of a birthday and it was bloody awful. Cake wise the lad who runs G Cafe's wife was the ish. Ennis Bazaar had a woman doing cupcakes who was a legend as well, think she baked for them part time. I can't how O'Connors is a staple in town for 30 years. They've a terrible standard of baking in general. Everything is premix cheapness. There are no proper bakeries in Ennis left as far as I know it's all premix. Nearest thing is Unglerts in Ennistymon if you want something truly outstanding.

CptSternn

Shapey Fiend wrote: »

Not to be taking shots at Clareman but do you find yourself not impressed with food very often? Like I said earlier there are lots of decent places in town but nothing that really stands out for me compared with what's available in Cork or Galway. CoCo would be a case in point. Back when it was Jasmine Palace the Asian food was good at least by Irish standards. I've been 3 times since it was CoCo's and it's alright but I can't remember for the life of me what I ate because it was kind of dull.

There is some truth to this, but I think personally it has to do more with the current economic situation than it does the restaurants themselves. I really don't see how many of these places are keeping their doors open with such a small customer base and profit margin they operate within.

The issue becomes paying for high-quality ingredients and proper staff cost more than they can currently sell, therefore reductions have to be made in some areas and it leads to a less than stellar overall dining experience.

To increase your standards here it would mean raising prices, which would scare away even more customers. The bottom line is until they get a handle on the rates and rents issue here, mediocrity is the best we can really expect.

Clareman

I eat out quiet a lot and I am very picky about where I eat, if I have a bad experience somewhere it'll be a while before I'm back there, I also enjoy cooking so my baseline for any restaurant will be whether I could do better myself.

O'Connors for me is a family tradition and I don't think I've ever had a bad cake from there, I never know which I prefer their coffee slice, custard slice, donoughts or eclairs, for cakes their chocolate gateaux is delicious, as are their cheese cakes, their caramel gateaux are magnificant. I've had cakes from other bakerys around, especially "funny" cakes and I find that whereas they may look fantastic to look at their lacking something in the eating.

I'm hungry now

Lady Chatterton

Shapey Fiend wrote: »

There are no proper bakeries in Ennis left as far as I know it's all premix. Nearest thing is Unglerts in Ennistymon if you want something truly outstanding.

+1 for Unglerts, it really is the business.

I remember when there were more bakeries in Ennis - there was McNamara's Bakery on O'Connell Street, O'Connors, Mulqueen's Bakery in Parnell Street and the Mills Bakery on the Mill Road next to Willie Burke's shop (Next to Ennis Tennis Club).

As a child, I used to collect fresh bread from the Mills Bakery and there was nothing nicer than eating large slices for warm bread with generous helpings of real butter (simple pleasures).

I agree with Clareman, O' Connor's is all about tradition, they've been in business for over 51 years now so they've built up a very loyal customer base.

I do think there are bakeries out their producing nicer more exciting confectionary but I think when it comes down to it, it's a bit of home, it's so familar, it's like your mother's baking, it might not be anything exceptional but it is comforting all the same.

Clareman

There was a great piece on O'Connor's bakery on Nationwide a couple of years ago.

Majorily off topic, but Mrs. Clareman bought me a breadmaker for Christmas, brilliant invention, no hassle, just put the ingredients in and it does it's thing, no cleanup required, there's even a timer on it so you can have it come on in the middle of the night to have it just ready in time for breakfast, we now wake up to the smell of freshly baked bread most days

Lady Chatterton

I'm tempted to purchase one of these as I've a gluten intolerance and it is impossible to get nice gf bread that doesn't cost a fortune.

Clareman

This is the 1 I have and it's brilliant, even has a little tray on the top of it that'll release seeds or the like if you're making a seeded loaf, can make between 500g and 1kg size loafs and you vary the colour/thickness of the crust. It'll make dough for you aswell to finish in the over, like pizza bases or croisents, it'll even make jam. It comes with a very handy receipe book that has every type of bread included (including gluten free).

Saying all that, nothing will compare to either Coote's or Considine's freshly baked bread.

Auldloon

This thread takes me back to some great nights. It's years now since I lived in Clare but some of my favourites were
The black oak Rineen
Goosers Ballina
Halpino's Parnell st Ennis
Garvello's
There was a lovely place in Tulla as well but the name escapes me.
Last but definetly not least the amazing Barrtra near lahinch which I'm surprised nobody has mentioned!
God I'm starving now...

Lady Chatterton

Auldloon wrote: »

This thread takes me back to some great nights. It's years now since I lived in Clare but some of my favourites were
The black oak Rineen
Goosers Ballina
Halpino's Parnell st Ennis
Garvello's
There was a lovely place in Tulla as well but the name escapes me.
Last but definetly not least the amazing Barrtra near lahinch which I'm surprised nobody has mentioned!
God I'm starving now...

Flappers in Tulla? I used to go there.

I loved Goosers (still there) Halpino's, Garvello's and the Cloister too.

Auldloon

MrsD007 wrote: »

Flappers in Tulla? I used to go there.

I loved Goosers (still there) Halpino's, Garvello's and the Cloister too.

That's the one!

Shapey Fiend

Just by way of correction I've heard the Food Emporium was never served with a closure notice. A certain media outlet allegedly got the name of the restaurant wrong.

Balagan

Shapey Fiend wrote: »

Just by way of correction I've heard the Food Emporium was never served with a closure notice. A certain media outlet allegedly got the name of the restaurant wrong.

Never read anywhere that it had been closed, just that a successful prosecution had been brought against it by the HSE
http://www.clare.fm/node/18572
http://www.fsai.ie/news_centre/press_releases/nov_enforcements_06122012.html

Radio5

Auldloon wrote: »

This thread takes me back to some great nights. It's years now since I lived in Clare but some of my favourites were
The black oak Rineen
Goosers Ballina
Halpino's Parnell st Ennis
Garvello's
There was a lovely place in Tulla as well but the name escapes me.
Last but definetly not least the amazing Barrtra near lahinch which I'm surprised nobody has mentioned!
God I'm starving now...

Some great places there alright! My finances have taken a hammering in recent times so unable to dine out as much as I'd like but certainly had some good times in the above.

Henry Ford III

Mr. Kebab is a new place in Ennistymon. It's in the same premises as the now defunct Chow and before that Stir Fry.

The name wouldn't encourage you much but the food is great and decently priced too.

Normal fast food - pizzas, chicken, burgers etc. are all good (apparently), and I know kebabs are sometimes cheap and nasty but they do a chicken tika kebab (bbq chunks of chicken on home made pitta) which is excellent.

They also do a full indian menu with everything made to order.

It's takeaway only but it's really good. They deliver to Lahinch for €3 also.

Mr. G

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Mr. Kebab is a new place in Ennistymon. It's in the same premises as the now defunct Chow and before that Stir Fry.

The name wouldn't encourage you much but the food is great and decently priced too.

Normal fast food - pizzas, chicken, burgers etc. are all good (apparently), and I know kebabs are sometimes cheap and nasty but they do a chicken tika kebab (bbq chunks of chicken on home made pitta) which is excellent.

They also do a full indian menu with everything made to order.

It's takeaway only but it's really good. They deliver to Lahinch for €3 also.

+1. They seem to be doing well in there as well. I got an Indian takeaway there and thought it was absolutely devine. Better than the Mogul in Ennis.

Henry Ford III

Mr. G wrote: »

+1. They seem to be doing well in there as well. I got an Indian takeaway there and thought it was absolutely devine. Better than the Mogul in Ennis.

I'm told they have 13 outlets.


p.s. Any hope this thread could be made a sticky mods?

Clareman

Henry Ford III wrote: »

p.s. Any hope this thread could be made a sticky mods?

Having too many threads as a sticky makes navigating forums a pain in the @rse so we try to limit sticky threads as much as possible.