Mike B. | Mike Brennan | www.RateMyArea.com

"A tiny cavernous tapas and wine bar beautifully lit by candles", as Mary H. so eloquently put it. For me, this was the best tapas I've tasted outside of Barcelona and the atmosphere here is second to none. What I like about tapas is that it seems to be fueled by indecisiveness, you don't need to... read more

Movies @Dundrum's (not so great) website was down this weekend so I couldn't check what was on... let alone book a film (boo!). However, I've been meaning to try a more 'alternative' venue (like the IFI) for a while now but just haven't got around to it. If you ask me, the lack of web know-how at... read more

The CRO is a well run statutory body. The staff are excellent and I've always found them to be extremely knowledgeable and keen to help (both in person and on the phone). My only real gripe is that the location of the office itself is a bit of a pain, both from the point of view of trying to get ... read more

L'Officina is a real favourite of mine, it serves-up really good food and coffee in a relaxed laid-back Italian way. Their panini and minestrone soup are awesome and make-up my staple diet when I visit here for lunch! It's also a good spot for dinner with a good range of pasta dishes and their sp... read more

A beautiful store and café in a truly picturesque setting, and the ideal place to bring tourists visiting (especially during the summer months). I was up here at the weekend and the place was like a winter market, as there's great presents to be found here for girlfriends, Mums and sisters (...in... read more

A winter watering hole - warm wood panelled walls and cosy snugs make this the perfect pre-Christmas drinks venue. I was in here on Saturday and enjoyed their "afternoon fare" (posh pub grub meets afternoon tea). I wasn't the only one with the idea as many of the best tables were reserved.. so ri... read more

Better late than never, this ia a well designed memorial to members of the Defence Forces who died in service. This illuminated monument (that I had never seen before or heard of until last night) makes for a welcome break when strolling up Merrion Square West. I particularly liked the eternal fl... read more

I picked-up some Pain au Chocolats here this morning on the way to the office, I hadn't been into this place since it changed from a Centra to a Spar but I'm happy to report that the transition has been kind. As Spars go this place is massive and is only a few aisles short of being a real competi... read more

I used this car park last Sunday during the Christmas mayhem. If you're in town on a Sunday you can't beat this car park as it's only €5 to park there for the whole day. Luckily the Brown Thomas car park was full or else I wouldn't have had that extra €8 or €10 to spend on presents - someone woul... read more

Grabbed lunch here today, first time in ages. It was a bit like a scene from a Kellogg's Cornflakes commercial... i.e. I forgot how good it tasted! The Golden Olive Restaurant forms part of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland and so is an interesting place to go and visit even if you're not ha... read more

I'm usually a Hodges Figgis or Waterstones man but on the back of Charlie H.'s review (below) I've been meaning to give Chapters a try.. I eventually got round to it this weekend and wasn't disappointed. From what I can recall, this is a serious leap forward layout-wise from the Middle Abbey Stre... read more

Cafe Novo is a little bit of an undiscovered gem just off Grafton Street. It's part of the Westbury Hotel but don't be put off by this as it doesn't have the hotel bar or lobby feel you usually get from these type of efforts. It's funky, cosy and in my opinion a good place to stop off for a drink... read more

I like the Epicurean Food Hall a lot, it's one of my favourite places to lunch. That said, my adversity to risk means I never take full advantage of it... as I only tend to switch between Itsa Bagel and La Corte (depending on my mood). In my opinion, the really great thing about the Epicurean foo... read more

Brambles has Cafés on two separate levels here at The Beacon Hospital and another outside in the centre of the industrial estate - so it's quickly establishing itself as the Starbucks of Sandyford! Before Brambles moved into Sandyford, the industrial estate was a pretty lonely place for coffee lo... read more

Excellent Indian takeaway - like all the other Bombay Pantrys the food here is cooked fresh for all to see. I always admire restaurants and takeaways that aren't afraid to open up the kitchen and let their customers have a good old gawk at their food being cooked - for me it inspires confidence! ... read more

Café Mao is a regular haunt of mine, it's funky, the food is good and the service is always excellent. On my most recent trip, tonight(!), I availed of their December special - starter and (any) main course for €18.95 - you don't get much better than that. My favourite dishes here have got to be ... read more

Just in case anyone missed this in the news, this Travel Agent no longer has a licence to operate. It has also left more than 1,100 children and adults hoping to travel to Lapland in limbo - bah, humbug! You've been warned... read more

I'd usually go to Shankill Tyres (as they have always served me well in the past) however my inability to plan a puncture forced me to go to United Tyres in Donnybrook. First off, I can't fault the service, speed or the attention to detail that I got here. However, during these mildly deflationar... read more

I don't get to do it as often as I'd like, but for me, there's no better way to spend a Sunday morning than with a stroll along Clontarf seafront followed by a coffee and paper from The Food Room. The Food Room is rightly dubbed the Donnybrook Fair of the Northside. It's a boutique-like convenien... read more

I have to agree with Ian M., the food here is fine but not restaurant quality (as the brand would suggest). Somewhere in the transition from DIEP Le Shaker to DIEP AT HOME something was lost. My main complaint is that I find most of the dishes to be quite salty and that the vegetables could be th... read more

Clogher Road Community Sports Centre is a well run sports centre with good facilities. I played indoor football here last weekend and while I usually prefer playing outdoors the hall here is bright and airy so for once playing indoors didn't bother me. There's lots of parking here too, so don't w... read more

If you like Asian food, especially Thai food, then you'll like Yo' Thai. Strategically positioned above a landmark watering hole, Yo' Thai has all the ingredients for the perfect night out. Start the night off with an aperitif in Kielys before retiring upstairs for traditional Thai fare in a not ... read more

This is a good sized convenience store with a deli counter, off licence & post office. The off licence was not designed with the wine connoisseur in mind but if you're looking for a six pack of lager look no further! The best thing about this place is the ample parking you'll find outside, in con... read more

A proper deli which makes top notch sandwiches but be warned it gets exceptionally busy at lunchtime with all the nearby offices. Fresh fillings, a good selection of bread, helpful staff and a charismatic owner (who always has a word for you) make the wait worthwhile - if you're a regular you'll ... read more

A decent-ish sized post office with friendly staff and a good selection of stationary, cards & pens on sale - just in case you don't have anything to post! :) My only quipe is that it's difficult to find or even know it's there - I've been shopping here for years but only noticed the post office ... read more

They say at Starbucks: "it's not the coffee, it's the coffee experience" - for me, the Blackrock Starbucks does both well! I'm glad... as I must admit I had mixed emotions when I heard that Starbucks would be opening a branch in the old post office building in Blackrock - happy that there was goi... read more

One of the nicest cafés that I've ever been to, I always stop off here on the way to Baltinglass. They serve great soup and the coffee is excellent, the illy sign hanging just outside the door is testament to this - four stars from me! read more

This section of the Clonskeagh Road is home to two very different pubs. So depending on my mood I visit the appropriate one - O'Sheas if I've already had my dinner and I'm in the mood for a quiet pint and Ashtons if I haven't eaten and I'm feeling that little bit more sophisticated! Just the othe... read more

I agree with Rory S. - this place rocks, the most enjoyable and rewarding piece of DIY that I've ever done!! For me, this place is the real gourmet burger. read more

Stumbled upon this place one night.... literally, it was late! A welcome change from the usual after pub food like burgers, kebabs and chips. I don't want to comment hugely on the quality of the pizza but I don't remember having too many complaints so it must be pretty good - three stars from me! read more

A little off the beaten track and not being from the area, I only came across this place by pure chance while trying to take a short-cut to Dundrum during heavy traffic - thanks to the eye-catching and inviting façade of Bin No. 9 it turned out to be a long cut in the end! This place is a textboo... read more

If like me you're into trying different beers, then this is the place for you. Redmond's must have one of the best selections of beer this side of the city. It's also recently had a bit of a face-lift and it's the wine section that seems to have benefited the most from it, as there now appears to... read more

Steps of Rome is downturn friendly as it means you can still enjoy genuine Italian fare for the price of a Dublin Bus fare (and not a trip to Rome!). This place serves-up some of the best coffee and tastiest pizza you'll find in Dublin. For me, it's the ideal shopping pit stop and the main reason... read more

Once you acclimatise to the overpowering smell in this place, there's fantastic cheeses to be discovered here. You'll also be greeted by helpful and extremely knowledgeable staff who will offer you a little taster of each cheese before you make your selection. On my most recent trip here, I was l... read more

I was a big fan of Casanova in Stillorgan but sadly it is no longer with us so I now have to trek that little bit further to get my fix. That said, the food and pizza is just as good here and the place is just as cosy and authentically Italian as Stillorgan was. The staff are friendly (& Italian!... read more

First class watering hole, serving-up text book Guinness. Made famous in recent years by the RTÉ television drama 'Bachelors Walk' (as the local of the bachelors). The decor in this place hasn't changed as long as I've been frequenting the place and nor should it! Busy at the weekends but the per... read more

Once you get over the initial shock and your eyes adjust to the unnaturally bright lights, there are deals to be found here. The key to this place is to be there when a shipment arrives, apparently you can do this by signing-up to their 'hot arrivals' newsletter on their web site. On my most rece... read more

Close to town, this is a handy garage with a good 24-hour shop, slightly cramped forecourt and a bog standard car wash. Unlike me, don't be fooled by the large green apple hanging from the sign, apparently this place is not as environmentally friendly as the design might suggest! read more

While inexpensive and in close proximity to Bray Main Street, it's not what you could describe as a local secret as this car park is seriously overcrowded and something of a bottleneck during busy shopping times. read more

Roy Fox is an old skool green grocer and in my opinion it's one of the best to be found this side of the city. This place is a must if you're looking for fresh fruit and vegetables and the fact that it's been around this long (with the convenience that the big supermarkets and spars offer) is tes... read more

I had always walked by Muji thinking I'd like to go in there and on Saturday, I did! While Muji is most definitely the smallest "department store" I've ever been in, there's lots to look at and play with. Unanticipated, I left with a pair of slippers and I don't even wear slippers - a testament t... read more

Grabbed a bite to eat here last night, it wasn't my first time to eat in a Café Bar Deli (nor will it be my last!). I had the antipasti misto to start and penne all'arrabbiata for my main all washed down with a couple of Sol beers (a corona-like beer), all excellent. Now don't get me wrong the fo... read more

Great facilities all round - the Leinster Rugby Team train here so it's got to be good! That said, you do feel more like a customer than a member here and the place feels more like a business than a club. So if it's gym and pool membership you want look no further but if it's tennis and socialisi... read more

Got a key cut here today and thanks to a brief education by the owner I'm proud to say that I now know the difference between getting a Chubb key & a Mortice key cut - €2.50 apparently! My (Mortice) key was cut while I waited and works so what more can I say - good job! While I was waiting, I ove... read more

Popped in here for an espresso this morning after spotting the illy sign hanging in the window. Once inside, I was (pleasantly) surprised to find myself surrounded by a selection of fine wines, with the largest shelf of organic wine that I've ever seen. It was a good thing it was early in the mor... read more

A real local's local - comfortable lounge, great Guinness, attentive lounge staff (so you only need to get up from your seat to go to the toilet!), good wholesome bar food, large well-positioned TVs (for matches), safe overnight parking - Gleesons is probably the only pub in Dublin that Carlsberg... read more

I really like Poppies in Enniskerry and was really excited to hear that Poppies was opening in the Dundrum Town Centre. Hoping the initial novelty had worn-off (since it's opening a couple of weeks ago), I headed down there for lunch today. It's definitely got a homely country feel to it as it's ... read more

Although a recent enough phenomenon, I like cafés in bookshops - coffee and books seem to go well together. Popped in here for lunch on Sunday, grabbed a paper off the stand, a toasted sandwich and an espresso - a little on the pricey side but exactly what I wanted. The coffee was also surprising... read more

It's renaissance time at The Burlington, good bye to the good old days of Buck Mulligan's bar and Annabels - hello Bellini! I was in here on Friday night at a friend's engagement party and boy were the staff glad to see all of us walking in... Bellini's is yet to be discovered and because of it's... read more

I've been to a few big stadiums: The Bernabau, Nou Camp, Millennium Stadium... That said, I still think Croke Park is one of the best in Europe. We're lucky as it's quite unusual to have such a large stadium so close to the city centre and I feel this really adds to the pre & post match atmospher... read more

Not being a big golfer... I was heading off on a golf trip to Ballina last weekend and after looking at the weather forecast I decided that this was probably the right time to invest in some wet gear. A friend had tipped me off that Green 18 was having a sale so I thought I'd check it out. Usuall... read more

I grabbed a quick bite to eat here last night before the Ireland V Cyprus game and I was pleasantly surprised - Giovanni Trapattoni would be proud of this place! This is a very classy yet understated Italian café serving-up some of the best espresso and gnocchi I've tasted here in Ireland (photos... read more

Could the real gourmet burger please stand-up? I know I remarked on this in my last review but seriously is it just me or has there been a total invasion of "Michelin Star" burger establishments in Dublin in just the past few months!? I'm not really complaining as once again my eternal quest for ... read more

Another, in what appears to be an invasion of sophisticated burger joints. While this is doing a "me too", it does it well - the burgers are good and as Tony F. rightly points out the Kobe burgers (while not on the large side) are really excellent. The staff are also very helpful and are eager to... read more

Grabbed breakfast here yesterday morning. Good food and excellent service (I chopped and changed the breakfast menu without a problem - I'm not a huge egg fan and such chopping and changing usually irritates the staff in other places). The other great thing about this place is all the glass - it ... read more

This Marks & Spencer has been revamped since the last time I was there. The food hall looks a lot better, there are now two cafés and there is a brand new electronics dept... and no, it doesn't stock 'St. Michael' TVs (like I thought it might!). It actually has a good selection of some well known... read more

I was in here briefly at the weekend. First off, this place is big and you can buy everything here from a tin of paint to a fridge freezer. They even have a café if you fancy making a day of it! While DIY is not my thing, I can safely say that for the DIY junkies out there, you'll probably find B... read more

Whenever I get a 'Saba to go' (the Asian takeaway just around the corner) I usually grab a bottle of wine from here (day of the week permitting!). Deveney's is an old skool off licence and has a much better selection of wine than it's Tesco counterpart (across the road). If you're into your white... read more

I was in the South William at the weekend and as the description says, it's a young hip urban hangout (with an underlying Cuban/Latin feel... but maybe that's just me!). I was a bit late for the lunchtime pies so had to make do with a couple of pints instead. On one of many trips to the bar I spi... read more

When it comes to tyre issues, Shankill Tyres is my first port of call and Brendan, the owner, always sorts me out. It's quick and in my opinion your car gets a lot more care and attention than it would get if you were to drop it into one of the big tyre & exhaust fitting chains. There's been a fe... read more

Great breakfast... washed down with a only very mediocre double espresso. I reckon if Howards Way were to invest in a decent coffee machine this place would be the ultimate breakfast joint. As it stands, it's four stars from me! read more

The first thing that strikes you about Carluccio's is the design. Both the interior and exterior looks great... I must admit this made me a little bit nervous as I'm always wary of stylish Italian things - take Alfa Romeos for example, nice to look at but not hugely reliable! For me, Carluccio's ... read more

This place is old skool. Oliver (the owner & resident barber) runs the show here and you can really tell he cares about every cut. The only drawback is that he works on his own so if there's any kind of queue you may have to wait a bit (due to his attention to detail) - but everyone gets their tu... read more

Best takeaway in the city in my opinion. I've never eaten in the Saba restaurant in town so I can't compare the two but if it's takeaway food is anything to go by the restaurant itself must be superb. 'Saba to go' is a busy takeaway but even at the busiest times (like last Friday night!) they nev... read more

Rowans is a current lunchtime haunt of mine. Rowans is an old style delicatessen with a large counter stretching from one end of the shop to the other. No matter where you look you are greeted by well stacked shelves, packed with everything from fine wine to cornflakes to freshly baked bread. You... read more

This is a classy wine shop with a good selection of wine, everything from Château Musar to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The staff are helpful and in my experience as well trained as any sommelier. That said, you pay for the experience and to be honest I really only buy presents here (as a bottle of wine ... read more

I used to be a member here when I was a kid and still play here regularly. It's an open and forgiving course (or so I've been told by more seasoned golfers!). The greens and course are kept immaculately. The sea views from the back nine are great and you can catch some really great sunsets here o... read more

I returned recently to Lincoln's Inn (my old alma mater) to find out that it had been completely gutted and transformed into a modern day watering hole (minus the old pool table in the basement unfortunately!). I'm not usually a fan of refurbished 'auld mans' pubs and especially not of the one's ... read more

Not in my local area and desperately in need of a decent coffee, I stumbled upon what can only be described as the Italian quarter of Howth or 'Il Panorama Café' as it's known locally. I stepped up to the counter with the expectation of ordering an espresso "to go" and was greeted by a "Ciao!" (w... read more

Smyth's is a 'Select Bar'. While I'm not 100% sure what that means, from what I've seen at closing-time here, I'm taking it that Smyth's is probably not as selective as it might once have been. My preference is to drink in the bar here, I'm not sure why this is as there's not a massive difference... read more

True to it's name, Café Mao has led a revolution of it's own - although somewhat less controversial than the cultural variety it's namesake was responsible for. Café Mao (along with a few other pioneers) has contributed to revolutionising the mid-range dining experience here in Dublin. It has hel... read more

I like Chapter One a lot, in my opinion it has one of the best pre-theatre menus in Dublin and funnily enough it's probably the only pre-theatre restaurant where I actually go to the theatre after it! Having enjoyed both the standard à la carte and private dining here, I still feel the best way t... read more

The Waterloo used to be a great "auld mans" pub but like Napoleon, the Waterloo has surrendered itself to the "norm". It's now a modern Dublin Pub with the usual taupe coloured walls, large beige lamp shades and brown leather upholstered seats. I still go there but miss the old Waterloo immensely... read more

While located about thirty-five minutes away from Dublin's city centre, Shanganagh Park is within easy striking distance from most of south county Dublin. Until the other day, I had only experienced this park from the eyes of a 30-year old man but seeing my 6 and 12 year old cousins playing here ... read more