An Canteen is On Point!

My turn to pick a dinner spot came around again, I spent some time on my phone doing some research on Dingle restaurants.  Based on what I read, An Canteen fit the bill for type of food and a little easier on our budget.

 The actual restaurant is pretty small, so either go early or make a reservation!

Our two selected local Micro Brews!

  We started off with a couple micro-brews, the only brews you can get here, very good bears, nice change of pace.  As usual I cannot remember, what my vegetarian sister-in-law had for dinner, but it was seafood and she liked it.  My wife raved about here starter salad and I had a great Seafood chowder, best of the trip and I had it like 5 different times.

Best Seafood Chowder of my Trip!

I do recall, they were out of one thing I wanted to eat, so been gone from home so long I got the wings, they did an awesome job knocking off an American Classic!  Chips/fries were done well and the side salad was very tasty.

Great Buffalo Wings

The two others got a chicken dish that they both devoured and raved about it afterwards.

Chicken Dish

We did not spend a ton of time hanging out, as we went to a local folk music at a nearby church.  I would for sure be back to this restaurant if I ever return to Dingle!

Traditional Stew at Bollards - Kilkenny

We only had a single day in Kilkenny, we had a lunch stop at a cafe just down the street from Bollards, which I believe was called the Pantry, very good!  Don't have pictures, but they had very good sandwiches, quiche and a few other items we split.

After a bit more walking around for sites and shopping we settled in at Bollards based on our B&B owner's recommendation.  We ate a bit early and the place was nearly empty.  I am one to try many different things, so I tried their Traditional Lamb Stew, I found it quite good, would be awesome to warm a person up in the winter.

Traditional Irish Lamb Stew

One of my travel companions had fish & chips, fairly ordinary, we felt like the fish was very good, but breading was ordinary.  We had a pretty good cheese plate, but our chocolate cake dessert was awful and dry.  I think a 2.5 rating was fair for the meal we had.

If you can make it to the St. Francis Abbey Smithwick brewery tour before it shuts down, you have to get there for a pint, best pint of Smithwichs hands down!  If not, the Abbey is still a cool site, worth the visit.

Smithwicks Pint from Downstairs tasting room at original Brewery

Music & Eats at Dubln's Old Storehouse

We stumbled upon The Old Storehouse (free wi-fi) adjacent off the main drag of Temple Bar area in Dublin on our second night in Ireland.  As we sat down, two local gentlemen were just getting started with a great love Irish folk music session and the patrons poured in steadily afterwards.

Hungry after a long day of checking out New Grange, I opted for the Guinness  Irish Lamb & Root Vegetable stew, served with mash potatoes & fresh parsley.  Two others got Bangers & Mash, and our vegetarian got the the Fish & Chips.  I found the stew to be very hardy, flavorful and it hit the spot.  I tried a bite of my wife's Bangers, they seemed quite good, they both raved about them, I thought they were just good.  I also tried the fish & chips, I thought this place had the best chips of our trip, but the fish was just okay. The music kept the energy and fun levels high all through dinner, making us all have an extra pint after we were done with our food.

Irish Stew

Bangers & Mash

Overall, the food is a solid 3, but with the music and atmosphere, I definitely would put it on your list of places to dine or grab a pint in Dublin.  I'd go here again!