Good Value Dining in Ireland

[Ernie Whalley]

I thought it would be good to have a thread where people could see the special offers and promotions that abound these days.
It might help fill restaurant tables and also help locals or visitors find decent nosh at reasonable prices.
Here's a couple to kick it off

Itsa 4, Sandymount Green, Dublin 4
Starter and main course from 'starred' selection for €20

The Pig's Ear, Nassau Street, Dublin 2
Early Bird Specials
Early Bird Menu: 2 course €17.95/ 3 course €21.95 Availability: Available 5.30 - 6.30 Monday - Saturday
Special Offers
Lunch Special: 2 Course €15.95 or 3 Courses €19.95 Availability: Available Monday - Saturday 12-3

[Bob]

Surprise Dinner for a tenner in The House in Howth; Tue-Fri 6 - close; you couldn't beat it with a big stick!

[sean_dru]

Juinors on bath ave, dont know if they have specials, but its a cracking place, two brothers, sound out, producing great food and service in a different but cool setting. last time i was there i had great quail and lentils, you could taste the different layers of ingredients, since when is that common?

[unclepat]

Fair play on the Tenors review Ernie. You're the first reviewer I've read who's told it like it is.

[Old Tart]

We were going to go there for lunch on Sunday but chose Brambles in Terenure instead. Was I glad when I read your review! Brambles was very pleasant and good value.

[Ernie Whalley]

Thanks, Pat.
I sensed I was swimming against the tide a bit when I saw Tom's review. Who else has covered it?

[unclepat]

Ross GB gave it a fairly favourable review a while ago and I've definitely read at least one more - possibly Katy Mc Guinness but I'm open to correction on that.
I was astounded by how bad it was when I went. Also, it does not represent good value on any level imo. If you want decent food for a tenner try Green 19.

[bigjoe]

O'Dwyers on the Upr Kilmacud road have 10 for 10. that is 10 mains for a €10 a piece at lunch time. (a orange/lemonade/cola from the splash tap is included)

getting some gome crowds of late. food always good. head upstaird. nicer seating.

[chefsmith]

I thought Paolo gave a pretty bad one too.......

Kinara and kajjal do a very good value lunch i think, a thali lunch for 10.95, which consists of a curry type dish, naan bread and rice with a side order of pakistani potatoes and its delicious too.
Indie Spice do a very cheap lunch menu, two course for 8.50 , but quality would not come close to kinara or kajjal, but still good.

[Hanna]

I've been to Tenors twice, boths time for lunch, and I'd agree with everything your review says Ernie. It's jaw-droppingly, am-I-being-filmed-for-naked-camera bad.

[Ernie Whalley]

Hanna, lol

[punto]

how did you get away with only writing 9 characters in that post E? Any time I try it I get a big finger pointed at me saying 'write more you pillock'

[bigjoe]

I think the forum has the 'style over substance' box checked in the settings.

[Diapason]

I've mentioned it before, but I want to give another shout out to Parigi on Sir John Rogerson's Quay. I don't know of many places in such proximity to the IFSC where I can sit and eat a plate of decent pasta for €6 at lunchtime. They keep the menu short and simple (panini, salads, couple of pastas and a daily special from a tiny kitchen) but standards are high, service is friendly and fun, and it's an all round nice place to spend a lunch break. Last time I was there (a Tuesday) people were queuing to get in, so they must be doing something right.

Oh, and the coffee is good too.

[chefsmith]

Hope this is ok to put here.........

We got an Indian Takeaway last night from Indie spice in swords, best value indian takeaway i have ever had, and best quality too.
set meal for 2 was €29
which was
onion pyazu
chicken tandooru
chicken balti
lamb rogan
pilau and nann
bombay potatoes
and 2 bottles of cobra

we added a few more bits and had a really nice indian for 4 people for 50 euro's.
Food was better than your average place, all sauces were different, fresh herbs.
And i have a mixed box of leftover for lunch today, which is welcome as i'm, layed up in bed, fractured my foot in middle of service on saturday night !!!

[meatmonger]

Thats an extreme way of going about taking time off!
Best of luck on recovery

Good value dining would not be complete without giving Mourne Seafood Bar a shout out in Belfast (I believe Co Down one even better for you Pale people). I don't go to belfast without having lunch, selection of 4 small dishes (chilli crispy squid, prawn risotto, shellfish linguini, crab claw et al), two glass of wine, mineral water, good coffee for around £35stg. Great tasting seafood. Beats the hell out of famed kinsale comparisons.

PS cocktail in Merchant a req of any night out in Belfast.

[Bob]

Originally Posted by chefsmith

We got an Indian Takeaway last night from Indie spice in swords, best value indian takeaway i have ever had, and best quality too.
set meal for 2 was €29
:

I'm a fan of Indie Spice too, didn't realise that they had a set menu for take away as the a la carte is on the pricey end of take aways (as are all good Indians unfortunately). Will definitely be trying that, it is interesting that they do the take aways off site in an industrial unit as being busy will not damage the restaurants service.

Indian food the day after you get it or make it, I love it!!

P.S. I hope you weren't kicking anyone when you did the damage

[chefsmith]

Originally Posted by Bob

it is interesting that they do the take aways off site in an industrial unit as being busy will not damage the restaurants service.

P.S. I hope you weren't kicking anyone when you did the damage

I collected mine from the restaurant, do they normally do off site?

Nope wasn't kicking anybody, must have twisted it, happened at start of service and had to soldier on through, the pain only really hit me at end of service.

Indie spice do a very good lunch value too, its 8.95 for 2 courses including naan and side dish.

I think the ala carte takeaway prices have dropped too, as the menu im looking at , all main courses bar one or two are around the tenner mark.

Anyone else know any other good takeaways/ restaurants in malahide area, we only moved this way couple weeks ago.

[Bob]

Yeah all deliveries come from a separate unit, very good though. With respect to the prices, I can't have Indian without rice and Nan so you are adding at least a €5 on top per person (where I lived in England they all come with rice as part of the main course as far as I can remember i.e. it wasn't an extra cost), then I have to have a starter too . It all adds up (together with a couple of cans of coke!)

Malahide is not great for takeaways unless you want to eat crap or very well that has the price to boot. I have tried them all and won't get a takeaway Chinese any more unless I'm hammered, the best Chinese quality-wise is/was Silks but I haven't gone in ages, it is at the pricey end of the scale and I didn't rate it value wise the last time I went.

If I get takeaway now then it is a treat and has to be Jaipur or Indie Spice (not sure if Kajjal do takeaway or not) and generally end up spending about €40 on it for two people. That price is enough to put me off as you may as well go out or just cook something and keep the cash to go out another night.

There is a great value early bird in Jaipur (c. €20 for 3 courses) and they also do a dinner and bottle of wine for two for €60 all night.

There is a cracking lunch in Kajjal for around the tenner mark but I always end up getting extras, glass of wine etc and your budget lunch isn't that budget any more.

Cape Greko was always a fun night out but haven't been there in a while.

[chefsmith]

I hear you about the takeaways in malahide, when we had just moved in everything in boxes and we ate takeaways for the first week, all awful, kajjal don't do takeaways.

I feel malahide is screaming out for a good mid range bistro cooking Irish grub, portmarnock too for that matter.
A decent buger joint in Malahide would go down a storm, alot of young crowds there all day every day.

I see what your saying about the naans and the breads and cokes etc, I'd be curious to see if there is a taste difference from the delivery unit and the restaurant.

We got a takeway from silks, about midnight on a saturday night, place was MOBBED, takeaway will be my first and last from there, too expensive for what we got.