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Drogheda Restaurant Reviews

  • 28-05-2008 4:51pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 6,259 ✭✭✭positron


    Nothing came up on a quick search, thought I would kick off a thread on the topic...!


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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 6,259 ✭✭✭positron


    A few weeks ago, we had a small good news to celebrate and thought we would check out the new Indian restaurant in Bryanstown Manor.

    It was mid-week, rang around 2pm to booked table for 8:30pm, which was 'no problem' and the girl on phone was pleasant to deal with.

    Strolled in around 8:28pm (we live nearby :D), and the place looks funky. Not your traditional dark, candle-lit Indian restaurant at all. The place is done up nice and bright, very contemporary, yet colorful. Trendy looking tables and chairs, cutlery etc. Slightly louder than your typical Indian restaurant, probably due to open kitchen (you see them cook, flames etc) but mostly due to the typical bollywood music in sync with an LCD tv on the left of the bar area. Overall, its not a bad place to be, so far.

    As soon as we got there, we were asked to take a seat at the bar area. There is a certain lack of communication from now on. We didn't know if we were to be served here (all the normal tables looked busy) or if we are just being asked to wait (they didn't ask!). Five minutes later someone gave us the main menu (!) - again, not sure whats happening there! Another couple came thru the door and were taken to a table. A few turned up for take-aways and they were asked to wait at the bar area next to us as well. Now I am getting really uncomfortable...

    Okay, here we go - some one came around and took us to our table - by the window. Nice touch. All forgiven. I don't know much about wines, but the list was, lets say, average. We went for a white Italian between us - €35 or so. Probably not the best decision of the day, but ah well, no one else to blame here. Oh quick comment on the table, cutlery, wine glasses, plates - all top notch - loving it!

    We ordered startes (selection platter, €15) between us, and own main courses (can't remember - approx €20 each). Starter turned up in a large square china - and my jaw literally hit the floor well, no, it actually hit the above mentioned funky table - there were two small pieces of sausage, one prawn, two small pieces of chicken and a small piece of something that I couldn't recognize. Bit of a bummer then...! I couldn't comment on the quality - because it just wasn't enough for a good bite! Bit of of a disappointment there for €15. That kinda set the tone for rest of the evening to be honest!

    Main dish was brought out in good time. Again, same story with quantity. Large round china and the curry was not more than about four teaspoons in the middle of the plate. It tasted okay, I have had better, but my main gripe was about the quantity. A 6 year old would probably eat more than that!

    At this stage I was starting to wonder if the dessert might impact my credit history, so we got ourself Magnums from nearby Crossroads for the walk back!

    Whats good: Decor. Location.
    Whats bad: Eh... pfft! Do I look like Geri Halliwell?
    Would I go back? Of course ... (NOT!)

    Conclusion: The only good thing about Indus is that Lemongrass is nearby!

    I love Indian food and really wanted Indus to be a good restaurant and I think they can be - brings the prices down, increase the quantity and quality! And oh, just explains things better too, please! Thank you very much!

    PS: I am not related to Indus, Lemongrass or any other restaurants. And yeah, I know my spices! ;)


  • Registered Users Posts: 29 mendacity


    Pizzeria on Peter St - The Pizzas are v good, pasta dishes and other stuff - average. Always bustly, has a good athmoshpere, cranky italian chef (excellent) and a cute waiter. Good start to a night out - book ahead.

    D'Vine - wine bar and Italian. Owner and staff very friendly, lovely space, good athnosphere, food fairly good and reasonably priced. Again usually makes for a good night out - why is it always full of women only.

    Lemongrass - good thai restaurant chain

    The Punjabi House, Dublin Rd - lovely staff, very friendly staff and owner. Charming room and good reasonable indian food. You can bring your own wine and they don't charge corkage. Sometimes its a bit too quiet in there

    Monasterboice Inn - A great steak house

    The Old School House - very charming. I have only eaten in the bar and have always been satisfied.

    The Bru - overpriced and only average.


    I too would love some recommendations/reviews


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 150 ✭✭bettedavis


    haven't been to a lot of places in the drogheda area, but a friend was in the boiled onion and said it was really very good. But have to comment on the Monasterboice Inn............the most overated place in the world ...ever.
    Seriously emperors new clothes situation. overpriced, bad service, and in serious need of a makeover. i would never go there again.


  • Registered Users Posts: 466 ✭✭aquascrotum


    Good idea for a thread - moved to Drogheda area recently and I'm struggling badly to find a decent local restaurant.

    Tried so far....Bia, nice for lunch, good portions, not a night out venue though.

    Heard great things about the Boiled Onion - what sort of food do they do?

    Redz? Only ever had a burger in it, not sure I'm that pushed.

    Garam Masala - I really need a good Indian as my local, sadly this wasn't it. We booked in for 8pm on a Saturday evening, showed up, the door staff laughed when we said we had a reservation. We were the only people there. I didn't think the food was too bad (not fantastic but edible), but the complete lack of atmosphere was very offputting.

    Bru - agree with previous poster, last time I was there the portions were miserable, ridiculous prices and a feeling of unbridled pretentiousness. I wouldn't mind paying a premium for what is admittedly a nice venue but the food has to be up to scratch, in terms of quality and quantity.

    Where else is there in the town? Any ideas welcome.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,259 ✭✭✭positron


    Okay, this review is based a visit a number of months ago, so I can't guarantee that its all true..!

    A friend got us a Pink Elephant voucher in return of a small favor, and we decided to use it one Friday evening. Booked a table and headed in that approximate direction that evening, and found the door after a bit of confusion, head scratching, bewildered looks and a phone calls or two.

    When we got there, we were taken to a table on the rather narrow corridor, which wouldn't have been my first choice, but so be it. The next problem was when they put another couple at the table behind me - it was so close, I eat from her plate as if its my own - that close! They have to leave more space between those tables there! Otherwise they are nicely furnished, ambiance - in the corridor anyway - was nice too.

    Wine list was decent (better than Indus and Lemongrass from what I can remember), prices where average. Took a while to us to decide on the main menu - almost everything there sounded yummy and finally when we ordered (chicken satay, massaman curry, thai yellow curry), all arrived on time, and were top class.

    Conclusion: Decent thai place for a nice evening's outing. Not cheap, but not a massive rip-off either.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 150 ✭✭bettedavis


    never heard of the pink elephant, but as a name for a restaurant it doesn't conjure up images of fine dining does it?


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,900 ✭✭✭Quality


    Dvine is lovely, nice and informal... dark lighting with candles old tables, great wine list, Food is fab, Fresh and tasty. The staff are very friendly.

    Coast_ (bettystown) is really good, a bit pricier than some, But the food is excellent, Lovely bright modern clean restaurant.
    Staff are friendly, Ask for a window seat, they do a lovely 3 course sunday lunch for €30.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,259 ✭✭✭positron


    bettedavis wrote: »
    never heard of the pink elephant, but as a name for a restaurant it doesn't conjure up images of fine dining does it?

    :D:D

    I suppose you have to ignore the 'pink' part and focus on 'elephant' on a Thai context (Elephant is Thai national symbol, White Elephant their Navy symbol etc etc)!


  • Registered Users Posts: 676 ✭✭✭Nickibaby*


    Agree totally with the Monasterboice Inn being over rated everyone else I speak to seems to love it though.

    Boiled Onion is lovely and I know it is a bit out of town (back road between Drogheda and Dunleer) but The Valley Inn is lovely staff lovely, food lovely, atmosphere cosy and recent extension is very nice. Worth the little trip out :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,259 ✭✭✭positron


    Since we picked Boyne valley as our wedding venue, we have been there a few times, always between 2-4 in the afternoon.

    The hotel's settings are fantastic. The drive among tall mature trees ends in front of the hotel and when you get there, everything is extremely quiet except for birds chirping etc! As you enter, first door to your left, thru the corridor and then second door to your right is the pub area, half of which is a lovely majestic looking conservatory with plenty of seating and lovely view to very matured and well maintained gardens. There are picnic tables and seats outside too, if you like outdoors or if you smoke etc.

    A small but really nice set menu there for lunch, price usually between 10 to 20 euro, and the food is delicious (that we have tried so far anyway - panini, salmon, chicken). Some of the deserts are brilliant too.

    Conclusion: The place could get busy time to time with various functions., but I still can't think of a better location for a family dinner on a weekend, especially if its nice outside!


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20 harobed


    here are my personal faves

    Punjabi house - Dublin Rd, excellent Indian food, you can bring own wine, gets busy fri / sat nites, good prices too.

    D'Vine Great for nice food and wine, food is reasonably priced, wine is where the money goes but is a really nice atmosphere there

    Pizzeria - Great Italian Food - Great Character

    Redz - Nice food, good portions but overpriced slightly

    Scholars for lunch in restaurant, lovely! especially if you take set menu

    Places i dislike:

    Boiled Onion, Overpriced, food is average for what you pay

    Bru = overpriced food is too minimal for what you pay

    Indus - overpriced, and not typical indian restaurant food (in saying that it is probably authentic dishes, just not to my liking)


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,557 ✭✭✭Fingers Mcginty


    Quality wrote: »
    Coast_ (bettystown) is really good, a bit pricier than some, But the food is excellent, Lovely bright modern clean restaurant.
    Staff are friendly, Ask for a window seat, they do a lovely 3 course sunday lunch for €30.

    Where abouts in Bettystown?


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,900 ✭✭✭Quality


    Where abouts in Bettystown?


    Ok if you know where the neptune is and you are driving south towards laytown... It is about 100 metres past the neptune on the left hand side. It used to be Bacchus?!

    There is a little cafe type restaurant beside it called Relish... Lovely for Lunch and Coffee... Always packed


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,557 ✭✭✭Fingers Mcginty


    Oh yes...I know where it is now. Cheers :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 156 ✭✭merryhappy


    It's not in Drogheda but the the Colosseo in Duleek it definitely worth a visit. It was taken over a while ago by a Drogheda woman and the chef from la pizzeria.

    I can't fault the place at all, food, service, atmosphere, price, brilliant!


  • Registered Users Posts: 377 ✭✭garrincha62


    The Punjabi House- Lovely food, nice portions and the no corkage thing is great. When it's busy it has a good atmosphere, but when you are the only ones in the room it's a bit weird.

    Garam Masala-Reasonably priced, great selection and good service. Best Indian in town.

    Indian on Dublin Road beside Ollies pub-Ate their takeout twice. First time got Gastritis and was off work for 3 days with a mixture of Ghandi's revenge and a stomach so hard it was like a gardai stab vest. Open minded I ordered from there a second time a few months later, same story. Avoid if you value your sphincter.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20 harobed


    Are you serious its taht bad? how can they say on the door that it is best Indian in Co.Louth if that is the case?I was thinking of going to get a take away there but u have put me off. I have tried one on Trinity st, quite nice and again you can bring own wine which is a bonuS! nice fish tank in dining area


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,259 ✭✭✭positron


    I live in Wheaton Hall. And I am commuter zombie. I walk/bike/drive to and fro the station, and I usually am really hungry by the time I get home in the evening. The thought of grabbing a pot or a pan, or sticking things in the microwave, waiting for things to happen, then washing up later… – all major obstacles standing in the way of my tired lower back and the comfy couch in front of the TV playing TopGear or some dude trying to swallow worms and snails in the name of extreme survival training or something like that!! Thanks to Woks cooking though – its all in the past! :D

    Wok’s cooking undoubtedly has the largest and most pleasant looking waiting area for a Chinese takeaway in this side of China! They are well stocked up on latest magazines and news papers to keep you busy with all sorts of things that you would want to do when you wait for your food at takeaways. If you don’t you could just sit there and listen to the woman at the counter so skilfully manage up to half a dozen customers at the same time – taking order from one the counter, handing out the menu to another one, handing out the food and taking money off yet another and all this with three others on hold on phone!! Even with all going on, she still has the longest ‘Thankyooooouuuu’ for every single customer she deals with!

    Now, for those who are not keen on waiting, Spar is right next door for your milk or a few beers or for a bottle of wine for herself. There’s also a video rental place next door, which looks like a nice place, but I have never been there – darn internet!

    Back at Wok’s cooking, dinner for one usually costs less than a tenner, quantity is usually good to very good depending how much you usually consume, and so is the quality. Their chicken breast curry is the creamiest and tastiest chicken breast curry ever! Almost everything is ready in 10 to 15 minutes! I honestly can’t think of any Chinese takeaways that does anything better than Wok’s cooking!

    One minor drawback is that they close at 12 at night. So go elsewhere if you are hungry from a night out in town, or if missed your last train or if your flight came in late etc.

    Conclusion: The perfect excuse for not cooking – they are quicker and probably closer to my couch than my own kitchen! :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18 Hawkeye4real


    Been living in Drogheda for 11 years and have tried lots of places to eat. Couple of years ago, settled on what was defo our favourite, for both food and service, but alas, Martellos has closed (think they were very stretched between there and the place they have in Navan.) So after going there so often lately (as well as Lemongrass) now a bit out of touch and have a group of friends coming up next weekend for a meal and dont know where to book for them. One problem is, one or two of them are fairly plain eaters (otherwise the Japanese night in lemongrass would have been ideal), so we need somewhere with basic options and a bit of atmosphere. Seem to be mixed reviews for La Pizzeria and boiled onion and our friends don't get up too often (as one of them gigs in music business most weekends) so don't want to make a bad choice. Any suggestions, for good basic food with a bit of atmosphere please??


  • Registered Users Posts: 377 ✭✭garrincha62


    If your plain eating friends like Italian food (everyone does right?!) then I would reccommend D Vine beside the Old Abbey Shopping Centre. It has a good atmosphere and sometimes has some classical guitar player diddling away in the corner.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 150 ✭✭bettedavis


    was in boiled onion during week for early bird. first time and very impressed. Nice athmosphere, staff v. pleasant and food lovely. good price too, 22.50 a head or 50 for a couple with a free bottle of wine, and it wasn't cheap plonko either, brand name. I would go back . on the other side of things, passed through ardee a few weeks back. went to that take away at bottom of town, palace or something. 3 in 1......... lots of rice, 5 chips and a dribble of sauce, €5.00..............not impressed. (asked for onions, got none, which was probably for the best as i would have probably had to relinquish 2 of the 5 chips!)


  • Registered Users Posts: 495 ✭✭LOTTOWINNER


    bettedavis wrote: »
    was in boiled onion during week for early bird. first time and very impressed. Nice athmosphere, staff v. pleasant and food lovely. good price too, 22.50 a head or 50 for a couple with a free bottle of wine, and it wasn't cheap plonko either, brand name. I would go back .

    agree with above! One bad point,I was there 2 weeks ago and the carpet was in bad need of replacement, I almost got stuck to the floor it was that grimey.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6 Louth Macra


    Really loved the pink elephant the last time I was there about 3 months ago!! Absolutely lovely and the food was fantastic and reasonably priced!!

    My favourites are Reds, Monasterboice inn, pink elepant and the valley inn!!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 150 ✭✭bettedavis


    agree with above! One bad point,I was there 2 weeks ago and the carpet was in bad need of replacement, I almost got stuck to the floor it was that grimey.

    funny you should mention that! we noted that very thing on the way out, on the stairs particularly, we theorised it was due to the fact that it seems to be a communal stairway which leads straight from the street and is carpeted. does take away from the place alright.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,812 ✭✭✭gipi


    Indian on Dublin Road beside Ollies pub-Ate their takeout twice. First time got Gastritis and was off work for 3 days with a mixture of Ghandi's revenge and a stomach so hard it was like a gardai stab vest. Open minded I ordered from there a second time a few months later, same story. Avoid if you value your sphincter.

    I've eaten from this takeaway several times, and thankfully, haven't had anything like your experience! I found it tasty too!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2 the donnell


    No one seems to have mentioned Bella A'tina Italinan Restauant on the quays, very cosy restaurant lovely food very reasonable.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 102 ✭✭freetoair


    First of all THE CURRY HOUSE beside ollies bar is a nightmare!!! Avoid it whatever you do. No wine, only beer, food is bland and reheated...and they only take cash! I can't believe they are allowed to run as a restaurant.

    Boiled Onion is very good, my only problem is that it gets very loud in there so much so that you can't hear the people at your own table. Food is great!

    Garam Masala is very good but as a previous poster says, it is very very quiet. Staff however are friendly, food is good and it is good value.

    I hated D'Vine, took over 2 hours to get a very plain pasta dish delivered to my table. When I complained about the delay the response was 'what do you expect for 12 euro!'. Honestly, D'Vine and Curry House are two places I will never return to.

    For a really special night out with a group of friends try the Cellars in the Boyne Valley hotel. It can be a bit expensive but the service is the best I have ever come across, the steaks are to die for, and the head waiter is the most professional I have ever encountered. It's professionalism takes you by surprise. (Note: cellars is under the hotel but enter through reception).

    Bella Atina..simple menu, fantastic food, good value, great staff. The chicken in brandy sauce is to die for!!!! Great atmosphere! Can't fault the place apart from delays on nights where they have large parties at a single table.

    King of Kings is a great chinese, very clean, food is good, not the cheapest but you feel well looked after and atmosphere is good.

    Ming Garden - just too small, you end up sitting on other people's laps. I like to be able to pick up a knife and fork without elbowing the person behind me. Food is good but I couldn't wait to leave.

    Borzalino is a great Italian up Trinity Street. You'll need to pre-book but the food is great, atmosphere is great, food is fantastic from a great menu and it is reasonably good value for money.

    Hope some of this helps


  • Registered Users Posts: 29 mendacity


    Anyone tried this restaurant yet. I am hearing great things about celeb chef George and the food in the Poets since he started running it earlier this year.

    I'd love to hear how people found it??


  • Registered Users Posts: 975 ✭✭✭louthandproud


    harobed wrote: »
    here are my personal faves

    Punjabi house - Dublin Rd, excellent Indian food, you can bring own wine, gets busy fri / sat nites, good prices too.

    D'Vine Great for nice food and wine, food is reasonably priced, wine is where the money goes but is a really nice atmosphere there

    Pizzeria - Great Italian Food - Great Character

    Redz - Nice food, good portions but overpriced slightly

    Scholars for lunch in restaurant, lovely! especially if you take set menu

    Places i dislike:

    Boiled Onion, Overpriced, food is average for what you pay

    Bru = overpriced food is too minimal for what you pay

    Indus - overpriced, and not typical indian restaurant food (in saying that it is probably authentic dishes, just not to my liking)


    Scholars for dinner too, a little expensive but worth it. Service impeccable when I was there, as was the food.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 58 ✭✭rdb666


    Nobody mentioned Sorrento's on shop street yet. Just back from there this evening. Granted its not the most pleasing place on the eye, could do with a little refurb, but the food is consistently very good and staff are always friendly. And unlike most places, they dont rip you off.

    Mentioned already, but King of kings is really a fab chinese, I've been to most of the chinese restaurants/take aways in Drogheda, but have to admit these are the nicest.


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