bray eating out

phrage

bray is a gastronomic sinkhole.
each chinese is vile.
cafe bar deli (what a stupid idea and name) is justifiably closing today. their menu was mean and badly executed.(spaghetti bol 14 euros !!!!-cost 3 euros)
shelbys is an expensive joke- 2 course early bird at 20 euros plus 2 euro service . a brassserie ???- with the most boring beers on earth-someone shoulgd give them a dictionary.
campo de fiori started well but charge too much.
barracuda used to be ok -what a waste of a great location
royal hotel does lumpen culchie cookery-veg boiled beyond death-soup a tiny step up from packet. but offers what is probably the best value in town for an early bird 3 course at 18 euro
the three indians are WAY overpriced.
martello bistro used to be ok -the three soup starter was great but the menu changes little.
dustys is a carbon copy of the royal-boring boring boring.
a chef has taken over the ex drug den restaurant at the station but is only doing nasty overpriced coffee so far.
kasks came and went and despite a four seasons trained chef achieved little someone should have told the lad that you cannot make a bearnaise with malt vinegar !
ocean bar remains closed
40,000 people-even in a recession there must be someone who can offer an interesting meal for 20 quid a head-we need a local eamonn o'cathain.
the "f--- it in the deep fat fryer with some old oil" school of cuisine dominates.
even the pizza places are unskilled mean and pricey.
none of them use their websites to good effect- menus are absent, out of date or incomplete.
bray could be a mecca for all customers on the dart line to come and eat and drink with no drunk driving risk.

skibum

Would have to agree with you, have lived in Bray for the last twelve years and have tried most to the places you mentioned and a few more that have come and gone....
Having said that I love the chicken fillet burger and chips from Henry and Rose near the Dart station.

foxy06

Can't completely agree with you because it used to be a lot worse.
In my opinion:

Campo da fiore: Excellent authentic Italian food with lovely relaxed service.
Barracuda: Overpriced, service wasn't great at the start but seems to have improved....a little.
Dustys: Wouldn't set foot in the place
Kennedys: Nice bar food and carvery lunch, reasonable
Benny's (used to be andrews): standards have dropped since the change of hands
Martello Bistro: Early Bird at 20 for 4 courses and good service. Can't go wrong here or in the barfood.
Shelbys: Ate here twice and enjoyed it.
Pallazo: Bit scabby on the portions for the price. Wouldn't be a favourite of mine.
Jasmine: Excellent chinese. Bit quick on the service but otherwise great. Good takeaway.

Thats my 2 cents anyway. Can't say I'm suprised at Cafe Bar Deli closing. The menu was crap. Never seemed to be anyone in the place.

Craft25

Always liked the indian food on the corner above Superquinn, though i have to admit it's pricey.

Tower Bistro is good imo, especially at €20 for early bird..

Orchard Court does a decent chinese..

Kennedys for a bit of bar food isnt toobad.

Bray suffers in every facet of social life due to the fact that it is just close enough to Dublin to make people choose dublin to go out (therefore reducing investment in Bray social outlets/shopping facilities), but not far enough away that it develops as an independent placeon its own. ie. its not close enough to town to make going there easy(taxi's etc), but not far enough away to be an truly separate place.

Creamy Goodness

how about pizza's n' creams, still as delicious as ever. although it is a bit pricey.

waves

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

how about pizza's n' creams, still as delicious as ever. although it is a bit pricey.

30% off all food at the mo in Pizzas and Cream....

I think that they have been over priced for many years.

foxy06

Just saw that on the window today. Might just go in for a meal sometime soon. Used to love their food. Don't like the Albert Walk though for some reason. Always seemed real dingy. There is another Pizza and Cream in Eden Gate near Charlesland though.

sagat

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

how about pizza's n' creams, still as delicious as ever. although it is a bit pricey.

Was a gem back in it's day, about a year or two ago I paid my first visit after 15 years away and was shocked to see the place was exactly as I had last seen it only grimier and dilapidated, same furniture, fittings etc. Food was still superb but the place can seriously do with some renovation, not as bad as the bowling alley though which is hillariously outdated.

bernard0368

Have to agree with some of the comments.

Campo da fiore: I liked it both times I was there.
Barracuda: Bad food, lousy service terrible value
Pizzas and cream: Good pizza but the service has gone to hell, a little dated.
martello tower: Its okay I havent had any complaints on the times i have been.
The orchard court: I have always enjoyed but I know the owner well and he has alway looked after me, so a bit biased.
The Indian: ate there once and enjoyed it.
Shelbys: Ate once the food wasnt the greatest so never returned.

H n R's God I loved there special burger after a skinfull,

Bray was always a disaster for good restaurants especially since the Tree of idlness closed.

John Mason

hmmmmmmmmmmm, Pizza 'n' Cream hmmmmmmmmmmm

Henry and Rose (or henry and nosebag, as it is know to the locals - yummers after a feed of beers)

Does anyone here remember Escape? i got a craving for their bunratty pie the other night - i really miss Escape (come back Tom, please)

The Chessplayer

I heard the Cafe Bar Deli closed down in Bray, is that right?

waves

Cafe Bar Deli closed last week...

Was there once and it was fine... think the main problem though was location. That place has never really worked as a restaurant with Cape Greko and was it Sopranos or Goodfellas before then. If they had opened it on the seafront, I think it may have worked better.

Pity to see it close though - I'm sure the franchise wasn't cheap.

Ahhhhh, Escape.... the perfect place in Bray to go.... BYOB, relatively cheap and usually cheerful, unless Tom was in a mood. Really had that certain something that some places just have... loved going there with a big group.

The little Campe deli does great anti-pastas and paninis.... wine by the glass... free nibbles at weekends.

Crunkussion

Got to agree with the above, Benny's is delish, been ordering from there since it was called Andrews, their duck and satay is unbelievable.

I ordered take away from Pizza's 'n' cream recently too and I loved it as much as I did when I was just a young one.

One to avoid though is the Indian restaurant beside Benny's, Sanam I think it's called, absolute foul that place and they tried to charge us extra on an item we didn't even buy.

mikkael

pink fluffy bunny wrote: »

hmmmmmmmmmmm, Pizza 'n' Cream hmmmmmmmmmmm

Henry and Rose (or henry and nosebag, as it is know to the locals - yummers after a feed of beers)

Does anyone here remember Escape? i got a craving for their bunratty pie the other night - i really miss Escape (come back Tom, please)

God be with the days ... yes, Escape, Tom ... what an amazing place that was. The food was divine. Didn't dig the fairground music too much, but it was the best eaterie in Bray in the 1990's.

Jim Doyles is pretty good for decent food of an evening. Also, remember 'Gary's Takeaway' up the laneway beside the Martello ... it's been Daata Tandoori for years now, and they do great quality nosh.

Cheers,

Tony

Moobui

Does anyone know if the Pizza's and Cream in Delgany is owned by the same people as the Bray one? I have ordered there once and it was one of the worst pizzas I have ever eaten.

mikkael

I'm nearly certain they're the same Pizzas 'n' Cream. Hey, is that nice little place 'Poppys' still there, up beyond the La Touche? Admittedly it's been about 10 years ... I used to love that place though.

Looking at this thread is making me hungry :rolleyes:

mikedragon32

mikkael wrote: »

I'm nearly certain they're the same Pizzas 'n' Cream. Hey, is that nice little place 'Poppys' still there, up beyond the La Touche? Admittedly it's been about 10 years ... I used to love that place though.

Looking at this thread is making me hungry :rolleyes:

Poppies is called Summerville's now, but it's as good as ever!

Catari Jaguar

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

how about pizza's n' creams, still as delicious as ever. although it is a bit pricey.

Heard it's closing down! Say it ain't so!!

brayblue24

mikedragon32 wrote: »

Poppies is called Summerville's now, but it's as good as ever!

Used to bring our eldest lad there when he was a newborn-nearly 13 years ago. It was seriously olde worlde and quaint. Very nice spot. I presumed new name meant new regime but might get a bit of lunch there now on Friday before end of school holidays and if it's not up to scratch then I can always blame it on mikedragon32!

John Mason

is the tree of idlness still there ?

that was nice, anyone remember when jon bon jovi had dinner there?

Alun

pink fluffy bunny wrote: »

is the tree of idlness still there ?

that was nice, anyone remember when jon bon jovi had dinner there?

It's been gone for ages now.

murpho999

I think the best restaurant in Bray is Campo Di Fiori. Great Italian food but is a little pricey.

Next would be Shelby's, although I do find it hit and miss. Also find the service to be too fast. You could have 3 courses done there in 40 mins which I don't like if I want to have a relaxing meal.

Sanam used to be good but I find it has really gone downhill and I wouldn't go back to it since they added Italian, Thai & Japanese!

Now, what really annoys me about Bray is the lack of places to go for a decent lunch whilst out shopping.

All the coffee shops seem to serve food baked under hot lamps for hours or bloody paninis. Real lack of nice cafes with a decent menu at a good price.
Best one in Bray is probably Betelnut, by the Mermaid Arts Centre but the rest are terrible. When I look at the options available in the likes of Greystones, Dun Laoghaire, or even Drogheda then you'll see what I mean.

shellz

I agree with murpho there, Betelnut is really nice. Great selection of sandwiches, salads, hot food, etc. And you can always take in whatever exhibition is open upstairs too.

Creamy Goodness

Say it ain't so indeed.

If PnC's closes in Bray there'll be basically nothing good in the town no more.

jclare56

barracuda is nice if ya fancy sumfin fancy also a nice little italien across the road from it - palazzo....

and further down the seafront we have the porterhouse situated on teh right - great pub grub

YraggarY

Hey guys,

Pizzas 'n Cream in Eden Gate is indeed owned by the same folks who own the one in Bray. My girlfriend works there and employees are often sent from the Bray restaurant to the Eden Gate one on busy days / employee absences. And just to allay your fears, neither are closing down as far as the OH tells me. Pizzerias have some of their best financial times in times of recession as less people can eat out for a treat so they get take away food to have a good night in. In fact, Apache Pizza have capitalised on that fact by opening a take-out branch in Greystones. There're now 4 pizzerias out that way.. Astounding! :rolleyes:

wilson10

I've never eaten out in Bray, wouldn't have a clue but I saw a feature on the manageress of the Barrakuda in the Sunday Indo yesterday.

Very tasty.

brayblue24

wilson10 wrote: »

I've never eaten out in Bray, wouldn't have a clue but I saw a feature on the manageress of the Barrakuda in the Sunday Indo yesterday.

Very tasty.

See sign on door here. Lunches €7.50. Nice looking menu too

mcgiggy

The Tower Bistro is the best overall restaurant in Bray by far - especially with there 20 euro early bird menu - cant be beaten

murpho999

mcgiggy wrote: »

The Tower Bistro is the best overall restaurant in Bray by far - especially with there 20 euro early bird menu - cant be beaten

Sorry, I just couldn't agree here.

The place has potential, but a lot of the dishes are over complicated and pretentious.

The chef is obviously trying to be very clever but they always put too many ingredients on the plate and try to make a big fancy impression but the end result is that there is just too much going on.

It would be much better if they just keep things simple and did less items on the plate but better.....less is more as the old adage goes.

foxy06

When was the last time you were there? There has been a new chef for a few months now and it sounds like it has changed from what you have described.

murpho999

foxy06 wrote: »

When was the last time you were there? There has been a new chef for a few months now and it sounds like it has changed from what you have described.

I'd say it was a year ago and we swore we wouldn't go there again. After reading your post had a look at their website and found the menu has changed so I might give it another chance.

Place is pretty pricey though, €17-25 for a main, but you still have to get a side dish of potato for around €4....I really hate when restaurants do that.

foxy06

No fries or veg are included with the main but if you want garlic and cheese potatoes or extra fries or something then they charge. The early bird would be the one to go for. 20 Euro per person for 3 courses and tea/coffee. If you order steak off the early bird there is a supplement of 3 or 4 euro but there are other options like chicken, lamb and salmon if you want to keep it at 20. There are house bottles of wine too for 19 so 2 people 3 courses and a bottle of wine for less than 60 quid.

Also on the restaurant subject I was in Shelbys this week for the first time since it had just opened and there was a massive improvement from my first visit. Great atmosphere on entering, friendly staff, food was delicious. I had a duck starter and hubby had seafood chowder. Duck was lovely but could do with a little sauce, chowder was fab and we both had belly of pork for main off the specials board and it was lovely too. They do however charge for any sides which is irritating but the food was good so I won't complain. I had a baileys and hazlenut parfait which was delicious and he had bread and butter pud and liked it too. I had 2 cokes and he had 2 bottles of beer and bill was 90 Euro. Really enjoyed the night out, especially the atmosphere. Was a bit disappointed as wanted to go to Campo da Fiora (Used to be Escape) but they didn't open on Tuesday nights but we were glad we chose shebys in the end.

shellz

Myself and the OH had the Martello early bird recently - the chef doesn't appear to know what a medium-rare steak is, my OH sent the first one back for being too over-done, and the replacement one was just as done. I was half-way thru my own main at this stage (which, to be somewhat fair, was the biggest piece of salmon I've ever had) so he didn't send the second one back, but it was disappointing to have it happen twice in the one meal. I demanded that the steak supplement be removed from our bill, and we got an extra fries and veg for no extra charge, so that was good service.

It's a fantastic deal all things considered though. Brown bread ice-cream, nom nom nom.