Wicklow Restaurant Reviews - Your Say.

Auscast

Myself being a relative newcomer to Wicklow, I thought it might be a good idea to have a thread about the local restaurants, as there's only a few, so newcomers can review this and choose what might suit them.

I read elsewhere on here that Pings is a good Chinese, so the Mrs and I ordered takeaway last weekend. Upon entering to collect, the restaurant was busy and buzzing which is normally a good sign. Unfortunately, upon returning home, all our dishes although looking tasty, turned out to be very bland. It really was a case of "this is a little bland, oh well, let's try the next dish, oh... that's a bit disappointing too... etc".
This may perfectly suit a family with young children or those unfamiliar with foreign food, but for us it mean't we'll be trying elsewhere before we go back.

WIZE

Avon Ri in Blessington has a great restaurant and scenery

Jemmy

Auscast wrote: »

Myself being a relative newcomer to Wicklow, I thought it might be a good idea to have a thread about the local restaurants, as there's only a few, so newcomers can review this and choose what might suit them.

I read elsewhere on here that Pings is a good Chinese, so the Mrs and I ordered takeaway last weekend. Upon entering to collect, the restaurant was busy and buzzing which is normally a good sign. Unfortunately, upon returning home, all our dishes although looking tasty, turned out to be very bland. It really was a case of "this is a little bland, oh well, let's try the next dish, oh... that's a bit disappointing too... etc".
This may perfectly suit a family with young children or those unfamiliar with foreign food, but for us it mean't we'll be trying elsewhere before we go back.

Have to disagree Pings has nice food, I've never got a bad dish from there. Always busy always full, never heard anyone say a bad word about it. Just my 2c!

Jamuna is a nice indian but they are a disaster when it comes to getting your order right so always double check the bag before you leave!

tweeky

Penang Garden on South Quay is really good food and pricewise! Have a meal/takeaway there and you will see Pings is a disaster food wise.
The new Italian above Phil Healys is not bad and still settling down but it is expensive compared to Dublin prices, they should follow suit with set menus.
Casapepe is not my cup of tea with more emphasis on the drink and loud music than the food.
Avoca is really good with great food but the later openingstimes of last summer/autumn weren't supported well enough to continue.
Donellis is closed more times than open.
my 2c.

yogidc26

Jemmy wrote: »

Have to disagree Pings has nice food, I've never got a bad dish from there. Always busy always full, never heard anyone say a bad word about it. Just my 2c!

Jamuna is a nice indian but they are a disaster when it comes to getting your order right so always double check the bag before you leave!

+1 I have never got a bad dish out of Pings have to say it on of the best chineses I have had a take away from.

I went to the new Restaurant in the grand and it was very poor not nice at all, the man sitting next to us had to send his food back twice because it wasn't right we wont be going back again:mad:

Casapepe+Jamuna Indian we have found to be great. Food is top class and service is very good

Auscast

tweeky wrote: »

Penang Garden on South Quay is really good food and pricewise! Have a meal/takeaway there and you will see Pings is a disaster food wise.
The new Italian above Phil Healys is not bad and still settling down but it is expensive compared to Dublin prices, they should follow suit with set menus.
Casapepe is not my cup of tea with more emphasis on the drink and loud music than the food.
Avoca is really good with great food but the later openingstimes of last summer/autumn weren't supported well enough to continue.
Donellis is closed more times than open.
my 2c.

Will try out Penang Garden for sure. We're looking to go to the Italian for my wife's birthday at the end of the month. I didn't know it was new though...
For those that ate at Pings and enjoyed it, are you spicy food eaters? Or might you have tamer palates? Just wondering if ours was a once-off and we should not write them off.

yogidc26

Auscast wrote: »

Will try out Penang Garden for sure. We're looking to go to the Italian for my wife's birthday at the end of the month. I didn't know it was new though...
For those that ate at Pings and enjoyed it, are you spicy food eaters? Or might you have tamer palates? Just wondering if ours was a once-off and we should not write them off.

I love spicy food I know sometimes its not that spicy out of pings but just ask them to make what way you like it and they will do it for you.

kev91

have to say pings is top notch aswell as oriental castle but for a nice pizza the pizza place in ashford beside adrianos is by far the best around followed by mizzonis steak house is nice too bit pricey but well worth it also for a nice takeaway the rock chipper in rathnew is good too

How Strange

I usually don't like chinese takeaways but Pings is one of the better ones.

Bates in Rathdrum is top notch.

Wicklow Heather in Laragh is good but has gotten quite expensive lately.

Qs

If you want Italian in Wicklow go to Casa Pepe, its no coincidence its the only Italian thats lasted in the town. Beautiful food and a decent price.

I prefer the Penang for Chinese too. Never been a fan of Pings, used the Oriental Castle before the Penang opened but they've been on decline for quite a while.

Auscast

Will have to try Casa Pepe then.
We went to Jausna on Tuesday night and it was pretty awful. 2 burnt, flat potato cakes as a €7 entree, and the two mains we had were basically 6 - 8 pieces of grilled meat drowned in insipid sauce. This is not what Indian food is about. Will not be going there again (or recommending it).
It's a shame that restaurants still feel they have to serve this kind of crap in this day and age.

admiralofthefleet

can anyone recommend somewhere nice to eat in arklow, so far i like sally o briens and the taj but it would be good to know other good places

thanks

BobbyJohn

Went with my wife and a couple of friends for Sunday lunch, to the new refurbished restaurant above sealife or seaworld on the Bray promenade.

Decor is good, the starters were great, then a 45 minute wait until main course, which was cold and a huge ball of fluff in the side vegetables.

The manager knocked the food of the bill, but all in all not somewhere I'd advise anyone to visit, unles it was for a coffee.

ciaran67

As a Londoner who grew up eating curry can i recommend Indian Spice in Greystones. Its kind of expensive compare with what im used to but the food is truly excellent, sourced locally. Their lamb just falls apart. Indian Spice is a delivery place btw.

buzzymam

Qs wrote: »

If you want Italian in Wicklow go to Casa Pepe, its no coincidence its the only Italian thats lasted in the town. Beautiful food and a decent price.

I prefer the Penang for Chinese too. Never been a fan of Pings, used the Oriental Castle before the Penang opened but they've been on decline for quite a while.

Sorry but Casa Pepe is about as far from proper "Italian" as you can get.

Havn't eaten there yet but I read that Ristorante Morsiani on Bridge Street got a phenomenal review in the Irish Indo recently.

krisbecs

Casa Pepe not good - have eaten there 3 times for different reasons (friends bdays etc.) & every time the food was bland & overpriced & the setting itself is dingy on one bday they charged €40 to slice a bday cake.

For take away I would highly rate the Chinese in Rathnew it's excellent.

For really really good food though I would go to The Park in Arklow it's a little expensive but excellent the chef was the head chef in Marlfield House for years & the front of house is run by Brookelodge's previous restaurant manger. I have eaten there numerous times & never had any reason to quibble.

tonyon

Self and the Missus wandered into WWK, beside Apache Pizza at the Mall and found the atmosphere very welcoming and food very good. Good to see new ventures opening in the current climate. Will go back.

Chrisi

Pings restaurant is great to eat in, takeaway not so good.

Penang garden is lovely, really nice food.

Casapepe is hit and miss. The last time I went it was gorgeous, if not a bit overpriced but I have had some bad experiences there too.

For lunches try bridge street (halpins) cafe, or the new cafe in earls.

The grand hotel does some nice food too, although i have heard that their menu has recently changed so I'm not sure whats available now.

The steak house is nice too!!

If your ever going out for a irthday meal go to pings, its a great atmosphere and they make a fuss of whoevers birthday it is

iregk

I'd also recommend Avon Ri as has been said earlier. Great food, great price and if its a nice day you have the most stunning scenery.

admiralofthefleet

has anyone eaten out of the new indian in arklow (the orchard).
im getting an indian tonight but the taj was terrible last week

aidan_mc

I see Lings on the albert walk in bray is reopening soon
Beautiful food

White_Wolf

Campo de Fiori, on Albert Avenue in Bray. In my opinion it is the best Italian in Wicklow and maybe even Dublin. Price is high enough but you get what you pay for with wide selection of absolutely excellent food and a wide range of wines to boot. They do a very nice cup of Italian coffee also.

The are also very welcoming and a very nice polite staff. All Italian but speak perfect English.

This is by far the nicest place I have eaten and if I had the money to eat there every day I would.

Alun

aidan_mc wrote: »

I see Lings on the albert walk in bray is reopening soon
Beautiful food

They're open again ... they moved to the place that was their shop at 10b Albert Walk .. much bigger than the old place. Phone number is the same.

XxMCRxBabyxX

Pings have a great new early bird menu with four courses for €16.99. There's a good choice and the food was lovely when I was there on Thurs.

Here's the Menu: http://www.pingschineserestaurant.com/early_bird.htm

Just thought I'd give it a mention!

ciaran67

Recession?

Last night, after the Bray air show, we headed back to Greystones. First we went to Bocelli's restaurant. We got our menus pretty quick but then were ignored for about 20-25 minutes, not even offered a drink. There was hardly anyone in the place and at least 3 staff on. People on the table next to ours had to go in and request something. We left with the hump and headed to Vino Pasta where, again, we ended up sitting outside, for what seemed like an eternity and this time we didnt even get menu's. We left again. Absolutely unbelievable on a quiet Sunday night. Im leaving GStones soon and after living here for quite a while, and being put off by the mad prices of restaurants in GStones IMO, we thought we give it a try. Its actually quite funny.

shinny

I've had two bad experiences now with the new place in Wicklow Town called WWK (World Wide Kitchen). I've not actually sat in and ate in the place but we've order food a few times from there. Two ocassions I collected the food from there and found the owner (he works front of house) dismissive. It was almost like I was bugging him by getting a take out. I wouldn't mind but they weren't even busy in the place.

I've just come back from collecting food again and this man was extremely rude to me. I just cannot fathom it. I see them struggling and noticed they have been closed before 10pm on several weekends. Is it any wonder?

If they want to continue they need to appreciate their take out Customers could very well be what keeps them a float. Having said that, I won't be returning. I was prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt on the first ocassion but to have it happen again and worse this time is enough for me not to want to spend my hard earned money there!

shinny

tweeky wrote: »

Penang Garden on South Quay is really good food and pricewise!

Totally agree. I love the Pad Thai from Penangs.

shinny

Pineto Classico (back road from Wicklow to Rathnew)

So far we've enjoyed the food from here. We've only had Fresh Cod and chips but it was very nice.

FYI, they have nothing to do withe Pineto in the Town. I rang them to try to get a number for the other place and was swiftly told they are nothing to do with each other The Pineto Classico don't have a phone in yet, btw.

tonyon

Ah come on Shinny, don't sit on the fence now, give us the benefit ? of your opinion. Whew.!

shinny

tonyon wrote: »

Ah come on Shinny, don't sit on the fence now, give us the benefit ? of your opinion. Whew.!

Well isn't that the point of this thread? I think the hint is in the title

purple123

Wicklow heather is lovely but very very expensive wouldnt hav much change out of 100 euro for 2 people, only went cause of we had a voucher. Fillet steak 28 euro served with mash spuds underneath and a mushroom with choice of chips, garlic potatoes or salad. It was packed that nite and when we passed the next day it was packed aswell. Germains in Baltinglas is lovely and prices are much more reasonable