New Shops/Businesses in Bray

Son of Jack

First visit today to Dockyard No.8 at Bray Harbour as a result of great reviews on Trip Advisor http://www.tripadvisor.ie/Restaurant_Review-g212098-d6886712-Reviews-Dockyard_No_8-Bray_County_Wicklow.html

We had brunch and really enjoyed it. Lovely atmosphere. Very welcoming.
A little bit different to the usual (in a good way )
Will be going back to try the sea food chowder.
Closes at five.

The harbour is buzzing like it never used be with the boxing club, East Coast Adventures, the Harbour Bar and sailing club. Find it hard to get parking there now and once it used be fairly deserted. Lovely to see.

Calibos

Son of Jack wrote: »

First visit today to Dockyard No.8 at Bray Harbour as a result of great reviews on Trip Advisor http://www.tripadvisor.ie/Restaurant_Review-g212098-d6886712-Reviews-Dockyard_No_8-Bray_County_Wicklow.html

We had brunch and really enjoyed it. Lovely atmosphere. Very welcoming.
A little bit different to the usual (in a good way )
Will be going back to try the sea food chowder.
Closes at five.

The harbour is buzzing like it never used be with the boxing club, East Coast Adventures, the Harbour Bar and sailing club. Find it hard to get parking there now and once it used be fairly deserted. Lovely to see.

Is it the Duggan lads that opened this place too? They must be one of the biggest employers in Bray at this stage.

Great to see the confidence to invest that they have, the success they've had investing and the confidence it should give to others. That and my own views on the gentrification of the seafront area give me the confidence that once things financially improve a bit more in my line of business and we recover from the financial shock of the last few years, that it will be more than worth our while reinvesting heavily in upgrading/renovating our premises. It's with shame and frustration that I look at our premises atm that has seen far better days, but it was all we could do to just stay in business the last few years.

Things are 'a changin for the better I believe though.

Thargor

Which premises are yours Calibos or do you not say?

Calibos

Rather not say Thargor. It's very frustrating in that I have all the plans and ideas in my head that will really spruce up the premises and environ and will only cost me a few grand because I can do nearly all the work myself, it's just finding that spare few grand that the landlord, banks or taxman don't want to get their mitts on.

Annasopra

Calibos wrote: »

Is it the Duggan lads that opened this place too?

No

sallymomo

Son of Jack wrote: »

First visit today to Dockyard No.8 at Bray Harbour as a result of great reviews on Trip Advisor http://www.tripadvisor.ie/Restaurant_Review-g212098-d6886712-Reviews-Dockyard_No_8-Bray_County_Wicklow.html

We had brunch and really enjoyed it. Lovely atmosphere. Very welcoming.
A little bit different to the usual (in a good way )
Will be going back to try the sea food chowder.
Closes at five.

The harbour is buzzing like it never used be with the boxing club, East Coast Adventures, the Harbour Bar and sailing club. Find it hard to get parking there now and once it used be fairly deserted. Lovely to see.

Will definitely have to get down and try this place as the only decent breakfast in Bray is the Ocean (my opinion only!!) I do hope that all those rave reviews on Tripadvisor from single reviewers are just coincidence though..I guess the coffee will be the judgement as 1 person who was impressed with it did mention thats where it lacked (as opposed to the previous people who said it was the best coffee in Wicklow - I do hope they have tried lots of places in Bray first, not just Wicklow!)

Son of Jack - did you ask them if they plan on staying open after 5 in the future? I can imagine if its as cool as everyone says, that it would be a good spot in the evenings.

Might get down this weekend to try - if I do I'll pop on here and give my thoughts, hopefully all positive! Time to give (gourmet) Greystones some competition...

zoobizoo

I haven't tried the coffee there yet but great to see the harbour area pumping for the first time ever possibly. I heard that they do plan to stay open later in the Dockyard.

Can you imagine if the Gas suppliers was sold and another restaurant opened there.... it's not as if the gas suppliers couldn't move elsewhere.

Fair play to the Duggan's too who have invested in the town and raised the bar. I really feel the town is buzzing at the mo (and hopefully the main street will be soon too)

I've switched coffee allegiances to Carpe Diem. Great coffee and some nice cakes too..

Son of Jack

I didn't ask about staying open past five. It's a very young business...just finding its feet. I hadn't seen it advertised anywhere but had heard on the grapevine about it. Perhaps they wanted to be more sure of themselves before putting themselves out there. If they felt there was a market for staying open past five perhaps they might.

The difference for me from a number of local eateries was the friendly atmosphere. We felt we were welcome. We have had some trying experiences recently with very unsatisfactory service in one or two of our usual haunts, so it made a pleasant change to have confidence that those waiting tables weren't going to leave us high and dry.

I thought the food was of good quality, freshly cooked and tasty. I liked the decor. It's a little different...'cool' as you say. We had that pleasant experience where we felt like tourists in our own town.

It's small... and certainly cosy inside. A reviewer making claims for the best coffee in Bray is a little risky and definitely a matter of preference. (I'd tea ) My coffee drinking friends would second Carpe Diem for great coffee.

As I said before the net effect of all the activity at the harbour is good to see. It certainly beats the past ghost like harbour with the tumbleweed blowing through.

Annasopra

Wheres carpe diem?

Son of Jack

It is beside the Bus Terminus on Albert Avenue; beyond the railway bridge, between Albert Walk and the Prom
You might recognise it from this photo:
http://www.tripadvisor.ie/Restaurant_Review-g212098-d6782227-Reviews-Carpediem-Bray_County_Wicklow.html
People seem to like it there!

Annasopra

Son of Jack wrote: »

It is beside the Bus Terminus on Albert Avenue; beyond the railway bridge, between Albert Walk and the Prom
You might recognise it from this photo:
http://www.tripadvisor.ie/Restaurant_Review-g212098-d6782227-Reviews-Carpediem-Bray_County_Wicklow.html
People seem to like it there!

I know where you mean now. It had a different name before.

Son of Jack

They'll have queues out the door with people wanting to try their coffee
Life is can be a quest for the best cup of coffee for dedicated coffee drinkers.
Albert Avenue is another part of Bray that is rejuvenating.

Annasopra

Son of Jack wrote: »

They'll have queues out the door with people wanting to try their coffee
Life is can be a quest for the best cup of coffee for dedicated coffee drinkers.
Albert Avenue is another part of Bray that is rejuvenating.

Albert walk? Yes the prelude arts place is great.

Son of Jack

Yes, the Walk and round the corner into the Avenue with the two Italian restaurants and the Sugarloaf coffee shop. In this fine weather, the customers are often sitting outside. Makes for a great atmosphere. Also some good citizen is maintaining a raised flower bed on the left. Fair play.

Annasopra

Well known local Sleuth Cllr Brendan Thornhill finds out more

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBmYURKmRLc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvT9ZBuoxis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BYhdagUJto

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC4murkkKXk

zoobizoo

Son of Jack wrote: »

Also some good citizen is maintaining a raised flower bed on the left. Fair play.

That's Danny who used to run Danny's Chinese.

Wally Runs

Dockyard No 8:

Son of Jack wrote: »

I didn't ask about staying open past five. It's a very young business...just finding its feet. I hadn't seen it advertised anywhere but had heard on the grapevine about it. Perhaps they wanted to be more sure of themselves before putting themselves out there. If they felt there was a market for staying open past five perhaps they might.

I ate there yesterday for brunch and really was impressed. I had a breakfast salad, sounds wrong, but it worked. They are to get a wine licence in week or so and after that they plan to open late on Fridays and Saturdays. New signs to come next week too.

They are working on an evening menu, so it will be interesting to see how they develop.

I will be back.

Creamy Goodness

I ate there and it was ok, very different to anything else around in bray which is a welcome change.

my one issue was I ordered a sandwich on rye (toasted) and herself ordered sourdough. they could do with knifes a little sharper than the butter knives they give you as we found it difficult to cut through the sandwiches with the supplied knives.

keano_afc

The Makeover Room which used to be in the Everest Centre before the fire has reopened on the Dublin Road opposite Topaz, beside the picture framing shop.

marty_crane

The new ice cream shop behind Barracuda (not Gino's but can't recall it's name, sorry) was closed today at lunch time. It was closed last night when I went past also but I put that down to the time. All fixtures were inside and lights off. Didn't look like it had opened today.

zoobizoo

It's owned by the same people...

murpho999

marty_crane wrote: »

The new ice cream shop behind Barracuda (not Gino's but can't recall it's name, sorry) was closed today at lunch time. It was closed last night when I went past also but I put that down to the time. All fixtures were inside and lights off. Didn't look like it had opened today.

The real Italian Geletaria across the road is much nicer anyway.

Edit: Sorry, I thought you meant Gino's which is not that nice. Would be an awful pity if it's gone . It could just be a seasonal thing too.

murpho999

zoobizoo wrote: »

It's owned by the same people...

I'm not sure about this as the one in Barracuda Building is Gino's isn't it and they are all over town as well. Don't find the ice cream as good as the one across the way.

marty_crane

Never tried either myself but, like the others above posted, I don't think it's owned by the same people

Ronanc1

Was in Xtravision today myself and noticed quite a few stands were completely empty, thought nothing of it that they were restocking 'em or putting together new displays, until I heard one of the staff tell a customer they're to close next week, he said that xtravision machines(?) are to be installed in shops around the place instead, whatever they are or how they'll work I don't know and its all he said.

bdo

Yes, I was in there myslf and heard that it is going this way. They have been running a promo for €20 a month for effectively unlimited rentals for 2 nights each time which I thought was the right way to go but it looks like it was too late.

Creamy Goodness

About ten years too late.

2011

bdo wrote: »

Yes, I was in there myslf and heard that it is going this way. They have been running a promo for €20 a month for effectively unlimited rentals for 2 nights each time which I thought was the right way to go but it looks like it was too late.

IMHO €20 does not represent value for money compared to the cost of on-demand internet streaming media such as Netflix (€7 per month).

Besides there has never been enough quality new releases to justify spending €20 per month on video / DVD rental.

Annasopra

Is there a starbucks opening in Bray?

2011

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

Is there a starbucks opening in Bray?

I hope so, great coffee