I have been fortunate to have amazing friends in Dublin, so when one is getting ready to move, it inevitably means farewell do’s, planned by one friend or another. Typically, there would be some sort of final house party (last week), drinks at the pub (last Friday) and dinner amongst close friends (in a few days). Yesterday, a friend also planned for an activity day, which saw us all heading out to Dalkey Island.

Situated just off the coast not far from Dalkey (to the south of Dun Laoghaire), we took the chance that the weather would be decent and decided to go there for a picnic/BBQ. With everyone instructed to bring a little food, and someone in charge of buying the portable BBQ trays, we were pretty much all set.

Getting there was easy. Just grab a southbound DART and get off at Dalkey. From there, walk down Railway Road (I know, unimaginative name) and once coming to a main junction at the village, cross the road, go a little further down and turn right for Coliemore Road. Continue along the road for about 5 minutes and you’ll see the sign for ferry/boat to Dalkey Island by the road. It’s kinda hard to miss. But just in case anyway, here’s a Google Map as guide.

It costs €10 per person for return trip to the island, operated by a local guy. There’s no strict timetable and they will operate to/fro throughout the day, depending on demands. Even if there’s just a couple of you, he will take you over. But mind, this is during the summer months. In winter, I am not sure how things are fixed there. (I should have asked I guess)

The island is small enough to walk around, and there are a couple of ruins that you can check out, including a promontory fort. There is also a Mortello tower on the island. When walk around, just pay attention to the rabbit burrows (you wouldn’t want to twist your ankle or something) as well as for thorny plants but apart from that, this island is a little paradise away from the city.

The lovely view of Dublin Bay (especially on a sunny day), seal spotting (we spotted 4 of them), goat spotting (there is a herd of them), bird watching… these are what you can do here, nature wise. We noted a couple people camping there too, whereas we were there for picnic/BBQ. We were very lucky that we caught a break with the weather, and the sun shone for a couple of hours while we were there. Such relaxing setting, was it any wonder that we all had a great time? ;-)

One thing to remember, if you do go there, please do not leave your litter behind. Be responsible. The BBQ may be too hot to pack into bin bag immediately, but if you plan ahead, as soon as you finish cooking, pour a little water over the coal to help them cool quicker. By the time you finish eating and polish off all the food/desserts on offer, the portable kits will most likely be good to go too.

When you are ready to leave, all you need to do is to be at the steps where the local boat guy left you earlier. He should see you at some point and will come over to collect you. Whistle over for attention if you are able to and getting impatient waiting for him to see you from the other side.

This really is a great way to spend a day away from city madness, so why don’t you give it a go with a group of your friends?

Formerly known as CHIPPER, it’s just down the road from PUB, PUB and PUB. Only a few minutes walk from ARTHOUSE CINEMA and PURVEYOR OF OUTRAGEOUS PADDYWHACKERY

On the corner of Lower Grangegorman and North Brunswick Street

If you haven’t yet visited the Science Gallery then you should take a little time one day and pop in to have a look at the exhibits. Located near Pearse Dart Station end of Trinity College (access through the gate on Pearse St) the entry is free and its current exhibit of Technothreads is a colourful affair not to be missed. The gallery assistants are also very helpful and will take you through the exhibit should you want a personal guide. :-)

Within the gallery there is also a lovely Italian café, run by the same crowd over at Il Caffé di Napoli on Westland Row. They are busy and bustling during lunch time, and I suspect they are very likely to be the customers who normally grab sandwiches to go from Il Caffé di Napoli but now are taking advantage of the sit down area to enjoy their other food offerings.

There you go, some enticing photos from my last lunch visit to Flux Café. Yes, that is the name of the place. A tad unfortunate in my opinion, but forgiven since they do serve delicious grubs. ;-)

No harm having a look at their menu too. (PDF file)

Just for guide : the top left dish is the antipasto misto (I wish they have included mortadella too though), insalata di pera al formaggi (pear and gorgonzola cheese salad) on the top right, ciabatta on the bottom left (a selection of panino is available, either with ciabatta or focaccia) and on the bottom right, polpette e pasta (pasta with meatballs) which is a hot dish.

Flux Café also serves a variety of hot drinks, nutritional juices (including wheatgrass) and desserts. I once had a chocolate cake with caramel sauce in between the layers, and it is absolutely the thing for chocolate lovers.

Buon appetito!

View location in Google Map

This came through with our institution mailing list today, and I really don’t like it that such an announcement came about. But I guess with this coming from the Garda, it shouldn’t be taken lightly and be brushed off as the exception rather than the rule. I’m saddened by this but will get this announcement out nonetheless…

Gardai have asked that everyone be on the alert for a well organised large group of foreign national pick pockets operating in the general vicinity of College Street – College Green – Dame Street – Grafton Street – Nassau Street. The group are aged from mid-teens to mid-thirties and consist of males and females. They are well dressed and act as if they were tourists with some carrying the usual tourist paraphernalia such as back-packs, maps, cameras etc. Besides pick-pocketing they also use the method of hassling and confusing an individual whereby a group of 2 or 3 will approach and surround a person under the guise of seeking directions. While that person’s attention is distracted by one gang member asking questions and directions the others commence there pick pocketing and bag rifling activities using maps, newspapers and magazines to conceal what they are doing. This method is also used on persons using ATM’s where an attempt is made to grab the cash being dispensed.

Unless it is absolutely necessary you are advised not to be carrying large amounts of cash on your person. Ladies should ensure that after using their handbags, the handbag is fully zipped or fastened. The bag should be carried tucked between your arm and side with the flap, if that type of bag, nearest your side. Gents should carry wallets in their side trouser pockets never in the back pockets or jacket pockets. Never carry cash or valuable items in a back pack. When using bars or restaurants never leave bags, purses or wallets on the table top. Handbags, fully zipped/fastened, can be placed on the floor well in under your table secured by the front innermost leg of your chair through the bag straps/handles.

If you become aware or suspicious of activities related to the above you are asked to contact the Garda without delay – PEARSE STREET GARDA STATION TEL: 01 666 9000.

To give our readers better content and experience visiting MB Dublin, we have got some new stuff for our readers this week and also in doing this we want to make MB Dublin as happening as some of other big cities in MB network like LA, NY, London etc..

First of, we have a new author - Thomas Lau. Welcome to MB Dublin Tom.

Secondly, we have a new facebook group (LINK) [need to be a member on facebook]. Some people have complained about the signing-up for leaving comments but as that issue is not in my hands, we thought we might setup a fb group to start with and take it to next level from there :). Join us on facebook.

Thirdly, we also setup a “Restaurants in Dublin” Google Maps (LINK) for all the restaurants we blogged and reviewed. All in one place for our readers to easily find and read about it.

View Larger Map

Last but not least, we are brainstorming on various other topics to improve MB Dublin and the readership experience, and we would release them in coming weeks. If you wanna be a part of it, join the discussion on facebook.

There’s one dining tips, tried and tested time and again, to getting great value meals - go at lunchtime rather than dinner. Most restaurants in town have incredibly marked up prices for the evening but keeping the tag low during the day in order to draw in more customers. This is, in a way, promotional work for them. If the punters are happy they are bound to return at dinner for special occassion and fork out just that bit more money.

George’s Wine Bar is definite one of those places. If anything, it’s one of the best kept secret for lunch! I’m even a tad reluctant to write about this, but at the same time, it would be selfish of me not to share. Main courses going at €9 each, and starter with main course going at €13. The price also includes tea/coffee at the end of the meal. Now, are you interested?

Have a look at its lunch menu. And drool over the following images. ;-)

My friends and I have been there several times, and I’ve been working my way trying the different dishes on offer. The smoked salmon (top, right) is light and perfect for a summer day. Pan fried sea trout (bottom, left) is delicate and delicious, and I love the sweet potato purée very much. The distinct flavour of porcini dresses up the sauce for the pork (bottom, right) just so beautifully too. I have also tried the swordfish that is served with an unusual green vegetable purée - I like the pairing of the fish with mango salsa. And oh, we also like asking for olive oil to go with their bread selection (top, left).

Anyone that I have recommended this restaurant to so far had not been disappointed. The quality of food served here is consistent, although for some guys, the portion may be a touch smaller but that’s when ordering a starter (either soup or shrimp salad) makes a lot of sense.

So the next time you’re in the city centre near Trinity College area, why not drop by George’s Wine Bar?

George’s Wine Bar
29 South Frederick St
+353 (0)1 679 7000

View In Google Map

When you are next in town, and wondering where you can grab a good bite at a reasonable price, give Léon Bistro (website not live at the moment, unfortunately) on Exchequer Street a try. This is one of my current favourite place for some hearty and classic French food that even the French couldn’t really fault.

Or at least I know I wouldn’t. ;-)

I was there recently for lunch with a friend, and upon presentation of the menu, I was soon torn between the different items on the menu. I felt like ordering them all, but of course I couldn’t. The only solution that I can think of in order to stop myself from agonising too much over them was to return sometimes soon.

Given the relatively cold wintry weather, both of us decided to have some French onion soup, to be served with croutons. The soup actually arrived capped with large portions of garlic bread topped with melted Emmental but neither of us minded that at all. It was delicious, and the melted cheese and flavoursome bread complimented the soup nicely. And I definitely love the way they caramelised the onion for the soup. I could never somehow get that each time I attempted cooking the soup at home.

For our main courses, I have chosen roast mushroom risotto with toasted pine nuts while my friend opted for Toulouse sausages with onion jus, whole grain mustard cream and mashed potatoes. These dishes were essentially comfort food, and easily hit the spot as we chatted over the meal.

I, for one, am never the person to resist the temptation of a good dessert. Pain perdu with caramelised apple and caramel sauce caught my attention and soon it was served. It was a very sweet dish, perhaps too sweet for some, but I simply loved it! Definitely something that I will order time and time again, even if the bread made it quite a filling dessert.

The meal - 2-courses and an expresso for my friend, 3-courses for myself, and a glass of white wine each - came up to just a little over €60, putting the bistro as one of the best value mid-range restaurants in town. The same menu used throughout the day, so it also makes the bistro one of the few places that doesn’t have a price difference between lunch and dinner.

Just a word of note - don’t confuse the bistro with the other two flagship cafés nearby (on Trinity Street and on Wicklow Street). Have a look at this Google Map as reference. All three of them are just steps away from one another. The cafés are geared more towards those who wanted some drinks and pastries, or quick sandwiches (French style, bien sûr) or quiches. Handy for afternoon breaks. ;-)

Léon Bistro
33 Exchequer Street, Dublin 2
+353 (0)1 670 7238

View in Google Map

I work near Donnybrook and from our office cafeteria, one can see all the way to Lighthouse on the Great South Wall. But I suppose its not one of the Dublin destinations which probably even Dubliner’s might be fond of.

So, a fews week back, we decided to go for a walk all the way to Great South Wall from our office. Now, only the Great South Wall itself is like 3 km or so, (ok, i justed calculated on Google maps, it was aprrox. 8 km walk in total) and cold windy weather.

Until Sandymount strand n nature reserve, it was going good,

but then all those Dublin backyard factories/sewage plant, kinda kills the whole setting. The whole industrial setting and the natural setting together might not be for everyone’s taste :)

I still enjoyed the walk itself on the South Wall into the sea, ships coming in, ocean waves, the lighthouse (it was my first time to a lighthouse).

From South Wall: Dublin n Poolbeg Station. The evening sunset made it much more appealing, was quite beautiful.

ah, and cracks appearing on south wall and the fillings:

If got sometime extra time in your hand, I can recommend the walk and is worth it. There is neat description of car/walk to South Wall here “Fat Steve Walks“. One can also take Dublin Bus No. 3 to the Poolbeg station and then walk to the south wall, if you don’t wanna walk all the way from Sandymount. Pick a nice day during late afternoon and enjoy the Dublin Bay views.

A guy told me few days ago that he was in Connolly station and wanted to check the upcoming train route, to his surprise he couldn’t find any map anywhere on any platform. In the end, he had to get out and found out near the ticket counters.

(Not) Find of the day is, there is no train map available in Connolly station once you cross the ticket-check; I think it’s the same case with most of the train station.

Sound very strange when you think of a capital city of western Europe, but again, DART is an exception. (i’m sure they’ll win the contract in Hell too)

One of the widely used Google services is Google Maps and they keep updating it to include better features every now and then :). Weather Channel added a nice feature on GMaps to show weather info, I imagine there are some service already around which shows weather on top of GMaps, but someone like me who uses GMaps quite regularly, its a nice feature to surf around :) .. here are some images