As promised, the spooky mystery of the internet allows me to appear as if I’m still paying attention to this blog. Actually I wrote this in April, before I left, but let’s all pretend I’m still here, not in Borneo being attacked by giant leeches, okay? Anyway, before I left on my Pacific tour, I [...]

The Grand Social, one of the best pubs in Dublin, serves delicious big soup cups of Irish stew, packed with meat and veg and full of flavour and heartiness, with two slices of buttered McCambridge’s bread, for just €5. For €8, you can have stew and a pint of your choice. It’s served all day [...]

I’m done with not complaining in restaurants. When the cream in a friend’s recent Irish coffee was horribly sour, she was reluctant to send it back – it was just so embarrassing. So I did it for her. I thought I’d figured out the trick: don’t take the problem personally. They didn’t pour in rancid [...]

Sometimes disappointment is inevitable. Flying out from Gatwick airport a few weeks ago, I was sure I’d find plenty of tempting things for lunch in its very large food court. How deluded was I? After a browse around, I narrowed it down to two options: McDonald’s or Wetherspoons. Time after time, I think McDonald’s will [...]

As part of a whirlwind tour of Hook peninsula I popped into Roches in Duncannon for lunch. This is a charming family-run bar and restaurant: one brother is serving, one is behind the bar and the others (along with talented head chef Denise Bradley) are in the kitchen. The bar area is very quaint with restaurant [...]