VISITING NEW YORK; Where we stayed, Eating in NYC, Things to do and my Top Tips

Part 3 of my Visiting New York post is Things to do and my Top Tips. If you have some tips of your own that aren't here, pop them on the comments page- hey, sharing is caring...

Things to do;

-Highline (free)- this was my Little Sister's suggestion, and what a fantastic place for being snap happy. The highline is an old railway line that has been refurbished into a safe walkway (totally kid friendly too- there is things for little ones to do whilst taking the route!) and you have several exits on the way where you can pop into neighbouring areas for a bite!

- One World Observatory (around $30 admission but they do family deals too!)- While my myself and my Mum visited the 9/11 memorial site + museum, my sister Grace and my Dad visited the world observatory. I was pretty jealous when she came back with these photos....

 - Street art- your spoiled for choice in New York with some of the most creative and interesting pieces around the city. Street art fanatics would have a field day- and I say you could base your entire stay around certain tags around the city. We just got snap happy when there was something we liked...

-2 day ticket for the Hop On Hop Off bus tour ($55)- I totally recommend it, it was the best way to get all the hotspots over and done with in one day. Tour guides obviously vary- the chap + lady we had on the first day was brilliant, super cool and gave you a heap of knowledge. The next days tour guide wasn't so much into it...but hey it's hit and miss! We got off at the main attractions- Grand Central station, Times Square, all the bridges linking to Manhattan, Fifth Avenue, Central Park etc in New York on each route and hopped back on when we were tired from walking.

-Broadway show (price range from anything like $40-$200+). We chose premium seats to see Matilda, but even at $135 each, we were three rows from the stage! The cast came up all around our seats and there was a really cool stunt scene with 'Lavender' literally a breathe away from me that I am still trying to work out. We spent the next few days belting our 'Revolting Children'...But if Matilda is not your cup of tea- there are soooo many Broadway shows, dance performances, operas, jazz shows etc...it really is a city of performance and your spoilt for choice.

- Central Park (free) We spent half a day strolling around the park. Blessed with such good weather, we were able to take in several of the street performers and have a mooch around a quarter of the park. Plan your trip there, there are so many entrances and scenic spots from movies/tv shows that you will want to see so plan plan plan. If I was back in the late spring/summer, I'd take a boat trip and pack a picnic! Also make sure to check out the loos (we had such much fun in them lol!)

-MOMA- an absolutely un-real museum with pieces I only dreamed of seeing. Some of my favourites were pieces by Andy Warhol, Helen Frankenthaler, Chagall, Umberto Boccioni, Picasso, Roy Litchenstein and Jackson Pollock. An adult ticket with MOMA costs $23 but you could easily spend the whole day there. I only managed to get through 2.5 floors and definitely missed out on some work that I regret. Download the app (they have free wifi in the museum and avail of the audio options!). The museum, the pieces and the supporting material are so educating- I felt like I was back taking an art history lesson!

-Brooklyn- we actually used one of the tour buses to take a trip to Brooklyn and I wanted to see how the neighbourhood varies from the concrete jungle of Manhattan. It does and it's still quite cool looking. Cue 'Jigga what...Jigga who' through the whole trip there! My parents previously took in a game in the Barclays Centre and they highly recommended it. Tickets were pricey- but it was a derby- Nets v Knicks and they said the atmosphere was priceless. For my trip- it was either a musical or a sports game. And I went for the musical.

- 9/11 Memorial site- We visited the memorial site and museum on our last day in New York. It was right in front of our Hotel so we didn't have far to travel, but queuing happens from early on, so get there first if you don't want to be waiting. Strict security measures in place, so be sensible too! The museum itself is tastefully done- we all remember where we were the day the 9/11 terrorist attacks happened, I was in London on my way to a ballet class, when my friend shouted from her flat for us to run up and look at the news. We stood transfixed on the terrifying images that flood the screens. The museum paints a picture of being there in that moment. The lives that changed. The lives lost. I highly recommend the site- even just for reflection.

- What I would like to do should I get the opportunity to visit New York again- Metropolitan Museum of Art (met museum!), take in a game/concert at either Madison Square Garden or the Barclays Centre and Brunch on one of the rooftops during the Summer- our hotel rooftop only opened up in the warm season- but check out the Loopy Doopy rooftop bar and it's insane cocktail menu here!




Top Tips;


- Comfortable shoes- I'm a trainers type of lady anyway, but my Air Max Flyknits were my saviour. You want to look stylish but also be able to belt down the subway stairs...If AM's aren't your cup of tea; these Nikes, these Reeboks or these Adidas bad boys will always pair well with your exploring outfit.

- Subway pass is $32 for a 7 day pass- it's the cheapest city I have been to for a while with regards to public transport. Working out at just over $4 a day for unlimited metro travel- it's by far cheaper then travelling in London (which I have found to be way too expensive now!) and the subway system is so simple to use. It would be nearly impossible to get lost!

- Walk! The layout of Manhattan all together is so well designed, streets are perpendicular to avenues, and we saved so many locations on google maps so that it was simply easy to get from place to place by foot! If you are a geographical nightmare though- so many subway stations have wifi hotspots, so simply nip down, load your maps feed and then set back on foot again.

- Haggle for tour buses- we got ours cheaper then advertised. What's the worst that could happen? They just say no!

- Plan. Plan and Plan. Everyone I have talked to about New York says it! You can get lost in the all hype and spend your entire time walking around places like the M and M factory in Times Square- which might be appealing to some people but isn't really my cup of tea.

- Research;

Research your shopping- The exchange rate is so poor at the minute for the dollar that you don't necessarily save big. I instead bought items I couldn't get back at home (my April bill from Sephora was not pleasant!) or that were cheaper- I teach 6/7 days a week so bought new work gear from Nike that costs me a fortune back home.

Research your eating places- if your a fussy eater and fast food is your cup of tea your fine- NYC is full of junk food! But if not, and you like expanding the palette- research Yelp reviews, ask friends who have similar tastes and experiment. It's such an international city!

Research you sightseeing places- we tried to match our sightseeing places with where we were going to eat- sort of like killing two birds with one stone. Ok, so I know people will be like hey your on a holiday, so quit planning and go with the flow, and sometimes that happened- we stumbled upon streets we liked and places that looked interesting and got off stops earlier then we were supposed to but New York has so much to do, and it's not cheap to fly to or stay at. It's certainly not a 48hr trip to a European city with Ryanair so the way I see it- you want to make the most of every part of it.

- Take some 'me' time. Every day spent in New York, we would give an hour or so to chill back in the hotel rom before changing and getting ready for dinner that night. Whether it was having a Nespresso and something sweet you had picked up that day, or sprawling on the bed and reading- 'Me' time abroad is so important for you mentally and also who is travelling with you.


What would you recommend to do in New York? What are your top tips?

Visiting New York Part 2: Eating in NYC

Part 2

It's quite clear from my past posts, that food is a major feature of my day- my families stance on the subject is even greater. With Dad being a chef in the past, no lie, our entire itinerary was planned around food- we had two planned places each day and made it our business to plan things to do around these joints. Some were recommendations from friends, some were places my parents had already been to in their last trip and some were brand new places we had read about- apart from Street food- Food and Drink and tipping service is a lot more expensive in New York. Some of our meals varied from as little as $50 for six people to $500+ for a boozy night. It totally depends on what you are in to, but as advised, we did our research and planned ahead.

Tuesday's Eats:

Landed in New York at around 7pm, so that was 11pm Irish time, not hugely late, but by the time we got into the city and checked in- all we wanted was something quick. Because of the location of our hotel we are spoilt for food- there was a Shake Shack, no lie- 50 meters from our hotel. So good. Milkshakes were delicious and it definitely lived up to its hype. I just wish I could have fitted in two visits (though my waistline is entirely grateful I didn't!)

*Go for the shake stack, crinkle fries and peanut butter milkshake.

Wednesday Eats:

-We had a Whole Foods right next to our hotel- a sort of upmarket supermarket selling organic and nearly every dietary friendly item conceivable! Whole foods was where we got breakfast every morning- fresh cold pressed juices, the most insane bakery selection (breakfast pretzel or a banana and walnut muffin anyone?!) and a huge deli selection of cold and hot foods- breakfast was always under $10 each day (per person!) and the choice was limitless.

-Lunch was at the famous Katz's Delicatessen (Lower East Side- 205 Houston(Lower East Side- 205 East Houston Street, corner of Ludlow St, New York City, 10002)- Katz has featured on almost every food programme in New York, so while yes it was quite a stereotypical tourist joint, I had never had a Pastrami sandwich before and was eager to try. Perfect for meat lovers. True New York experience, but be prepared with an empty stomach- the portions are huge and we had to cancel dinner plans that night and go for something smaller and low key because we were so full.

*Go for the classic Pastrami on Rye with a side of green tomatoes and pickles and load up on the mustard and wash it down with a can of soda.

-Dinner plans were changed because Katz was so filling, so late that night, we took a five minute walk from the hotel to a Chipotle. Basic, fresh and non GMO (which is a big deal in America- because you never know what your food actually is!) mexican- and sooooo cheap.

*Go for a salad/burrito bowl- with extra avocado and one of their house margarita's- our local Chipotle didn't skimp on the Tequila. Winning.

Thursday Eats:

- Lunch was in Brooklyn and unintentionally planned- we spent so long walking around the little streets that we actually lost track of time- we did pure American food at Buffalo Wild Wings. Again an utterly cheap lunch meal and it ticked of American fast food of the list...however, there is no way I could possibly eat that type of food every day. I don't know how people do it. Don't get me wrong though, my wings were demolished. 

*Go for their lunch menu deal- I went for the classic buffalo wings with blue cheese, crudités and fries and pick the smallest size plate- because it is literally the size of your head.

- Dinner was at the The Boil (Lower East Side- 139 Chrystie St, between Broome St & Delancey St, New York, NY 10002)- you CAN'T make reservations at the Boil and our waiting time for a table was for 1.5hours but I'd wait even longer for that food again- Absolutely unreal seafood, creole style served in giant bags- the whole family went for mixed dishes- but I have never had anything like this and only wished this was available in Dublin.

*Go for their combos, a little on the pricey side to most people for a main, but it's at least 2 pounds of shellfish. I went for the Crawfish and Shrimp combo and also try the Chili Margarita- they put fresh jalapeño's in the drink and mother divine they don't water down drinks at all. PS- If the queue is big for a table, put your name down and go for a drink at One Mile House (around the corner!).

Friday Eats:

-Because we visited Woodbury Common on Friday, lunch was in the food courts- the choice is immense. Anything you could want, they had. Again portions were ridiculous.

- Nerai (55 East 54th Street, New York, NY 10022) was Friday night's food. I went for dinner with a friend from Secondary School (thanks David Fitz!) on Friday night and he brought me to Nerai, a beautiful Greek seafood restaurant. We had Shrimp Loukoumades, Stuffed Calamari, Cretan spiced scallops and lemon potatoes. I also had the most delicious glasses of Malbec. Nerai is a higher end restaurant- and definitely one of the pricey meals during the week.

*Go for the stuffed Calamari. It was recommended in past reviews and it didn't disappoint. Dress wear is smart.

- Drinks at Beauty and Essex (146, Essex street, NYC 10002); I later took a cab to meet one of my sisters and my parents at the hip Beauty and Essex. Recommended by the fabulous Dearbhla (from the Belle Azure blog) who spent time living NYC and what a fabulous recommendation. Super funky, great music, I can't comment on the food because I didn't eat there, but my family loved it...and the drinks...don't get me started. The cocktail list was fab, but at $17 a pop, my poor dad (whose turn it was to pay the bill that night!) nearly had a heart attack lol!

Saturday eats:

- Luke's Lobster (THE PLAZA FOOD HALL, 1 W. 59th Street, New York, NY) was Brunch for the day following time spent in Central Park. Luke's Lobster is a sustainable lobster shack/restaurant that offers the most insane Lobster maine sandwiches. They have several locations in New York- but because we were in Central Park, we popped into the Plaza Food Hall (sort of like the Harrods food hall except a lot smaller!) and had lunch. 

* Go for the Lobster Maine meal Combo- it comes with chips (crisps!) or pickles and a drink. And make sure you get the Ginger Beer- it's so spicy but nearly rivals the Old Jamaica Ginger Beer brand- and well that's a big deal for me to say!

- Plaza Food Hall- being the fat mess that I am- cake was the option after Lunch and we went for three slices of yumminess! There are so many little stalls in the Plaza Food Hall- that during the summer, it would be amazing to take a picnic of little bits and bobs from the food hall!

- Dinner was skipped/stopped for bagels from a 24hr joint on the way home from seeing Matilda on Broadway (my thoughts up on that in the next post!)- though the bagels!!! Lashings of Cream cheese and crispy bacon- drool!

Sunday eats:

- The Halal Guys (West 53 ST. & 7 Ave New York, NY 10019) We were told to stop at the Halal guys...and boy was that a recommendation (thanks Orla. T!). I LOVE street food and these guys have a super reputation for being clean and serving good food. They have several locations around NY, and most of them are fixed. We visited them after spending the day at MOMA- totally recommended for a cheap meal.

*I went for the Gyro bowl- full of beef, rice, spices, salad and a pitta and wash it down with a snapple- while sitting on the office steps of some skyscraper- tres New York right?!

- Red Rooster in Harlem (310 Lennox Avenue, Harlem, NY 10027, Between 125th and 126th) was our soul food experience. I'm going to start of by saying the food was ok and fairly decent, but the service was absolutely appalling. We didn't have one complaint the whole holiday with service- Waiters really work for their tips (they have reduced wages lower then minimum wage, something like $4 dollars an hour- so service should and will always be top notch!)- but our lady was mean and rude. And I would suggest going to another local soul food place such as Sylvia's purely because of the service from our waitress. Also, the food wasn't hugely amazing, for 1 bottle of wine, 6 mains, 2 starters and 2 desserts, the bill was over $400, and I would have just expected way better. I was actually super disappointed because I really wanted a decent soul food experience- so should I be back to NYC- it'll be to this place instead- Sylvia's (see link!).

* Should you decide to go Red Rooster- out of all the dishes that we had I would recommend the Shrimp and Grits or the Fried Yardbird, or the Red Rooster doughnuts (filled with sweet potato cream).

Monday eats:

- Sarabeth's (339 GREENWICH STREET, CORNER OF JAY STREET)for pancakes- Everybody recommended Sarabeth's for pancakes. I didn't want to go for the stodgy pancakes from a diner that stick to your pallet and these were the total opposite- fluffy and light and a stack of five. Oh-emm-gee! There are five Sarabeth's in NYC- we visited the one in Greenwich but that was because we could walk to there from our hotel. Some will be more busier then others, but totally recommend the one we went to as it was quiet and you can have a stroll also in chic Greenwich.

*Go for the lemon and ricotta pancake stack. Nom.

- Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao in Flushing, Queens (38-12 Prince St, Flushing, NY 11354, United States)- yes we took the subway all the way to the last stop in Queens but for a good reason. Dumplings! Holy moses. So good. Our last meal in NYC, and I felt like I was back in Beijing. If you have a bit of time, stroll around the area too, it's like a second china town and the visit then asian beauty + fashion shops- they have one of a kind items and totally worth rooting through.

*Go for the beef and spring onion pancakes, the steamed pork and crab meat dumplings and the crispy noodle seafood dish. Drooling. Again and again.

Tuesday eats:

- We had an early evening flight and loved Sarabeth's so much we went back for their Prix Fixe lunch menu. Totally recommended.


What are your recommendations for New York? 

Stay tuned for Part three of my New York blog soon!

VISITING NEW YORK; Where we stayed, Eating in NYC, Things to do and my Top Tips

So my latest trip took me to New York. My parents treated myself and all my sisters to a seven night trip to NYC (27 and being brought on a holiday- lucky me!), and we were super excited and nervous (6 of us for 24/7 non stop can be and was at time intense!!!) but it was also eight years since I had last been to New York and I was excited to try out the new spots and the ever changing vibe.

Where do you begin? The location, the Food, the Drink, the Culture, the Activities...it's just one hub of a big buzz. Like little ants in a trance...the city truly never sleeps. Everyone works so hard to out do one another, but I love it and I love it's ambition. And I can't wait to be back, albeit after I have tackled a few other locations (I've made a mental note to really avoid visiting the same place too many times- the world is so big and time is so short to keep going to the same place!). But wow, thank you New York for re-lighting my spark to be aggressive and powerful.

I've decided to split my post in three sections: (1) An Intro and Where we stayed, (2) Eating in NYC and (3) Things to do and my Top Tips- hope you enjoy!

Where we stayed:

Seven nights were spent in The Conrad New York (102 North End Avenue, New York, NY 10282)- a luxury, suite based room (business) hotel based in Downtown Manhattan. The hotel is directly in front of the World Trade Centre and has full views of the Hudson River. Most people generally stay Uptown when visiting NYC, but because there were 6 travellers, we needed large rooms and the Conrad offers suite only style rooms- so there are seperate living rooms with each bedroom meaning there was always plenty of space and we were never on top of each other. Most of the hotels in NYC are tiny because Manhattan is so small, but we were 7 minutes on the subway from the Times Square stop so it wasn't as if we had ages to travel! In fact, most places other then visiting Flushing in Queens or Brooklyn took less than 20 minutes by subway- the metro system is sooooo cheap and reliable (more on that in part 3!).

The rooms are beautiful with huge beds, ample wardrobe space, nespresso machine, super fast internet (free!) and great concierge service- the General manager was really discreet when I organised an Easter surprise for the family and I loved their attention to detail. If you can afford, splurge for a room with a Hudson river view- oooh la la!

The hotel also has a cinema attached, a rooftop bar (that unfortunately only operates during Spring/Summer schedule!) and a decent restaurant and bar. Drinks were a normal price for that type of hotel ($16 for a glass of cava and $17 for G + T's!). Because of where the hotel is located, the Financial District, you are spoilt for choice for eateries- but decent priced ones too. There is plenty of street food for office workers! It certainly wasn't tourist filled. In fact I loved the location so much because every morning when I nipped to Whole Foods for breakfast, I was walking with all the workers on the way to their offices- such a buzz and so fast paced and reminded me of living in London years ago.

*A little note for any Irish readers. Directly in front of the hotel  (Hudson river side) there is a fantastic Irish Famine Memorial Site- they have a whole lot with grass from Ireland (yes- I said Grass from Ireland!). The Irish may have had a tough time in migration the last century- but New York does certainly recognise them as being a major population to shape the future of the city. Kudos.

Price wise of the hotel was very expensive. But you pay for what you get and in our case it was space and quietness. There are no honking horns or bars around and everything is fairly quiet but extremely safe (there are police everywhere because of the New World Trade Centre and I think some government buildings!)so being a solo women in the area would be totally fine. Highly recommended, and I'd love to be back, even just to see what the Rooftop bar (which stocks wine ice lollies- H-E-L-L-0!!!)looks like during the warmer weather.

Stay tuned for part 2 of my Visiting New York post which is all about my favourite thing in the world- FOOD! 

Happy Sunday!

Dining in Malahide: Bon Appetit

We heard a buzz about Bon Appetit a while back, and with Oliver Dunne's stance on effectively handing back his Michelin star, we were curious as to why someone would do this?! Was it the necessity to cater for it's Northside Dublin clientele?  Was the pressure too hard? Or was Dunne not fussed about the hype that surrounds a star and his philosophy was to cook just good food? But the reviews after it's handing back continued to be positive and so we were eager to try it out.


Bon Appetit is located in trendy Malahide, its a multiple storey restaurant that features a tapas bar, a brasserie- they also do Brunch, Lunch, Afternoon Tea and cooking lessons.


Maybe we chose the wrong option on the menu. I don't know. We went for the option titled 'Surprise Tasting menu'- and all we knew was that it was six courses long. As a fan of tasting menu's, I expect good cooking, exciting tastes and a flowing rhythm throughout the courses. The Amuse Bouche was lovely- foie gras in a cone with caramelised onions- the bar was set. Bravo. But it all headed South from there. Up next, was the goats cheese and beetroot starter. I'm a huge fan of goats cheese. I love it, but this was very mild- almost as if there was very little cheese within the panna cotta purée.  And it was served on a slate plate. Slate plates do not actually annoy me as much as they do some people, but because the dish was quite purée based, aside from the chunky bits of beetroot, it made it almost impossible to get everything on to a fork. Up next was the black pudding, on a bed of mushy peas topped with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce. I have poached eggs at least three times a week. Poached eggs should never be hard. Ever. I was so disappointed because it meant my food was either sitting to be serviced for ages, even though it wasn't busy at all. Or the chef didn't care. Ugh. Next was a surf and turf served with mashed potatoes, a red wine jus and a stem of broccolini. The meat was actually very good. I just would't normally pair a strong red wine jus with prawns. There were two desserts- a deconstructed vanilla cheesecake- which was ok, but again served on slate mean't the biscuit base crumbs went flying of the plate every time I took a spoonful. The cheesecake itself was quite bland. No punch or tartiness from the fruit purée. The final dessert- a coconut brownie served with coconut ice-cream topped with white chocolate wasn't surpirsing either and was quite large compared to the last dish and just didn't seem to flow from the last few dishes. I even left some which is saying something because I never EVER leave food on my plate. I really wasn't wowed. 

Value for money was fine- it was €50 for the menu- but they really couldn't charge any more then that anyway because it wasn't up to scratch with other tasting menus in Ireland. I had a glass of red wine that I asked to be paired with my food, and the waiter failed to introduce what it was. It's little things like this that usually add to a service. I've chosen to eat out instead of eat at home and I expect my meal to be of a certain standard. Our espresso's were good. Overall, it could be so much more. It was very quiet for a Saturday night- max 5 tables in use at 7.45pm, but the tapas bar above was busy. Was that what we should have opted for? The menu itself looked decent with the a la carte options- our table next to us shared a lovely beef cut that smelled divine. There meal came out exactly as I cut into my hard poached egg and I couldn't help but feel cheated...

Did we choose the wrong option? Was it just a miss that day?! I would love to hear about your experience there!

Galway; The G Hotel, Loam and Aniar

As my partner Ev is away most of the time, we decided that when he came home, we would book a few days away to Galway. We have heard amazing things about the food scene in the West- whether it's their open access to the sea's or their choice of organic rich produce, we couldn't wait to try out two raved about Michelin starred restaurants; Loam and Aniar. We also chose to stay at the G Hotel, another raved about location. So I decided to do a wee review on our experience. We will be back to Galway, but only for two of these three places....


The G Hotel

I heard amazing reviews about the G, and so when Galway became our next adventure- I couldn't wait to try it. Designed by Philip Treacy, the hotel itself inside is beautiful. The tea-rooms and bar lounge play on amazing colour schemes and the bedrooms are bright and roomy. Our room was huge- with lots of rich velvets, an amazing acrylic + glass mixed table (that I wanted to rob!) and a beautiful full stone bathroom- with his and hers sinks and showers. It's supposed to be a five star, but I feel like it lacked the extra attention top hotels give. We stayed two nights including bed and breakfast for €590. So at nearly €300 a night, I expect a certain service that would be normally provided in lets say the Marker in Dublin. The G lacks that oooh la la, and personally I feel they are kept busy, because it's trendy to go for an afternoon tea and no one likes to complain.


My gripes; little or no service from checking in and out- we weren't asked one bit if we needed a hand with our luggage, if we needed a hand with reservations, if this was our first time in Galway?! Turn down service was at such an unrealistic time of 6pm. Surely every guest in the hotel is getting ready at that time for a dinner reservation or a party- ok, this idea of someone opening your bed covers for you for when you come back to your room at night does scream sheer laziness, but it's an expectation. I spent 7 days in Hotel Éclat in Beijing in August, and I was un-intrusively spoilt rotten. Breakfast each morning was chaotic. Not the breakfast itself but the sitting down process. On our first morning we waited 15 minutes to be seated. The breakfast room is too small for the size of the hotel and tables were then flowing out into the bar area. Breakfast itself was actually fine. There was the usual buffet section and also an option to order from the menu. My Eggs Benedict was actually very good. But another gripe would be the fruit section- half green watermelon?! If it's not ripe/nor in season why serve it? That's attention to detail. And my last gripe would be guests that are residents having to pay a fee just to use the pool and spa area. That's a first. In any hotel I have every stayed in. Fiercely disappointed. 

2.5/5- Huge room for improvement and I would rather take my hard-earned money elsewhere. 



Loam (loamgalway.com / Tweet @ Galway Loam)


We visited Loam on Friday. We were a bit skeptical when we first walked in- we chose an early seating for 6.30pm and the place only had a few full tables, but because the layout of the restaurant is super open and bare- it felt empty.  This was my only negative thought for the night. What followed was a tasting menu so unusual yet so entertaining- we were actually surprised at how reasonable the cost was. I chose the wine paring at €105 and Evan went for just the menu €70- add in extra drinks on top of that, the bill was under €200. Very good value for what was presented on our plate.

Our meal was seven courses long + Amuse bouche; (1) Oyster, Kohlrabi & yoghurt. (2) Monkfish liver, shiitake and seaweed. (3) Duck heart, chicory & buttermilk- I would drive three hours again just to have the duck heart. It was incredible. It melted in your mouth. I'm currently drooling. (4) Monkfish, salsify & radish. (5) Pork neck, artichoke and malt. (6) Rhubarb, horseradish and (7) Hazelnut, toasted hay- Can this ice-cream be made mainstream and put into our local store please?! No ice-cream will ever beat it. Not even Gelato on a cobbled street in Rome. Please sir could I have some more?!

Loam have gone for a raw, earthy meets industrial feel for the decor. So it won't be for everyone. But having been to few michelin eateries in Dublin and abroad, myself and Ev actually preferred this stripped down version. Gone away was the snobbery. And as we are often one of the youngest customers to step in establishments like this, we actually felt far more comfortable. So what seemed like a negative on our first few footsteps turned out to be a relaxed experience.

4/5- incredible value for money- and those duck hearts!!! 

Aniar (aniarrestaurant.com / Tweet @ Aniar Galway)


We visted Aniar on Saturday night. Ev had actually done a lot of research on where to eat in Galway and was very interested in JP McMahon's work and what he represents and we arrived with very empty bellies. And was prepared to be entertained. Aniar is super quaint. No more then 12 tables- it reminded me of a little deli that would fit right in the Mediterranean somewhere. Aniar actually has a choice on how many courses you want for your tasting experience; 6, 8, 10 or 12. We chose 10, and just like Loam, I went with the wine pairing and Ev explored the craft beer menu. 10 course tasting menu was €150 with wine pairing, and €100 without. My friends often shudder at spending that much on a meal. And especially on wine. But each glass is specifically paired with specific tastes and textures on that plate. And your not just getting a cheap glass. There were organic and biodynamic wines too. I had the most beautiful fruity glass of a Mâcon Chardonnay.

My 10 course meal + Amuse bouche- Ev chose some other options for his; (1)mussel, scurvy grass, roe. (2)apple, leek and cucumber.(3)dexter, oyster and gooseberry- I have never had dexter before and it was served as a tartare (I think!) and the taste was incredible. (4)scallop, artichoke and rye. (5)pork belly, swede and egg. (6) venison, cabbage and damson.(7)tea sorbet- so beautiful on the palate. (8)cod, celeriac and cavolo nero- I'm a huge fan of celeriac and this was my favourite savoury plate of the night. (9)seabuckthorn, treacle and nori and (10)cheese, chutney and rye crisp. The presentation of the desserts were outstanding- they were almost too pretty to eat. I say almost..because let's be honest here, no one is getting in the way of my sweet tooth.

A special mention to the waiting staff that night. They complemented the night so well. Not over the top at all, super natural and explained everything really well and made valuable suggestions- especially an Austrian gentleman whose name I unfortunately did not catch.  Kudos.

4/5- fantastic service, creative pairings; seabuckthorn, treacle and nori anyone?! beautiful wine.



Have you been to Galway? What have you enjoyed? Any gems if we were to return?

V-Day/ Give a hug day

My post last year on V-day was one of my more successful ones- it seems my more honest and close to the heart pieces tend to be more enjoyed by readers then posts about items we will likely never be able to afford!

And I'm going to celebrate a year to this day of more honest writing and cement the looming v-day, or as I like to call it- 'Give a hug day'. My boyfriend is just returning home from working abroad and I can't wait to squeeze the life out of him with a huge hug. And the one I will get in return will be what I've waited for weeks- a feeling of being safe! He spends at least half the year on the other side of the world- so when we have our time together, it's letting each other know that we care and love one another that matters.

In a world full of grief, negativity, angst and hate- I really hope we all have at least one person we can turn to when needed. I hate the idea of someone not having someone in their time of need. So take a moment and think of everyone you have interacted with the last while- did they seem a bit off? Maybe they weren't being rude! Maybe there was something troubling them. A little 'are you ok?' can go along way. A cup of tea. A bar of chocolate. A hug!

As I get older (I swear i'm not as old as I nag!),  I've come across more mental health problems in people close to me. Maybe it's not actually an increase, but more that I'm mindful and aware of people with problems mentally. My dad recently lost his uncle to suicide and I can't bare to imagine the emptiness he must have felt. It saddens me that some people still have no one to talk to. That they have no hope.

So, this week I'm encouraging myself to hug and be hugged by anyone I interact with (where humanely and appropriately possible!), ask a few more people are they ok?! and work wise- I want to develop a Worry Box for my students where they can leave the worries in a box incase they don't feel comfortable telling them.

I'd love to know more ideas about being mindful of others? Please share...


Happy Thursday and in advance- Give a Hug Day! Mine is going to be spent getting my nails done with Ev- tres romantic right lol!