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Casa Pasta

Unbeatable atmosphere is what sets this first floor restaurant overlooking Howth harbour apart, and although this was partly due to its tiny size, doubling it in 1998 didn't diminish its appeal - it's always been notoriously hard to get into, especially at weekends. The secret of Casa Pasta's success is its universal appeal for all age groups - it's the ideal place for family outings, with swift, good humoured young servers and blackboard menus featuring youthful international food (lots of pastas and salads) that is neither over-ambitious nor over-priced. Regulars that locals happily order without even consulting the menu include runny deep-fried brie with spicy chutney, big Caesar salads (possibly with slivers of chicken breast), home-made tagliatelle with mixed seafood in a creamy wine sauce - and desserts like gooey, boozy tiramisu and sticky banoffi pie. Wines are not quite as cheap and cheerful (house wine about EUR19) as might be hoped, given the style of food and surroundings.


: Children welcome: on Thursdays "kids eat free" (1 child under 10 per adult; 6-8pm) Open daily D 6-11, (Sun 12-10). A la carte, 10% SC on parties of 6+. Closed 25 Dec, Good Fri. Also at: 55 Clontarf Road, Dublin 3. Tel/Fax: 01 833 1402 Eirpage House, Donnybrook, Dublin 4. Tel: 01 2608108.

Directions:

Harbour front, overlooking Howth Yacht Club.