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The Gastropub Company

Martin Connolly's pub on Marine Road is one of Dun Laoghaire's busiest and its covered terrace is very lively during the day. The interior is spacious and welcoming, with wood - all of which is salvage - the primary feature: Floorboards came from 300-year-old beams that supported the Dublin docks before steel came along; the mahogany bar top is from a school laboratory - look hard enough and you can still see some scratched initials. The mirrored back bar also has a long history - it comes from the refurbished Hill 16 pub near Croke Park.

There's a dedicated restaurant space at the back, opposite the open kitchen, where not only are the chefs working hard, but obviously enjoying what they do.

Menus change often but popular dishes include clam chowder, or tomato & mozzarella cheese salad to start, followed by choices like Wicklow lamb shank or rare steak, as well as burgers and fried fish.

Delicious desserts might include poached pear with ice cream, glazed lemon tart or sticky toffee pudding.

Service is friendly, with just the right amount of attention, and the wine list includes a good selection available by the glass (and there's an Orange Muscat to accompany desserts).

Alternatively, you can buy wine in the shop next door and pay just €8 corkage.

Sunday lunch is unusual - a whole roast chicken, accompanied by the usual trimmings, is brought to the table and you carve it yourself.

A good atmosphere and reasonable prices makes this a very family-friendly restaurant.

Seats 160 (private room, 30, outdoors, 40); children welcome (high chair, baby changing facilities); toilets wheelchair accessible; live swing Saturday nights; food served all day, 12-10.30pm (to 10pm Sun), value L €10, value D 4-7pm, €19.95. House wine €19. Closed Good Fri, 25 Dec. MasterCard, Visa, Laser.

Directions:

1 minute from the DART, on Marine Road, opposite the Pavilion