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The Hungry Monk

Well-known wine buff Pat Keown has run this hospitable first floor restaurant on the main street since 1988. Pat is a great and enthusiastic host; his love of wine is infectious, the place is spick and span and the monk-related decor is a bit of fun. A combination of hospitality, great wines and interesting good quality food at affordable prices are at the heart of this restaurant's success and sheer generosity of spirit ensures value for money as well as a good meal.

Seasonal menus offered include a well-priced all-day Sunday lunch and an evening á la carte menu, with fish the speciality in summer, and game in winter. Blackboard specials guaranteed to sharpen the appetite include the day's seafood dishes (usually a fine range of ultra-fresh fish just up from Greystones harbour), any special wine offers - and, perhaps, a special treat like suckling pig (a superb dish with a prune and apricot stuffing, apple sauce, a delicious jus and colcannon or champ).

Menus give a slight nod to current trends - in dishes like a tian of Castletownbere crab with fresh ginger, apple & coriander flavoured coconut milk, for example - but there is no pretence at cutting edge style and you will also find faithful renditions of old favourites not often seen at the moment, like lambs kidneys dijonnaise.

Vegetarian dishes and healthy heart options are highlighted on the menu and there is emphasis on high quality ingredients, including Angus steaks and Wicklow lamb as well as local seafood. The famous wine list ('The Thirsty Monk') is clearly a labour of love and, in turn, gives great pleasure to customers, especially as prices are very fair.

Affordable favourites include a whole page of house wines listed by category - house wine Chile, house wine France, house wines organic, house champagne.... and so on - and also, of course, offers many special bottles for connoisseurs, from every great wine region in the world including a number of magnums and jeraboams (double magnums), which make a dramatic centre piece for a party and are great value for money. Two pages of half bottles too, and a couple of dozen pudding wines... Wine lovers should arrive early to allow the time to relish this list.

Restaurant Seats 35; children welcome; reservations advised; air conditioning. Food served Wed-Sun 12.30-9. á la carte; also Vegetarian Menu; Set Sun L about €27. House wines from €19, SC 10%. Restaurant closed Mon & Tue. Closed 24-26 Dec. *Downstairs, The Hungry Monk Wine Bar offers an informal menu of bistro style dishes (Monk's famous burger, Dublin Bay prawn scampi & chips...) and a carefully selected short wine list. Wine Bar open daily, 5-12. Closed 25-26 Dec. Amex, MasterCard, Visa, Laser.

Directions:

Centre of Greystones village beside DART