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Mary Ann's Bar & Restaurant

Mention Castletownshend and the chances are that the next words will be 'Mary Ann's', as this welcoming landmark has been the source of happy memories for many a visitor to this picturesque west Cork village over the years. (For those who have come up the hill with a real sailor's appetite from the little quay, the sight of its gleaming bar seen through the open door is one to treasure.)

The pub is as old as it looks, going back to 1846, and has been in the energetic and hospitable ownership of Fergus and Patricia O'Mahony since 1988; they have loved it and maintained it well (the last time we visited, Fergus was up a ladder beside the front door with a paintbrush in his hand), but any refurbishments at Mary Ann's have left its original character intact.

The O'Mahonys have built up a great reputation for food in both the bar and the restaurant, which is split between an upstairs dining room and The Vine Room at the back, which can be used for private parties; alongside it there is a garden which has been fitted with a retractable awning over the tables, allowing for all-weather dining.

Seafood is the star, of course, in both bar and restaurant and it comes in many guises, usually along with some of the lovely home-baked brown bread which is one of the house specialities. Another is the Platter of Castlehaven Bay Shellfish and Seafood - a sight to behold, and usually including langoustine, crab meat, crab claws, and both fresh and smoked salmon.

Much of the menu depends on the catch of the day, although there are also good steaks and roasts, served with delicious local potatoes and seasonal vegetables. Desserts are good too, but local West Cork cheeses are an excellent option that may prove too difficult to resist.

One of the most appealing things about Mary Ann's is that such a wide choice is available in the bar as well as the restaurant and that includes daily blackboard specials, which may offer real treats like lobster thermidor or lobster mayonnaise. Some bar food indeed!

The O'Mahonys also have a very successful art gallery on the first floor.

Restaurant Seats 30 (outside, 100, private room 30). Toilets wheelchair accessible. Children welcome. D daily in summer, 6-9; L 12-2.30. A la carte. House wine from €18.95. SC discretionary. *Bar food 12-2.30 & 6-9 daily. Closed Mon Nov-Mar, 25 Dec, Good Fri & 3 weeks Jan. Amex, MasterCard, Visa, Laser.

Directions:

Five miles from Skibbereen, on lower main street.