After a complete revamp in the summer of 2004, this waterfront pub emerged with a renovated ground floor bar (which has retained its character) and a recently added first floor restaurant with its own separate entrance and views across water to Currabinny.
It's a bright and cheerful space, with plenty of glass allowing ongoing armchair supervision of activities up and and down the harbour - an asset at any time, and potentially invaluable if service should ever seem to drag a little.
A warm welcome and promptly presented, refreshingly compact menus (just four choices on each course, but varied and well-balanced) get the meal off to a good start, and simple table settings (place mats on bare wood, good quality cutlery and china) underline the feeling of a down-to-earth place where quality and value could go hand in hand.
Fish, landed on the quay across the road, may find its way into a traditional seafood chowder, served with soda bread, and crab claws are served 'Moonduster Style' (tossed with lemon & parsley butter and served on a be of salad green, with a garlic mayo dipping sauce).
Main courses will include a vegetarian choice, probably steak - Porterhouse, perhaps, with onion jam, choices of sauce, salad and chips, and fish such as fried fillet of John Dory, which might come with an Asian mash and oriental salsa.
Nice puddings (individual peach & pear crumbles, for example) and local cheeses are served with a dried fruit platter.
Friendly and attentive service, good quality ingredients (treated with respect and attractively presented), accurate cooking and good value all add up to a winning formula.
The compact wine list offers good value too.
Balcony. Seats 86. D Thu-Sun, 6-9.30, L Sun only 1-3.30, also bar food on Sun. A la carte. House wine about EUR16.
