In the basement of the Georgian terrace than runs along the north side of St Stephen's Green, Peploe's is very handy to both the Grafton Street area and the nearby offices - perfect territory for a laid-back wine bar.
The retro décor of this Dublin restaurants reminiscent of a chic 1950s New York brasserie and creates a warm and inviting atmosphere, complete with neat table settings and stylishly-dressed staff. Although the dining room appears cramped, it is comfortable and the service is pleasant and professional.
You can usually have an aperitif at the bar and the menu offers a good variety of dishes, which would be equally suitable for having an appetiser or two (from a choice of ten starters, or 'savouries') to accompany your wine or a full meal, and the dozen or so main courses are well-balanced between pasta, meat and fish, plus the chef's specials which are notified at the table.
A choice of good breads gets your meal off to a good start, followed by quite unusual dishes such as pistachio crusted goat's cheese wrapped in parma ham and served with tomato berries (heart-shaped cherry tomatoes) or Morteau sausage (speciality pork sausage from Franche Comté) with horseradish potatoes and tartare sauce.
Main courses might include rabbit 'en croûte' with a fricassée of vegetables in a champagne sauce while the chef's special is likely to be deliciously fresh fish. There's a fair sprinkling of luxurious ingredients on the evening menus, and prices aren't above average for the location.
A generous seasonal crumble would be enough for two people and delightfully fruity, or you could finish with a choice of French and Irish cheeses, and good coffee.
An extensive wine list includes a dozen or more champagnes and about thirty wines by the glass.
Service is generally smart, the atmosphere is great and the cooking has style - all this and a fairly reasonable bill too.
Seats 90. Open 12.30-3.30pm & 6-10.30pm daily; L&D á la carte, also set L €39 and set D €55; house wine €22; SC 12.5% on groups 6+. Reservations required; air conditioning; children welcome. Closed 24-29 Dec, Good Fri. Amex, MasterCard, Visa, Laser.
