Way down the Ards peninsula, in the fishing village of Portavogie, you’ll find an authentic fishing village experience at The Quays, a pub and seafood restaurant in a picturesque location overlooking the harbour and the Irish Sea.
Inside the brightly painted yellow exterior visitors are immediately immersed in a fun, colourful maritime setting, with marine blues, wooden beam features and the odd lobster pot hanging from the wall. This welcoming family friendly atmosphere is complemented by warm staff, who serve up skilfully cooked, honest food with an emphasis on the spanking fresh locally caught seafood.
At The Quays they’re clearly proud of the precious raw product that is landed on their doorstep and treat it with endearing respect modesty, offering simply cooked, unfussy food, with a focus on fresh ingredients, and changing the seafood menu regularly to reflect seasonality.
Who could resist a classic prawn cocktail, for example, made with big, fat, juicy Portavogie prawns? Or fish & chips made with very thinly battered hake, perfectly cooked to be crunchy crisp on the outside and the fish just flaking apart?
Non seafood lovers are well catered for too, however, as you’ll also find some tempting meat dishes and a handful of appetising vegetarian options on the menu.
The Quays is the kind of place where you can have a pint and a plate of beautifully cooked fresh seafood, with two of the best seasonings in the world: fresh sea air and the sight of moored fishing boats gently rocking in the harbour as you eat. Delightful.
Restaurant: L&D Mon–Fri, 12-2.30pm & 5-8.30pm, Sat & Sun all day 12-9pm (to 8pm Sun). Bar: Mon-Sat 11:30am - 11:30 pm, Sun 12-10pm. MasterCard, Visa, Switch.
