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Queen of Tarts

Behind Yvonne and Regina Fallon's quaint traditional shopfront near Dublin Castle lies an equally quaint traditional tea room, with warmly welcoming friendly and efficient staff, and wonderful smells wafting across the room as they struggle to make space for new arrivals to the comfortable, lived-in little room.

Yvonne and Regina both trained as pastry chefs, but there's nothing 'cheffy' about the good home baking that you'll find here - the emphasis is on wholesomeness and real flavour. Service begins with breakfast (including a vegetarian cooked breakfast) which is served until the lunch/afternoon menu takes over at noon.

Home-made scones, buttermilk brown bread, roast chicken & coriander tartlets, warm plum tarts with cream, chocolate fudge cake, orange chocolate pinwheel cookies and much else besides take their place on a surprisingly extensive menu, which includes some seriously good sandwiches and salads - most people pop in for a snack, but you could just as easily have a 3-course lunch.

Inexpensive, consistently excellent food, lovely atmosphere and great service - what more could anyone ask?

[*Also at: City Hall, Dame St. Tel 01 672 2925].

Seats 25; air conditioning; toilets wheelchair accessible; children welcome. Open daily: Mon-Fri 7.30-7 (L12-7); Sat/Sun 8.30-7. Closed 24 Dec-02 Jan, bank hols. No Credit Cards.

Directions:

Opposite the gates of Dublin Castle