Caviston's of Sandycove has been a mecca for lovers of good food since 1947 - and this characterful shop now offers one of the city's most extensive choices of speciality food products. Here at their famous Emporium you will find everything that is wonderful, from organic vegetables to farmhouse cheeses, cooked meats to specialist oils and other exotic items. But it was always for fish and shellfish that Cavistons were especially renowned - even providing a collection of well-thumbed recipe books for on-the-spot reference. There's always a wide range of whitefish and shellfish on offer in season, with live crab, lobster and oysters available from a tank in-store. Home smoked salmon is a speciality - and so is old-fashioned service, in both the shop and restaurant.
It all started with a small lunchtime restaurant next door toi the shop, which was renowned for serving an imaginative range of tastily healthy seafood dishes influenced by various traditions - and all washed down by a glass or two from a very tempting little wine list.
And now, across the road, their relocated Dublin restaurants doing very well and attracting an ever-growing clientèle to its lovely new premises. Located just a stone's throw from the shop, the stylish Cavistons Restaurant is spread across two floors in a beautifully restored old building that has views across Dublin Bay from some tables on the top floor.
Smartly presented onto the street with its seasonal planting and jaunty striped awning, this welcoming place conveys a sense of excitement from the moment of arrival, as friendly staff usher you to a table in the main ground floor restaurant or, at busier times, to an equally atmospheric dining space upstairs.There's a great sense of confidence - and justifiable pride - as well trained staff of varying ages put into practice the service that has always been synonymous with Caviston's, a place where the customer comes first. This is obvious from the menus too, carefully designed by Head Chef Gary Walker to showcase the seafood that is their calling card, while also ensuring something equally pleasing for guests with other tastes - a delicious taste of early summer in Pea & asparugus risotto for example, or Rump of Spring Lamb (with the sweetbreads), both of which may be available on an Early Bird menu that offers great value and is available each evening at slightly different times. Menus are not long but you may well want to eat everything, and what a joy it is to find classics like Black sole on the bone with caper butter alongside a magnificent Seafood Platter for sharing - and perhaps a super sustainable autumn treat of Wild Wicklow Venison with blackberries...Classic desserts are a pleasure too, and there's a proper little Kids menu with free range chicken aming the choices and proper white fish with vegetables.
Needless to say there's a very tempting drinks list to help everything to move along happily - and, although not long, the discerning customerit will find that it reads very well.
So, a happy destination all round. The pandemic created a challenging starting point for this lovely restaurant, but once settled its growing popularity has been well deserved.
