This well-loved and beautifully located waterside restaurant sits snugly beside the gates of Westport House. Reverting to the name Quay Cottage once again after a spell as The Idle Wall, it is now in the ownership of local chef Cian Hayes, who also has a very successful restaurant in the town, Cian's on Bridge Street.
As always in this atmospheric building, the surroundings are pleasant - timber floors, high ceilings with dark beams, walls with shades of grey and sage, and a couple of open fires (albeit gas).
The welcome is warm and friendly, guests are promptly seated and menus - under three headings: Starters, Sea and Land - presented and explained.
The eight starters (about €4.50-10.50) will include both soup and chowder along with mainly seafood dishes such mussels, scallops and black pudding and perhaps a dish of calamari, which is nice to share.
Main courses (around €14.50-€26.50) also tend to favour the sea (fish and chips, hake mornay, monkfish curry, catch of the day), although there is plenty of choice for everyone.
Land dishes include shepherd's pie, beef short rib withceleriac purée and yorkshire pud, a 10oz striploin steak and a surf & turf of pork belly and scallops - also a choice of burgers, one of which is vegan, while a selection of curries also includes a vegan option.
Desserts (€6.50)include old favourites such as apple crumble, chocolate brownie, and an ice-cream selection alongside one or two less predictable choices likes orange panna cotta or hazelnut tart.
A short wine list (from about €25) offers 6 each of reds and whites, 1 rosé and a sparkling, plus 2 red and 2 white by the glass (about €6.90/€6.95).
