New gastropub life and quite a bit of love have been invested into this longtime Dalkey favourite, which was established in 1745 and more recently rescued by hoteliers Ray Byrne and Eoin Doyle from becoming a pandemic closure casualty. Hit it up on a sunny weekend and you’ll find a cross-section of locals taking the sun out front where a street-side patio offers prime people watching. There is a roomy beer garden out back too, while inside is a large and airy open-plan space has lots of cosy elements thanks to a smart refurb and nice attention to detail under the new ownership.
Logs burn in handsome fireplaces in several sections of the multi-levelled room. Dark ceilings, wood panelled walls, gleaming tiles and upholstered leather seating combine to stylish if somewhat noisy effect (all those hard surfaces make for tricky acoustics), while a series of contemporary paintings riffing on the ‘queens’ theme injects some colour and attitude into the space.
Lots of thought and attention to detail has gone into the various menus too, which offer versatile options to suit the multi-function nature of a gastropub. This is somewhere you could pop into for an impromptu bite – a pint and a few Carlingford oysters with apple and horseradish (sold individually), perhaps, or a selection from their attractive tapas menu (think warm cured salmon with smoked yogurt and brown bread) – or look forward to for a planned gathering.
At weekends, the daytime menu features coffee-friendly treats like homemade cinnamon buns or apple and blackberry tart, plus ‘gastro’ sandwiches, a Sunday roast and a very decent brunch. Creative takes include a fish-finger burger or crispy ham hock served with crushed peas, poached eggs and Béarnaise sauce, alongside an excellent open sandwich of prime Irish steak with chestnut mushrooms, caramelised onions, horseradish mayo, watercress and skin-on chips.
The evening menu starts mid-week from 5pm, and majors on comfort food classics from burgers (chicken and/or beef) and steak with pepper jus, wild ceps and duck-fat hasselback potatoes to a winter-warming venison pie with spiced carrot puree, black garlic and blackberry game jus - both delicious. Fish cookery might benefit from simpliyfiying, but a kids menu strikes a good balance, with its real chicken goujons and cod with mash and pea puree, and fun touches like the strawberry jammy dodgers for dessert. Someone is having fun with the main dessert menu too; a salted caramel panna cotta with toffee popcorn, hazelnut and yuzu is full of textural and flavour contrasts.
As much thought has gone into the mocktails, such as a well-balanced Mango Mule (with fresh cucumber, honey syrup, mango puree, ginger beer and fresh lime), as it has the cocktails themselves, with classics, sparklers and spritzs and a gin and tonic list. The main drinks list features a surprisingly short craft beer section, limited to a handful of Wicklow Wolf beers, while the wine list plays things relatively safe with a few left-field options, though a good range by the glass.
When the new owners bought the property in 2021, they announced that long-term plans are to transform the defunct carpark space out back (who drives to the pub anymore?) into a boutique hotel - great news for a heritage seaside village boasting some of the prettiest coastline of the city’s southside. With the help of an ambitious kitchen and enthusiastic front-of-house team, they are on track to earn the outpouring of local love shown to them on re-opening this village landmark.
