ely gastro pub

Ely Gastro Pub in Grand Canal Square is a headline establishment when it comes to offering the best in local produce

Oh do we love Dublin’s fair city.  Theatre, art, culture, history, shopping and feel good funky stuff abound in the country’s Capital! Of course here you will find some of the best restaurants and eating houses in the land.  We’ve visited one of them recently.  Ely Gastro Pub in Grand Canal Square is a headline establishment when it comes to offering the best in local produce.  Ely is situated in an area which is part of the modern canal development.   Right opposite the pub is the brand spanking new Grand Canal Theatre – a serious place for lovers of all things thespian or musical.  You might catch a panto during the school hols, or a concert from one of the world’s big celebrities.  Plays, recitals and all sorts of performance art go on here.  So it’s very handy you’ve got a lovely gastronomic ‘pub’ two minutes from the doors, where you can grab a quality bite before or after the show.

Ely Gastro Pub is part of the Ely group which includes Ely Chq nearby and Ely Wine Bar a little further away.  All three places specialise in local produce served in different style among the three venues.  At the pub you can expect all the wonderful fish from Irish waters and meats reared on the owner’s own farm in the Burren to be cooked with flair and presented with sass.  Although this is called a ‘pub’ – and you can call in, sit up at the bar and have just a drink if you want to -  we think it offers above and beyond the usual for the ‘gastro pub’ definition.  We love the spacious interior which mixes retro with contemporary.  We like the buzzy mix of city people, friends and families enjoying the great food and wine.  We particularly like the staff that know their jobs inside out and have a wealth of sound knowledge of the menu. Service here is professional and slick, just what you’d expect from a lively city establishment. We adore the selection of wines, hand chosen and hunted for in wine lover’s style, and which unearths gems you won’t find elsewhere.  But of course, the food is what we are all about in essence – and yes, we think it’s absolutely top notch at this level.

The brand new Head Chef here is Alena Magan and she has her own brand of kitchen magic. She wields her pans like a wand and wonderful spells are woven with those ingredients.  The menu states all beef and pork are sourced through the family farm in the Burren in County Clare.  That’s pretty good magic for a start because the Burren is an area known for its diverse grazing of wild grasses and herbs, which gives inherent taste to the resulting meat.  ‘Craggy Island’ Lamb comes from a nearby farm which has views of the location for the classic Irish Father Ted comedy shows, hence the name.  If you choose any meat here you can be sure its got a taste you’ll love.  Fresh fish comes from a supplier in Howth who ensures the chef gets sustainable fish which she prefers. So you’ll find things like whiting and mackerel in season and locally caught ‘Slip Sole’ – smaller Black Sole which cook like a dream.  We had one cooked on the bone and served with small brown shrimps and almonds in butter – absolutely delicious, moist fish with succulence and taste.  Before that though, we indulged in the organic Rare Beef Carpaccio with orange and celeriac remoulade, frissee salad and citrus aioli.  The beef was melt in the mouth tender, and the salad vibrant enough to wake up even the most jaded of palates.  For dessert, the chef made up a taster plate of new season Rhubarb Crumble with homemade Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, Strawberry Mousse with lime and basil sherbet and a delicate coconut tuile and some other delights to drool over.  The cheese plate is a mix of Irish and Continental Farmhouse cheeses with crackers and homemade chutney.  What else can we say except we had a delicious meal here and we are sure you will too. 

Ely serves lunch during the week and brunch at weekends, always a popular event for families especially. Prices on here are extremely good value too.  A bar menu also operates and this changes very often so there are always some nice surprises.  Enjoy a half dozen Rosses Point oysters with a nice glass of dry white wine, or some simple snacks and nibbles with your pint.  If there’s a few of you nibbling, the charger plate has cheeses, salamis and hams with crackers and chutney to dip into between sips.  Pre theatre menus offer good value and the place gets jammers when there’s a good show on.  Plenty of seating though on the ground floor level, and a lovely terrace spanning the front and side of the pub for eating outdoors in fine weather. 

Downstairs the Green Room can cater for private parties with its own bar etc or seat overspill from the restaurant when it’s busy.  Here you can also admire the specially built wine rack which houses reds and whites in a glass wall in controlled temperatures.  A pretty snazzy way to use your wines for interior décor we reckon.  But if you really want to admire the wine selection, just take one look behind the big bar upstairs and see the range of bottles on offer.  We really appreciated the recommendations from the restaurant manager who knows her stuff and knows what goes with what. You can choose a glass to accompany each course if you wish.  And there are always seasonal selections on a separate menu. What more can we tell you?  Pop along and have a look for yourself actually.  You’ll enjoy this treat as much as we enjoyed finding it for you!

Become a fan of ely gastro pub on Facebook

Contact Details

To Contact a Member Directly, please click on the email or website below

Ely Gastro Pub
2 Forbes Street
Grand Canal Square
Dublin 2
+353 (0) 1 633 9986
Email: elygastropub@elywinebar.com
Web: www.elywinebar.com

 

Print this page »