Christof's Blog: Review: The Hungry Monk Bistro, Greystones, Ireland

While it is still icy cold in Germany, Ireland is already mild enough to have a walk on the beach - which is how we ended up in Greystones and in a nice place called The Hungy Monk today. As I am often asked for restaurant recommendations and eating out is a one of my favourite hobbies, I thought I might start blogging about my culinary adventures. So here it goes:

The atmosphere: There is a downstairs bistro and an upstairs restaurant. We had lunch in the bistro. It is nice and small, but what I really liked is that it was quiet, even though it was very busy -they are expanding in March. What stands out are the paintings of monks on the wall, which can become rather frivolous in the restrooms, which are called "The Convent" and "The Monastery" to go with the theme.
The owner is very nice and omnipresent, he addresses the guests by their name, even if he has just read it on their credit card.

The noms: I had Pork Bangers with Lentils, which were promoted as a house specialty. The sauce could have been a little stronger in flavors and I would have liked more lentils, but the sausages were great quality and reminded me of the small bratwurst variety you get in Nuremberg. All in all an OK value at 13 €.
Riin had the Wicklow Lamb and Crumbled Feta Burger - a nice bite with not too strong a taste of lamb. Her sauce would have benefited from a tad less dill and the ciabatta bun was mediocre - one more point in favor of baking in-house. The chunky fries on the side were a little soft, but then again that is my taste, Riin likes them that way - all that comes at the usual Dublin price of 14€.

The highlight actually came before that in the form of the starter we shared: Portobello mushroom fritters with garlic aioli! The big chunks of mushroom and a rich sauce are ideal for sharing and you get it for just 6€.

The verdict: A few minus points have to be mentioned. My Diet coke came in a can, which is not very classy and more fitting for a take-away, also, tge tea wasn't the best brand. Big minus for the10% service charge, which applies no matter how small your party is. The portion sizes are just right and the Deserts (which we haven't tried) are a good selection of the usual subjects in Ireland and cheese platters.

All in all no reason to become pious here, but you can do worse if you like to indulge in earthly pleasures.

Ambience: 8 out of 10
Food: 6 out of 10
Value: 5 out of 10