Peter Bark keeps raising the bar at his popular restaurant on Sandymount Green, so that it's gone well beyond being a good daytime café and neighbourhood restaurant in the evening. The secret is well and truly out these days, and it attracts growing numbers of diners from beyond the area too - so much so, in fact, that a 'new Brownes' opened beside the chipper.
During the day you'll find a good breakfast and the likes of gourmet sandwiches, (crayfish tails; rare beef, horseradish and rocket) and, by night, simple, classical French-inspired food.
This Dublin restaurants décor is minimal, with good paintings by local artists and simple bentwood chairs, but the chef cooks up things like a mean moules marinière (starter or main - nice fat mussels in a wine and cream sauce), and great meats including aged sirloin (crusty on the outside and pink within, served with chunky, crispy 'real' chips) and pan-fried rack of lamb, served on a bed of flageolet beans, with tasty, slightly waxy, continental style new potatoes.
Finish with a well-made traditional dessert (crème brulée, crumble) or excellent home-made ice creams and sorbets.
BYO wine - a small corkage charge is levied "unless you offer us a glass of something nice".
Families are made welcome and customers generally enjoy the ambience as much as the good food offered.
