A favourite journey break on the Dublin-Cork road in the 1960s and '70s, when it was run by Fianna Fail TD, Don Davern (and then by his wife Joan, who famously introduced the toasted sandwich to the town), the colourful history of this popular spot continued in the ownerhip of Wolfgang & Breda Stroms from the 1980s until 2015 - when Dermot and Phil Delaney of nearby Baileys Hotel bought the property, and - with a few roller coaster years, including the pandemic, in between - created the smartly presented and welcoming place that's now become a destination for hungry travellers (and many others) destination once again.
It's a tall building, with the atmospheric low-lit main bar on the ground floor and two more floors above it. Walk-in diners will find high tables and stools in the bar, and and there are lower tables for bookings at the back and in upstairs rooms. (The top floor is reserved for private dining, with space for a group of up to ten guests.)
An all-day menu is offered and, while not overlong, it gives plenty of choices for most budgets and tastes. Well-designed to include a wide range of traditional and modern (international) dishes that can be combined to create meals that are suited to various times and occasions, it includes some classical starters like Duck liver paté with melba toast and Pan-seared scallops with Walsh's black pudding, and the dozen or so main dishes (c.€16-€37) cover everything from Martin O'Dwyer's 16oz T-Bone steak to Crispy coconut chicken dippers wíth triple-cooked chips, or a vegetarian Red lentil ragout. In between there's a really useful range of dishes offered in two sizes, including Crispy Chicken Wings and a Superfood Salad. Also a very nice sandwich menu (available 12-5pm) which - reminiscent of Joan Davern's legendary toasted sandwiches perhaps - kicks off with a tempting Toasted sourdough sandwhich of home cooked ham, cheddar cheese & tomato chutney. The dessert menu, too, is designed to tempt, with old favourite like Apple and almond tart or Duo of chocolate mousse sitting alongside Mango & chocolate cake and an ice cream selection that includes vegan options.
While there's no supplier list or statement of provenance, there's a good sprinkling of respected local and Irish names - Crowes Farm bacon, Cashel Blue cheese, Cooleeney cheese, Ardsallagh goats cheese and, of course, their own Daverns wheaten bread - which give a sense of place
A full bar provides an extensive range of beers, spirits, and wines and a cocktail menu that offers, among others, Lemon Meringue Pie (vodka, limoncella, vanilla syrup and lemon juice with a meringue on top) and the classic Old Fashioned.
All round this is a thoughtfully considered offering - and, with good cooking and vey pleasant and helpful staff in the mix, it's easy to see why Daverns has become a popular destination once again.
