A Tasty Night in Dublin Shane Macgowan’S Top 5 Restaurants

A TASTY NIGHT IN DUBLIN: SHANE MACGOWAN’S TOP 5 RESTAURANTS

Shane MacGowan: songwriter, hellraiser, poet frontman. The Pogues lead singer has a long relationship with Glasgow, playing memorable shows at the Barrowlands around Christmas time when their hit Fairytale of New York is an anthem for festive revelry. Now more likely to be found in a restaurant than a bar in Dublin, where he has made his home, he reveals his top five dining recommendations for visitors to the Fair City.

The Trocadero

4 St. Andrew’s Street, Dublin 2

Tel: (01) 677 5545

The Troc has a great atmosphere and everyone’s far too busy to bother me. It stays open late to cater for a theatre crowd. They always have Verdicchio and other amazing wines. The Bloody Marys are unbelievable, possibly the best I’ve had in a restaurant, and the food is not fussy. I especially love the deep fried camembert.

Yamamori Oriental Cafe

12-13 George’s Street, Dublin 2

Tel: (01) 645 8001

This is the best Japanese restaurant outside Japan. I particularly love the downstairs bar, where they play really good house music at exactly the right volume so you can dance. They also show really good samurai films.

Chez Max

133 Baggot Street, Dublin 2

Tel: (01) 661 8899

Chez Max is a proper French restaurant, run by French people. They do classic French dishes like escargot and French onion soup and they do Ricard Pastis. It reminds me of Marseilles. It also has a little brother restaurant right beside Dublin Castle. It has a great smoking garden too.

Paulie’s Pizza

58 Upper Grand Canal Street, Dublin 2

Tel: (01) 664 3658

This place has a great buzz, the staff are very friendly. I love it. They have a proper pizza oven and they do amazing pizza.

Dunne & Crescenzi

11 Seafort Avenue, Sandymount, Dublin 4

This is an old-fashioned, family-type Italian restaurant. It is just down the road from where I live when I am in Dublin. So I can walk there. I love the goats’ cheese and pear salad, and the pomodoro pasta, and I like the way they are nice and free with the Limoncello. Their ‘puddings’ to use the Royal terminology are brilliant. They must be, because I eat them.