OMFG.

I thought I'll give it a couple of tries before writing this review, but the place has gone really bad over the past two years.

I used to love it, the idea is lovely especially for those early-morning flights to Europe: catch a nice breakfast with hot chocolate (no caffein needed when you want to get a final nap on the plane), instead of waiting in an over-crowded area at the gate.

But the last couple of times, the place has been so understaffed that it has become nearly impossible to get an order through.

I remember that the last time I had to leave after 15 minutes. First I was told off by staff when I desperately tried to order at the desk ("Sit down, Sir, this is table service only").
Well, good for ya - nobody came to give me "service" for 15 minutes.

And you know, it's quite rotten of me to think so, but hey, this is a freaking airport. People don't come here to enjoy the views or have a brunch that stretches on for hours.

Basically we are all stressed and want to get a quick order through. Because, you know, the plane isn't waiting.

Tip: if you manage to get your order through, pay on the spot, you don't want to miss your plane because you are too honest to just eat and walk away.

I was astonished that the average rating for "La Péniche" is so low and that only 3 reviews have been written so far on Yelp.
"La Péniche" is a name in Dublin's restaurant business since I arrived here in 2007, and I had alway's pinned it down as too fancy / too expensive.

Happy was I to receive as a birthday present an evening dinner there.

Being half French, I know my Boeuf Bourguignon from my Coq au vin and I'm fairly experience in regional French wines.

I am also acutely aware of the painful prices one has to pay in Ireland for proper French dining and wining (the last is always eye-watering and one major reason why growing old on the Emerald Isle is not for me, but I wander).

"La Péniche" turned out to be actually really nice. It's not Michelin-star cuisine, but then the prices are accordingly in a normal middle-class budget: two 3-course dinners, a bottle of good red wine (try the Pinot Noir from the Aude region - very uncommon to get a Pinot Noir from there, but it's actually a triumph!) and two glasses of Kir Royal as a starter, and we came out under 150.

The quality of the food was very good, they used fresh and yummy (organic?) ingredients (the charcuterie platter as a starter is good for meat-lovers) and both the Boeuf Bourguignon as well as the confit of pig cheek were really deliciously prepared.

The desert was seasonally appropriate with fresh blackberries on top - and the boat was driving up and down the canal a bit, under a bridge and up and down a canal lock - what's not to like?

All in all, la Péniche makes for a great evening dinner "event" for those eager to eat in an unusual, non-restaurant environment, and I have to say it's not in many European capitals where one can experience this in the heart of town!

The only REAL downside was that apparently the card-machine was broken and we had to pay in cash. Luckily not a problem, but I don't usually carry this amount of cash with me, and they hadn't pre-warned us prior eating, so the service failed us on this one!

I can't compare this Vet with any other vet in Ireland, as I've never been to other Vets in this country.

But I have a long history of "going to the Vet" in my home country of Germany. And I've been at dozens of them there, good ones, bad ones and even "alternative" ones.

We Germans are known for the fact that we think that our health system (for humans that is!) is among the best in the world. And that's probably true, it is surely true when comparing it to the Irish "system" (which is the forecourt of hell).

But back to animal health:
the day I brought my pets to Bairbre's Veterinary Hospital for the first time, I realized that this is (*Jeremy Clarkson voice on*) probably one of the best Vets in the world (*Jeremy Clarkson voice off*).

The place even has a certain "glam factor":
Bairbre is known to TV viewers for her appearances in the Irish TV show "Animal A+E". She is a lecturer in Dublin's DCU Veterinary faculty. And she is specialized in "exotic animals" (mind you, in Ireland, that includes Guinea Pigs...).

But besides the fancy stuff, what makes this place so special?

- Professionalism
All three Vets working here (Bairbre, Lindsey and Una) are among the best you can find.

- Price:
I do not know if other Vets in Ireland are cheaper. But you do get very good value for your money. And they are not more expensive than any Vet I've been to in Germany.

- Friendliness:
Be it the people at the reception or the doctors, everybody is super-friendly here. Even though most of the time you have to go to the Vet, you won't go there for fun, I have to say that I like being there.

- Specialties:
Especially if you have any other pet then the usual dog or cat, you can be assured that your animal is in the right hands there. People with "exotic" animals drive long distances to be there (we surely do, we drive all the way from Sutton!).

It is also very cool to wait there and see people with bearded dragons, turtles, crows etc... . Once, there even was a person from a wildlife park with a sick falcon!

- Cats & Dogs:
even cat and dog owners should drive that extra mile and find out what makes this place so special. We recently got cats and even though any given Vet might handle them with experience, we took no risks and went to Bairbre - and feel that our animals are in the best hands possible.

The Brazen Head claims to be not only Dublins, but Irelands oldest pub, established 1198. I am pretty sure that they don't have hard proof for that, but the result is clear:

The Brazen Head is probably one of the most "touristy" spots you will find in Dublin (besides the whole Temple-Bar-District)

It is noted in all guide books and it comes worse:
The only Irish people in the Brazen Head are probably the musicians who play Traditional Irish Music nearly every evening.
The staff? Probably from Poland.
The guests? From everywhere, but rarely Irish.

And I usually despise obvious "tourist traps".
So, why am I so fond of this particular place?

Well, perhaps because the "Brazen Head" gave me many lovely memories of evenings with a perfect, cliché "Irish night out", especially when I have family or friends from the continent visiting.

Or perhaps because in this place they still try to put on a jolly face and give you the "typical Irish" experience a tourist expects to find here. In many non-tourist pubs, this is missing and the grumpyness-factor is quite high nowadays.

Perhaps the Brazen Head is not at all a "real" Irish Pub, but an Irish Pub like tourists all over the world know them from their home towns, and perhaps that's the reason why I felt so re-assured the moment I entered the premises: finally, there it was, the Ireland I always imagined in the Irish Pubs of Stuttgart, Paris and Prague (In fact, the feel of the place is very similar to the "James Joyce" Pub in Prague...).

Staff is very friendly, the musicians are very good most of the time, and it's one of those places where it happens very easily that you start a conversation with somebody unknown.

Some last practical notes:
Especially important during the summer weeks: there is an outdoor area with tables (and ashtrays)! And yes, you can eat and drink outdoors, too.

A last word on the food:
it is amazing! Very good pub grub. Not cheap, but worth it. Fish&Chips are among the best I've ever eaten in Ireland (not too fat, and the fish tastes like fresh fish, no de-frost shit).

The stews are also remarkable.

So next time you have guests looking for the "real Irish" experience or want to treat yourself with a little "holidays in Ireland"-feeling without driving to the west-coast, just swing around the Brazen Head!

P.S.
It happened to me on one occassion that the live music was not "Traditional Irish" but Blues. So check the website or phone them if you are after the "Irish Music"-experience.