I've visited a number of times, most recently after a visit to the nearby Botanical Gardens. I had been gearing myself up for days to try the coddle. The chef's wife had light-heartedly mocked my attempt at making it earlier this year on Facebook (offending carrots!) and I was advised to try their "proper" coddle. Truth be told I was kind of relieved to hear that it wasn't on the menu that day and had to settle for some other delicious dishes, yes, I am still not able to get my head around it!
Parma ham, aubergine and gorganzola crostini
I went for the Parma ham, aubergine and gorgonzola crostini. The baguette used was chunky and fresh and rested on a nice simple salad. I don't think I'd have put the three flavours together myself but the saltiness of the ham contrasted nicely with the creaminess of the gorganzola and the earthiness of the aubergine. It was a light dish but quite hearty at the same time.
Spicy Italian salami panini.
My sister opted for a spicy salami panini which came with a huge side salad of, amongst other things, beans, artichokes and olives. It looked like a simple enough dish but was deceivingly filling!
The Italian plate.
My mother decided on the Italian plate which turned out to be an interesting selection of antipasto and salad. The fresh green peas were a big hit! It was a perfect lunch for a warm summers day.
(To die for) Rhubarb crumble and cream.
Desserts are made by Anne, a seventh generation Kavanagh who also works in the pub, I've tried her delicious meringue in the past as well as her fruit pie but today opted for the rhubarb crumble with fresh cream. It was both tart and sweet in equal measures, perfect! We also had some ice cream which didn't disappoint either!
Delicious ice cream.
Going to Kavanagh's is a bit like stepping back in time, it's honest and unpretentious in a way that a lot of more modern pubs strive for but fail to achieve. It has that "olde worlde" look because it's actually from the "olde worlde"! Most pubs pay a fortune to get this right! The prices are fairly old fashioned too, when I got the bill I had to double check that I'd been charged for everything, three main courses, three desserts, a tea coffee and an espresso for €31.00. I'd say that's spectacular value for money.
The not-so-damaging damage!
Finally it's been suggested that the Guinness here is the best in Dublin, while I'm not qualified to judge I do recall having one of my first pints of the black stuff in Kavanaghs and I wasn't disappointed! Nowadays I tend not to drink much of it but I'd love to hear other people's opinions! While they may sell a lot of Guinness don't worry there are beverages available!
And before you go... have a look at this 2002 advert which was filmed in the pub! It should but a smile on your face if you're like me and on the wrong side of 30!
John Kavanagh's "The Gravediggers"1 Prospect Square,Glasnevin,Dublin 9.01 8307978Follow on Facebook
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