Right over our heads

This was was one of my Chew & Chat nights with my great mate Tom. We met at 8,00 in Davy Byrne's pub, both amazed at how busy it was (and all the other pubs nearby, equally busy). Recession? What recession? We warmed up over a couple of beers, and it was almost by chance that, as we looked around and agreed what a wonderful place Davy Byrne's is, that I happened to look up and saw this amazing dome-shaped skylight directly overhead. I knew immediately that this would be today's blip, even though I already had a floodlit Trinity College and this photo op in Grafton Street to fall back on if needed.

As I've mentioned before, we take it in turns to nominate a restaurant. It was Tom's turn tonight, and he chose Marco Pierre White's on Dawson Street (formerly Fitzers). It should have stayed as Fitzers. Our table in the corner was fine (I like it when you're corner to corner with your companion rather than opposite), but the lighting was so ridiculously low that we had to use the light of our mobiles to read the menu. And the menu? Ridiculously limited. No soup, which I find disappointing. About ten different ways to order steak, but art from that a very limited choice was on offer (though haddock done four or five different ways was an option is you were prepared to pay almost 30 euro for the privilege!) We both had kipper paté for starter, which was good. We also had the same main course (a liver dish), which was desperately disappointing, lacking in substance and biteability, more like more paté than the real gutsy liver you'd expect). Dessert ordinary (Eton mess for me, Sticky Toffee Pudding for Tom). The wine was great. All in all, a major let-down. We complained to the waiter about the liver and somebody from management came over, apologised, and told us we'd only be charged for one (main) dish. We complained again on the way out. The guy behind the desk offered to get the manager for us, but we felt we'd already sufficiently registered our displeasure. For the life of us, we couldn't understand why the place was as busy as it was (every table was occupied). I guess it's the name that attracts people. I wouldn't bother. We certainly won't go back, and we wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

We went on for drinks and deep chat, beginning in Novo Café Bar beside the Westin hotel (we originally intended going into the actual hotel as a likely spot for somewhere nice and quiet and laid back, but spotted Novo, which was new to both of us). It's amazingly big (and empty). We had a couple of pints and were feeling nicely settled when the guy behind the bar rather peremptorily asked us if we wanted another, because last-orders time was rapidly approaching. We felt the situation was really badly handled, declined the offer for more drink, and went on to our usual end-of-night haunt, the Japanese bar on Exchequer Street, where we treated ourselves to a really deep heart to heart chat. It' really is a great late-night spot (even if we didn't approve of the microwaved sake). I got the NiteLink home at 3.00 am.

All in all, it was another one of our great together nights. Just what I needed after the hassle of the week with my friends and the 'favour' I was doing for them.