For the past few years, Dublin has provided an economical access point for a European vacation. Compared to flights from the U.S. to either London or Paris, selecting Dublin as your gateway city or final stop could result in savings of a few hundred dollars. Last September, Sonia and I made the decision to use Dublin as our departure city, which gave us an opportunity to see the city for a couple of days. Dublin proved a fun time and showed us that a couple of days is not enough to experience all the city and the surrounding areas have to offer.
Our favorite restaurant in Dublin was Fish Shack Cafe. We dined at the one near Temple Bar and picked it as we were originally looking to find the best fish and chips in the city, and it had some good reviews. However, when we got there, we were intrigued by so much of the menu that we quickly opted for some other menu items. The goal was to try as much as we could without breaking the bank. As Dublin was our last stop for our trip, we were already down to our last few Euros.
For our meal, we ordered the FishShack Platter for 2 as it included a diversity of the restaurants specials as well as a variety of seafood. On the platter was steamed mussels, piri piri shrimp, fried calamari, and sourdough toast topped with a shrimp and crab salad. There were some additional pieces of toasted bread to supplement the platter. We also added a salad for some freshness and a bowl of the seafood chowder, as the chowder seems to be a local must.
The platter was a nice mix with each offering providing different flavor profiles. From the tender and spicy piri piri shrimp to the creamy crab and shrimp salad, it was hard to pick which item stood out as all were delicious. I believe the platter changes from time to time, but I believe whatever is on it will be an excellent sampling of the restaurants best dishes.
The salad was a nice pop of freshness in our meal and came with a nice mix of toppings and greens. In addition to the mixed greens, the salad had olives, red onions, roasted red peppers and tomatoes. It may look like a small serving, but there was a lot in that bowl.
With the sampler platter and salad already part of our meal, we were able to share a bowl of the seafood chowder. The chowder was my favorite part of the meal as it was the perfect blend of creaminess and full of so many chunks of seafood. It’s easy to understand how this is a good meal for one, but I am glad that we were able to share it, as I would have regretted missing out on this bowl of goodness.
If you’re looking for some fresh and delicious seafood for an affordable price, we highly recommend Fish Shack Cafe.
