The Old Borough

The Old Borough is a pretty new pub in the area of Swords central. It opened in July 2015 and made a name for itself within the first months. The Old Borough has a well thought-out design that works around the limitation of being in an old building and the interiors of that building, without compromizing the old foundations. There is impeccable access for wheel chairs and for people who have a hard time walking in stairs.

The food is very good, with different focus every day. I went to The Old Borough almost every Thursday and Sunday for nine months and during this time, I discovered that, sadly, the food quality depends entirely on who is in the kitchen. I have had chicken burgers that were perfection and burgers that were dry and bland. I have had curries that are savory and spicy and curries in which I didn't get all the dishes and had to nag staff to get me the mising pieces.

As for beverages, The Old Borough ran a very nice Ale Festival in March 2016, which provided 55 different ales and beers from Ireland, Britain, Europe, and America. That diversity makes up for the fact that this Near-Dublin based pub does not serve Guinness and their whiskey selection is very thin.

The prices for food are really good, far lower than their competition along the same street and in central Swords. The alcoholic bevarages are very cheap and the food/drink deals are really good.

If you want a good place for a party or a filling breakfast, visit the Old Borough. The floor staff is service minded, the pub is well suitable for big groups, and the bottomless coffee, while a bit weak by Swedish standards, is good.

With its running charity affiliations and the themed weekends, this is a pub that is open to anyone who wants to watch sports, get a pint, or eat.

Easy Kitchen, Holiday Inn Åre

I've been coming to the village of Åre every Easter for as long as I can remember. My grandmother lived only an hour away on a farm that is now inhabited by one of my uncles. I find the way hotels and tourist attractions have popped up horrible, but I also understand the need to bring the tourists to the village. It is a ski resort after all.

While working at a grocery store not far from my uncle's house, I was treated to the Easy Kitchen restaurant at Holiday Inn Åre. It's a beautiful restaurant with dark oak details and finish, and soft, innovative light fixtures. The ramps, a nod at being friendly to the differently abled guests, were hard to spot and I nearly tripped on the first one. I hope those who use wheel chairs or canes are better prepared or there will be accidents.

This day, the lunch buffe was cooked cod, potatoes, oven baked chicken, and rice. Included in the price was a salad buffe and one glass of water or soda. Personally, I feel that if you charge what they do for food, the beverages should only be limited if they contain alcohol. One 2.5 dl glass per costumer is just being cheap, especially if it's water. 

The food was mediocre at best. The chicken was dry and under seasoned. The fish was watery and also under seasoned. The high light was the potatoes, but only because the rest was so bland. At the salad table, the only interesting bit was the cold cuts, though I have a hard time understanding why you need cold, boiled salmon at a salad table.

All in all, I'm happy we managed to get the "hillbilly discount", because I would never pay more than the 85 SEK per person we did pay for this food. It was just boring. So, if you can, find a nice local person to take you, and don't pay full price.

Wright's Cafe Bar

Wright's is a pub that's trying to be a nightclub and restaurant in one. The atmosphere is nice, and most of the staff is helpful and serviceminded. The food is good and they have a great selection of teas and coffee.

The tea was the only reason I wanted to come back to this restaurant after having the worst dining experience I can remember.

Second time we decided to eat at Wright's started just as the first. A really handsome and service minded waitor showed us a table and took our drink orders. Both my husband and I decided on starters and a main course, and we were not disappointed. Wright's have some of the best bacon potato skins and tower burgers I've ever tasted, as well as great steaks.
We took our time to enjoy our meals, because what else do you do when the food is good, right? After the starters, we both ordered a pint of Guinness each, and we were nursing our drinks even after our main courses were cleaned off of our plates.

That's when one of the waitresses approaches us and asks if we want to order anything else. This was not even five minutes after we had finished our food, so we both said no. Big mistake.

Waitress: Are you ordering anything else?

Hubby: Not me. I'm full.

Me: Me neither. I'm good.

Waitress: Then I am going to ask you to leave.

Both of us: O.o Mm-kay...?

Note that it was not even five minutes after we had finished our food and both of us had almost a full pint of Guiness left. We had not been rude to anyone, we had not been loud, or drunk. Suddenly, we were just thrown out. I could understand if they needed the seats for other customers, but that was just rude. She could have asked us nicely if we would mind leaving because they needed the seats, but no. The place was far from packed, our seats had not been reserved, and both of us know how to behave in a public place.

The the choices are great, but not good enough to make me want to keep giving my money to an establishment that treats their guests so impolitely.

The Old Schoolhouse Bar & Restaurant

The Old Schoolhouse is a rustic looking place, with exposed wood beams and brick work. The atmosphere is very layed back and the staff is helpful and nice, even when the place is packed. Boy and I have now been to  this pub six or seven times, and we have yet to be anything but blown away by the service, the building, and the staff.

The food in the pub section is amazing. We have yet to try the restaurant, but so far, not a single dish has been a disappointment. The only thing you have to be vary of is the sheer amount of food you get served. Especially the chicken wings, the sea food chowder, and the nachos are huge, and they are starters. If you're looking for great food while on a budget, I would recommend those three.
For the mains, I would go for either fish or steak. All dishes we have tried so far have been divine, but the fish and steaks are beyond delishious. The fries are thick and hand cut. The fish filets are huge and cooked perfectly, as are the steaks.
For vegetarians, there are four alternatives, ranging from enchiladas to sizzlers, all mouth watering to look at and get the scent of.

The Old Schoolhouse also has an extensive winelist, but for the pub food I highly recommend either Bulmers or Guinness. An excellent non-alcoholic alternative is Paulaner, a weiss bier.

There is a children's menu as well, and seats for all ages.
The only downside is that it's not as accessible as other restaurants, but there are no stairs into the pub, and the pub section itself is on two floors, both with large amount of seats.

I would highly recommend The Old Schoolhouse for casual festivities, birthday parties, or just a pint and food on an afternoon.

Swords' Castle and Town Park

The castle was once the home of the Bishop and served no defense purpose in and of itself. It is currently undergoing renovations and is closed to the public, but the adjacent park is open and is used by the public every day.

The town park is a lush, green area, that fits in very well with the surrounding residencies and businesses. The walk ways are well defined, although the littering could be better managed (bottle caps and cigarette filters just a foot away from the trash bin is just laziness). There are cute park benches at good intervals and CCTV cameras abound to ensure security. The laws are well kept and the wildness of trees and ivy along the Ward River gives a serenity which is surprising in a town of roughly 50 thousand people. So far I've seen doves, crows and ravens, a heron, a squirrel, pigeons, and a rat in the park.

The park also have a tennis court with four courts, all in great condition. The playing fee is reasonable (€3 for adults and €1.5 for children). Next to the tennis courts is an adorable playground, with swings, a merry-go-round, and monkey bars.

Both the park and the castle are easily accessible for wheelchairs, electric scooters, and for strolling. It seems to be a common theme for businesses and public areas to be accessible for everyone.

The only real downer with the town park is the litter, both along the paths and in the river itself. Coming from Sweden, with its harsh laws against pollution and littering, I am horrified by the trash in the river. BUT, the town of Swords is making strides to battle the litter situation, so I am hopeful that even the Ward River will get its beauty back.

Masterson's Steakhouse and Wine Bar

If you're ever in Dublin and need a great place to eat, Masterson's is your destination. I have now been there twice in the last week, and I'm in awe of the chef's skill in a kitchen. Reasonably priced, awesome food in a great setting.

The first time Boy and I went there, I was impressed by the decor and the easy-going wait staff. It's been years since I've seen wait staff who are genuinely happy to be of service. All honest smiles and easy flow of words from all four people who assisted us. The three women were the most helpful, double and triple checking that Boy and I had everything we could need. The guy made carrying a sizzling hot plate look like no effort at all as he brought food to the next table over, then asked if we needed anything as he passed us.

The decor is in mocha and dark leather, accentuated with folded screens featuring Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. Towards the open kitchens, the light fixtures are made of off white lamp shades and what looks like driftwood. At the front of the restaurant, the lights are chandeliers in black and crystal. All tables have slim vases with white and red pimpernels in them.

And the food. The food is of the quality I would imagine the gods would eat at feasts.
The first time we went to Masterson's (June 1, 2015), Boy had seafood chowder as starter and rack of ribs as main. I had chicken quesedilla as starter and the club sandwich as main.

The seafood chowder was perfectly seasoned, made with cream and pieces of salmon cooked to perfection. Boy looked like he was in heaven as he ate it, using the sourdough bread to get even the tiniest drop out of the plate.
My quesedilla was great as well. The chicken was so tender, it fell apart in my mouth and the bread, while looking burned, had no taste of coal or being burned. The salsa was a brilliant blend of tomatoes, onions and spices.

The mains were an experience I wouldn't trade for the world. Boy's ribs seemed to have been slow cooked before being char grilled. The meat was soft and juicy and cooked so well, it fell off the bones without effort. A single twig of rosemary lifted the taste of the BBQ gravy to new heights.
My club sandwich was amazing. Bacon that melted away, juicy chicken cooked to perfection and the kind of bread I dream about one day being able to make myself.
We both had sparkling water to drink and there was no hesitation from the waitress about it. Looking around at the other people present, it was obvious that there was a wide selection of non-alcoholic beverages available.

The second time we went to Masterson's was yesterday. We decided to splurge a bit and got wine to our food. A rose wine named J Moreau & Fils Rose D'Anjou 2013 with an amazing fruity sourness that works great with both seafood and red meat.

I had nachos for starters, although, I don't think a starter is supposed to be as big as a main course. The beef and beans were great, as was the guacamole and the nachos. There was just so much of it. I was getting full off of the starter and I had ordered a steak for my main course.
Boy had sizzling prawns in another divine sauce, made from cream and chillies, as his starter.

Both of us had steaks for main course, Boy's being a Surf 'n Turf with garlic potatoes, and mine being a fillet steak with sweet potato mash. Once again, we were met with perfectly cooked food. I am beginning to think that there's a seasoning genius working in their kitchen, because how else do you manage a sweet potato mash that lifts the taste of the sweet potato without getting dry, or a garlic potato dish that tastes both of garlic and potatoes?

I was blown away by the friendliness of the wait staff, and completely surprised by getting recognized by the waitress who served us a week ago. Boy and I stumbled away from Masterson's feeling overstuffed and slightly uncomfortable, but entirely satisfied.

The only downside is that there's no way of telling how much food you'll be served for the starters. It varies from dish to dish and so it is very hard to know without trying what dishes work together in a 2 or 3 course meal.

The unassuming way this restaurant caters to its patrons is a great plus and the effortless way it's completely accessible to everyone, including wheelchairs, is heartwarming. All the wait staff has intimate knowledge of what is in the food and can easily recommend beverages for your food. You will not leave Masterson's unsatisfied.

Introductions

This blog will chronicle my explorations of Swords, County Dublin, along with my life partner, aka Boy.

I am in no way taking money or other kinds of bribes or payments from any of the locations I will be describing in this blog.

I will be completely honest in my assessments of the locations, both good and bad.

I will be looking at things like general condition, service, approachability of the staff, and accessibility.  In the case of restaurants and other food establishments I will also be looking at things like food quality, food quantity, and non-alcoholic beverage choices.

I hope this will be a fun experience for any and all readers.