| In
a simple first floor room overlooking the diamond
in the centre of Enniskerry village, cheerful staff
deal promptly with telephone bookings and show arriving
guests straight to their table to have an aperitif
and choose from a menu that offers mainly pizzas (thin,
crisp base & choice of toppings - cooked in a
wood-burning oven), pastas, and the inevitable but
absolutely necessary offer of steaks. First courses
include lovely soups (they really are changed daily),
a classic Caesar salad, gorgonzola-stuffed deep-fried
mushrooms and some, such as calamari (succulent crisp),
which can also be ordered as a main course. Accurate
cooking and speedy delivery of simple, wholesome food
makes it all the more enjoyable - and desserts such
as lemon ice cream meringue bombe are well worth lingering
over, before you finish of with a perfectly made coffee.
Best of all, perhaps, is the bill - which , together
with tasty trattoria style food, and house wines that
are just fine, goes a long way towards explaining
why this little place expects to turn tables over
twice (or more) on a busy weekend evening.
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| Emilia's can be found upstairs overlooking Enniskerry's central triangle. It's all very simple: plain wooden stairs, floors and ceilings give the room an uncluttered air. The tables are simple, the chairs too. It has the feel of a dining room that doesn't take itself too seriously. I got there fresh from the eternal Dublin traffic jam to find everyone else already seated. 'You have to take this place as you find it', said Chris, something I'm always happy to do. He had a point; it's long been a puzzle to me that Enniskerry - home to so many expensive houses and big-incomed families - has been badly served for years by restaurants. They come, they go, they leave barely a gastronomic mark. I think it may have something to do with having a captive audience - if you live in Enniskerry it must be great to have a restaurant on your doorstep without having to go into the city centre. It's so much easier, in fact, that possibly the restaurants don't have to try as hard. What Emilia's has to offer is 'cheap and cheerful', which is unique to Enniskerry and it's about time that this option was available. It's a place where you can go with your kids and get a pizza or a dish of pasta, a glass of wine, and then home for an early night without breaking the bank. |
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| The Staying power of restaurants and shops in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, never seems to be great. There was a magnificent florish on the back of Celtic Tiger consumerism three or four years ago, with all sorts of exotica abounding on the hilly streets and around the clock tower, but -pooof - in a flash they were all gone again, disappearing as quickly as election promises. There is a lot of money around Enniskerry, but the ever-vigilant and sensible denizens apper to be carefull with thier shekels and demand value for money; after all, the 4X4s are pretty hefty. Consequently, one very often hears,' I dont feel like a starter, darling. I'II just have a main course. Enniskerry is also more a daytripping destination, with people doing a scout around the village and then heading up to Powercourt House, the gardens and waterfall. |
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Review in Lonely Planet Travel Book Ref: Wicklow Eating |
| A lovely 1st floor restaurant to satisfy even the most ardent craving for thin-crust pizza's. Emilia's does everything else just right too, from organic soups to the perfect steaks down to the gorgeous meringue desserts. Mains €13-12 Time 5-10.45pm Mon - Sat noon - 9.30pm Sundays |
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