Durty Nelly’s in Bunratty in Ireland has been in business since it was established in 1620. If a public house — which is more popularly known as a pub — has been in business for approximately 404 years, there must be a good reason; so I had to try it out for myself. This is the pub in which much of one wall was dedicated to the events of Tuesday, September 11, 2001.
Durty Nelly’s in Bunratty in Ireland. Restaurant Review.
“Many, many moons ago, in the misty past of Cratloe’s rolling countryside, there lived a buxom lady, tall in stature, but shapely and appealing to all. She was known simply as Durty Nelly, a name that puzzled all who had the good fortune to meet her – but soon became apparent”, according to the official Internet site of the pub. “Times were hard in Ireland but the wily Nelly always found a way to make ends meet. She was keeper of the toll-bridge over the river Owengarney, which flowed outside her window on its way to join the Shannon.”
The text continues that “All visitors who sought to cross the bridge had to pay their dues to Nelly — those who could not pay in cash paid in kind with the presentation of a chicken, a few eggs, a piece of home-cured bacon or even, legend has it, a bit of ‘comfort’ for the lady herself.”
Smoked Salmon on Irish Soda Bread was ordered as the starter for the meal. It was served with chips, a slice of lemon, and a salad garnish of spinach, mixed greens, and tomato capers. The fish is from the waters off the coast of Ireland. The large capers and the thick slice of soda bread gave the salmon a nice balance of savory flavors. The chips had a nice potatoey consistency with a slightly crunchy exterior. I enjoyed this appetizer. €16.00
I kept seeing dining establishments and grocery stores proudly displaying that their beef was from Ireland; so I had to order the Prime Irish Sirloin Steak with sautéed onions, mushrooms, and chips. I chose the peppercorn sauce instead of the garlic butter. The steak was cooked at the temperature I liked. I was pleasantly surprised that the taste of the steak was reminiscent of that found at a more expensive steakhouse. The peppercorn sauce was not needed, as the steak was delicious on its own; but it did elevate the steak with a spicy flavor element. The mushrooms and onions were good as well; but not excellent. €30.00
Salmon with Leek and Dill Sauce was accompanied by seasonal vegetables of carrots, peas, and green beans. Leave it to a pub in Ireland to serve a dish with both creamy mash — that is, mashed potatoes — and a roasted small potato. Both the salmon and the mashed potatoes were excellent — and I can never refuse peas. €21.00
Despite my having visited both Ireland and the United Kingdom in the past, I have never tried sticky toffee pudding — so the Sticky Toffee Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce was ordered. I am not a lover of toffee — but wow. This dessert was simply amazing, divine, quite rich, and super sweet without being cloyingly so. The scoop of vanilla ice cream, the whipped cream, the blueberry, and the flat “waffle cone” crisp were excellent accompaniments that all helped to perfectly tone down the sweetness of the sticky toffee. €8.00
As Durty Nelly’s is a pub, the alcoholic beverages were definitely flowing from the small bar area, which is adorned with hundreds of official patches from the civil services of many cities from around the world — although approximately 90 percent of them are from the United States.
Final Boarding Call
I highly recommend dining at Durty Nelly’s. The food was fresh and very good. Other than having to wait for the check for at least 15 minutes, the service had no issues; and the prices were fairly reasonable for the amount and quality of food that was provided.
Considering that Durty Nelly’s is a popular place to dine with the local people, booking reservations is suggested — but I simply walked in without reservations and was immediately seated for dinner. The total cost of the meal was $82.88 in United States dollars.
Durty Nelly’s is conveniently located next to historic Bunratty Castle in County Clare just off of the southeast bound lanes of Exit 6a of Highway N18, which is the main dual carriageway between Galway and Limerick. The guards of the castle were rumored to have imbibed at Durty Nelly’s.
Durty Nelly’s
Bunratty, County Clare
Ireland
+353 (0) 61 364 861
Operating Hours
Sunday through Thursday from noon through 11:30 in the evening.
Friday through Saturday from noon through 12:30 in the morning.
Bar food is available from from noon through 10:00 in the evening.
Free parking is available.
All photographs ©2024 by Brian Cohen.
