Spectacular Dripsey venue is the latest in Perry Street Cafe collection

Spectacular Dripsey venue is the latest in Perry Street collection

Fish Crumble

You'll find the latest addition to the Perry Street Cafe collection in McD's garden centre in Dripsey, perched beautifully on the left bank of the Dripsey River (a tributary of the Lee).

This, the fourth venue and venture from Brian Drinan and Paul Coffey, boasts a spacious, light-filled "marquee" with glass walls giving views into the colourful garden centre and a third side offering stunning riverside views that may, from time to time, include water-ski activity. A terrace stands by for sunny days, but even on dull ones, the natural light is a welcome mood booster.

Vegetarian quiche

Perry Street Café Dripsey offers familiar comfort food in a stunning riverside setting. While the menu may not break new ground, it delivers reliable quality and caters to a variety of tastes.

Indeed the menu follows the familiar Perry Street Cafe formula, featuring well-loved breakfast and lunch options. At breakfast, choose from the "Super Perry," "Full Perry," or "Half Perry" or pick from the enticing Moroccan breakfast, various egg dishes, granola, porridge, and pancakes and more.

Mango and Passion Fruit

Lunchtime brings a wider selection, with soups, chowders, and various sandwiches. The "Perry Street Toasted Special" with its combination of ham, red onion marmalade, tomato, Hegarty's cheese, and mustard mayo is a popular choice, as is the "Perry Street Falafel" served with hummus, salsa, lettuce, and sweet potato fries.

Pies range from the classic fish crumble to hearty cottage pie. Salads cater to varied preferences, with options like the "Roast Squash and Beetroot" salad featuring orange segments, avocado, feta, walnuts, and a zingy lemon dressing.

Apple Crumble

For something more substantial, the "Mains" section offers enticing choices like the "Chargrilled Chicken and Avocado Tortilla Bowl" or the "Chicken Parm" with rocket, parmesan, slow-cooked tomato sauce, and buttery pasta. Sides like fries and house salad complete these dishes.

While the menu may not detour towards uncharted territory, the execution is consistent. The "Fish and Chips" with its perfectly cooked haddock and light batter is a crowd-pleaser.

Perry Street (in its days as The Spinning Wheel)

Other standouts include the vegetarian quiche and the "Warm Chicken & Black Pudding Salad" with its crunchy and tasty combination of mixed greens, house dressing, sundried tomatoes, potatoes, nuts, cheese, and a balsamic reduction.

Chicken & Black Pudding Salad

Desserts, with daily variations (check the tempting assortment of treats displayed at the counter), include crowd-pleasers like "Mango and Passionfruit" and "Apple Crumble." Friendly and knowledgeable servers are ready to offer recommendations, not just on desserts but throughout your dining experience.

View of the river - skier not guaranteed!

A comprehensive drinks selection, featuring wines, teas and coffees, rounds out the offerings at this very attractive Dripsey venue (formerly well-known and well-loved as Griffins). The other Perry Street locations are Ringaskiddy, Grange and Cork city centre.

Granny Griffin Knows Best

Thai Green Curry

Granny Griffin Knows Best

Granny Griffin’s famous Apple Pie was on the menu last Friday when we visited the Garden Restaurant at Griffin’s Garden Centre in Dripsey. 

It wasn't the only highlight as it was Fiver Friday, meaning that some main courses were available at a fiver. Indeed, the prices are always reasonable here as you can see from the bill, everything a fiver or under! 

But don't worry. Prices may be keen but the quality is there, certainly in that delicious Apple Pie. It went down a treat. So too did the expertly produced Pavlova, the real thing. 

It was quite a dull day but this comfortable restaurant is bright  thanks to acres of glass and looks out on to the colourful shrubs and flowers in the Garden Centre, a lovely room and also quite a busy one at lunchtime. On a better day, you have the option of eating outside where the tables overlook the river.

Quite a few people, most in fact, opted for the self service option and that moved along smoothly. We were served at the table, with friendly efficiency and courtesy. We all went for the Vegetable Soup as a starter and this was well up to scratch as was the brown bread.

Now what kind of mains would you get for a fiver? How about a beef stew? Griffin’s support local producers and the beef came from Aghabullogue; you can’t get more local that that.

It was excellent, a lovely stew. The other fiver special on offer was a Thai Green Curry and that too was top notch; Chicken was well cooked and those bowls for both the beef and curry were quite substantial. Still, there was room for dessert including that famous pie.

Next time, I’ll have to get a photo with Granny and will even wear a hairnet if necessary!

THE SPINNING WHEEL AT GRIFFIN'S

GRIFFIN’S GARDEN CENTRE

Picture this. The sun shining on a terrasse. Dinners enjoying themselves at the tables. It overlooks the water. Here comes a motor boat with a water-skier going zigzag behind it.

You are not on the Med. Not dreaming. You are at lunch in the Spinning Wheel, the lovely restaurant attached to the stunning Griffin’s Garden Centre in Dripsey. I was there yesterday.

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When we arrived at the centre to see the newly installed display gardens, designed by Margaret Griffin, we were greeted with some free nibbles. Loved my piece of tart with Ardsallagh Cheese.

First mission though was to take in those new gardens. They are just fantastic, something for everyone here. Most are set to a fairly small scale, some smaller than others, and so will suit the majority of people. The ideas though will suit everyone interested in livening up their space. I loved the use of colour (eg the bright red lamp, the pink wall, the white flowered corner and also the artefacts such as mirrors).

Well worth a visit for the display gardens alone. And particularly so this coming Friday when Dermot O’Neill will be along to officially open them, starting at 11.00am. It is just over twenty minutes from the western side of town.

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I’m a regular (if infrequent) visitor here and usually call to the onsite Spinning Wheel restaurant which is right on the bank of the River Lee. This place is light and airy, loads of glass and lots of colour too, right down to the serving trays. It is open all day with lunch served from 12.30pm.

You can have light bites, tea and scones for examples, toasted sandwiches or something more substantial. Never shy at the table, I went for the award winning Jack McCarthy Black pudding, wrapped in bacon and served with a mix of summer berries and, of course, a side plate, this of carrots and haricots verts. A lovely meal in a lovely place for ten euro.

You may also but food items to take away here, such as cakes and scones and various preserves, including jams and relishes.

We got down to some serious business after lunch and grabbed a trolley, bought some plants, got some advice (the staff here are very friendly and helpful) and headed back to the car. But not before a look at the indoor shop, so well stocked you’d need a fair bit of time to browse through.

All in all, quite a visit on a sunny day. But don't worry too much about the weather. Quite a bit of the centre is under cover and you always have the shop and Spinning Wheel. If you can't make it on Friday, put it on your list of things to do.