Restaurant Review - Shack Restaurant, Temple Bar, Dublin**** We booked a table here earlier in the day, good job too because the restaurant is packed. The service is not slow though, we get a jug of iced water right away and a young waiter soon arrives to take our order. I always try to follow a 'When In Rome' maxim, especially at the start of a trip, so I opted for Irish smoked salmon and then a traditional meal of bacon and cabbage. Mrs YS had mussels in garlic and cream sauce then king prawns 'Shack' style with tomatoes, wine and cream. The smoked salmon was succulent and tender and came with some excellent home made walnut and raisin bread, I was disappointed though that we were not given any other bread, despite having side plates and butter on the table. An oversight ? Or was it a chargeable extra ? Some bread would have been good for Mrs YS to mop up the sauce, I tried a mussel, they were good, tender and juicy. Having tried the Irish national drink last night, and not really enjoyed it, I went for a bottle of sherry strength Amarone tonight. It was at the upper end of the wine list, but having seen some wines I knew (Ozzy cabernets and some riojas) presented at fairly reasonable prices I thought I might be in for a treat, I wasn't wrong. The Amarone was at perfect temperature, big in the mouth, filled with ripe, rich flavours. My main course was three generous slices of boiled bacon loin, on a heap of buttered cabbage, with parsley sauce over the top, as if this mighty pile of stuff wasn't enough I was served with and individual dish of carrot batons and broccoli and some garlic and cheese potatoes. The bacon was good, not too salty and complemented well by the spring cabbage and sauce. Mrs YS pronounced her prawns to be excellent. For dessert I chose a cheese plate, four different cheeses, plenty of biscuits and a heap of salad. Mys YS had a chocolate 'cake', four pieces of dense, rich, chocolate brownie with whipped cream and apricot coulis. Service was pretty good considering that the restaurant was full (and people were queuing to get in), the total bill for 3 courses each, plus one soft drink and one coffee came to a touch over 120 euros, but 52 euros of that was the Amarone, I think this is pretty good value for a good restaurant in the trendy district of a capitol city. The menu is fairly extensive and contains fish, pasta and a fair assortment of world foods alongside the Irish specialties. If you are visiting Dublin, give it a try. Shack Restaurant, Dublin