Niamh O’Sullivan| Staff Writer
This month, why not veer from your usual lunch spot (KC Peaches, Lemon or Captain America’s, most likely) and try something different. A place which I am really fond of is the Port House on South William street, a piece of Spain in the heart of Dublin. Inside, the restaurant cum bar is like a cave. The stone walls are decorated with Spanish wine bottles and atmospheric candles are abundant. So if you feel like escaping the doom and gloom of the library, the Port House is the perfect cosy retreat.
During the week, the lunch special (served from 12-4pm) is two tapas plates and a glass of wine for a mere €10. The menu offers a huge selection of traditional Spanish tapas such as Spanish tortilla, patatas bravas, tetilla templada, iberico ham and gambas pil pil, but to name a few, all of which are really good quality and full of flavour. For dessert, there are churros con chocolate, which are Spanish doughnuts coated in cinnamon sugar and served with a warm chocolate dipping sauce. The impressive, and extensive menu makes it very difficult to choose. I try to order different plates each time so I am slowly working my way through the vast menu!
The chilled out atmosphere at the Port House also makes it a cool place to go for a few drinks with friends, with a drinks menu spanning from wine through port to cocktails. Why not order a pitcher of sangria and escape to Marbella for the evening? Another thing which makes the Port House a welcome change from the usual student haunts is the staff. They speak Spanish all the time, which adds to the Port House’s authentic Spanish air.
Between the great selection of food and drink and the Spanish ‘wine cellar’ setting, the Port House is the port of call for students this new year.
