The pandemic put a stop to a lot of things and La Peniche has sat stationery for a while but soon this fine dining restaurant will set sail once again! Dining aboard the historic barge is a truly unique experience that epitomises luxury, offering the most stunning views of this gorgeous Dublin waterway.
La Peniche is French for ‘The Barge’ and this gorgeous reastaurant really is the barge if you’re looking for an incredibly romantic dining experience. This iconic vessel, the MV Raise, was restored and turned into a restaurant by owners with a passion for all things fine dining.
Before restoration, the barge laid unused and unloves after the canals closed to all commercial transport back in the 1960s. Now, you’ll find her restored and surrounded by glittering lights on Dublin’s Mespil Road.
Who wants a sit down meal in a stationary restaurant when you can gaze out of the many windows on La Peniche, which offers awe inspiring views of the Grand Canal and surrounding areas? On board, you can expect the finest wine and delicious dishes as you take in the experience.
You can even hire the barge as a wedding venue or for another special events you’d like to mark with something unique and its open for both lunch and dinner. Expect delicious French dishes with a few Mediterranean plates too.
Think Mussels Provencal – fresh mussels with garlic, shallots, tomatoes and white wine to start, alomgside other tasty options like buffalo mozarella. The mains include fillet of seabream with potatoes, romanesco and a tempting lemon cream and dill oil sauce.
It’s not all about the seafood. You can enjoy beef cheek in red wine and cornfed chicken too! Plus, there’s even a vegan option – three bean ragout, cooked with fennel and cumin and served with cous cous.
The drinks menu is huge (honestly, we don’t know how they stock so many options on a boat). You can expect fine wines alongside those more suited to moderate budgets, just about every spirit you’d like to order and even a healthy amount of cocktails to choose from.
You don’t even have to book at La Peniche. It’s open to walk ins seven days a week for both lunch and dinner. This beautiful, floating restaurant is open 12.30 pm – 9 pm Sunday to Thursday and until 11 pm on Friday. If you’d like to hire the whole boat or take a look at the complete menu, head to the website.