Johnnie Fox's: A mountain-top tradition
With a clientele including Daniel O'Connell, Michael Collins (as a hideaway), plus modern day presidents, film stars and more, it wouldn't be a surprise if Johnnie Fox's restaurant and pub bought its own hype. A solid menu, and an even more reliable schedule of traditional Irish entertainment that really entertains, proves that while this cozy mountain-top restaurant may be up in the clouds, it operates with both feet firmly on the ground.
Crammed corner-to-corner (and spilling out into the parking area and beer gardens) with several centuries worth of bric-a-brac, the atmosphere in this cozy country-style pub remains genuine, despite a robust tourist trade. Here the feeling is less that time is standing still, and more that it is being collected. The walls, mantles (even ceilings in some areas of the restaurant) are home to framed prints, photos and patriotic paraphernalia spanning decades and centuries.
For the history-hungry as well as the peckish, Johnnie Fox's offers a menu of traditional Irish favorites, such as braised lamb shank, huge fillets of trout and Irish salmon. For the more adventurous, the restaurant famously offers deliciously different entrees, including alligator or frogleg appetizers, swordfish steaks and the signature Mahi Mahi Diablo – a meaty fish marinated in spices and served with the pub's own Diablo sauce.
Appetizers fare on the wan side of traditional tastes, with seafood cocktails, filo-wrapped prawns, smoked salmon and an egg "Harlequin" plate snatched from the pages of a post-war cocktail party menu.
For many visitors, however, the first order when visiting Johnnie Fox's is a pint of The Black Stuff and a place to tap their feet.
HelloDublin Tip: Johnnie Fox's famous "Hooley Nights" are a tradition all their own – featuring local trade bands, singalongs and professional Irish dancers performing at their peak. Reservations are must for these events, and early booking is recommended.
Posted by Bridget Reilly
