Walking into the Queen Street restaurant in the Victoria Hotel, is like getting a glimpse of Galway in the roaring 1920s, but with all of the creature comforts of the modern day.
Styled like a restaurant setting in The Great Gatsby, the decor is impressive. With enough lush floral displays and deep green soft furnishings to look like Daisy Buchanan's house, Queen Street exudes and air of glamour any time of day, be it in the light of day over brunch or in dimmed mood lighting over a cocktail.
With an extensive brunch menu featuring the classics like Irish breakfast, eggs Benedict and smashed avocado, it also offers heavier dishes, including burgers, custom pizzas and plenty of salad options for those wishing to keep their brunch fare light.
The Smashed Avocado arrives balanced on homemade toasted sourdough, topped with poached eggs and grilled cherry tomatoes. The avocado is perfectly ripe resting below perfectly poached eggs, with a runny yolk and perfectly plump cherry tomatoes which burst in the mouth. With the rising popularity of avocados on menus across the country, the presence of smashed avocados at Queen Street isn't unique in itself, what is unique is how well they are done. It's very easy to get poached eggs wrong, a concern Queen Street need not worry about.
The extremely popular Seafood Chowder is both warming and creamy. Hints of lemon and dill come through, but not overwhelmingly so. The chunks of fish, both smoked and unsmoked are substantial, with the hearty servings of both complimented with lashings of cream sauce. Served with homemade sourdough bread, the seafood chowder is everything you want in a seafood chowder, and balances the cream sauce well, allowing the taste of the fish to shine through but not overwhelm the taste buds.
The Sizzler Wrap is hugely popular with workers who have popped in on their lunch breaks. The twisted tortilla wrap with piri-piri mayonnaise, chunks of smoked bacon, parmesan and southern fried chicken tenders, served with a side salad topped with a sweet glaze. The sizzler wrap is of a perfect size, stuffed full with tender and succulent chicken and with generous chunks of smoked bacon. It's a perfect dish to navigate a boozy brunch or to fill you for the final slog of the working day.
Brunch is served daily from 12:30pm until 3:45pm Monday to Saturday with the evening menu starting at 4pm until 8:15pm. Located on Victoria Place, within a two minutes walk of the hustle and bustle of Shop Street, visit Queen Street today and experience it all for yourself.
