Review
La Peniche is a barge (peniche is the French for barge) and it's moored on the Grand Canal alongside Mespil Road. Each day there are two evening cruises at 6pm and 9pm. There is also a lunchtime service, and on a sunny day or evening it's a treat.
During your time on board you will be taken on a cruise where you can learn more about the history of Guinness and about Dublin’s Grand Canal. The lunch menu is €14.50 for 2 courses and €18.50 for 3 courses. Dinner menu is 2 course €27.50 3 course €34.50 for a 3 course menu. There is now also the option of ordering singly from the menu, or just taking a cheese board and a bottle of Prosecco and watching leafy Dublin pass you by from deck.
The evening we were on board, we cruised from Mespil Road down towards Grand Canal basin and back. It was a lovely evening, and La Peniche is a lot of fun.
The menu has changed recently, and we were able to have a very nice meal while enjoying the trip. I had a Walnut and blue cheese salad to start, followed by bacon and cabbage with a cider sauce. Deirdre had the smoked salmon to begin and the seafood pie. All the dishes were really very good, though the smoked salmon and the bacon were judged the winners. There is only a very small galley kitchen, so the menu needs to be simple, and in fairness the food is only one of the reasons to take the trip.
The food is honest and well made, but the unique selling proposition here is the whole experience. If you have a night out with friends coming up, it's a great fun night, and something very different.
