Buoys Keep Swinging

As any Greystonian is only too happy to reveal, this town is pretty darn close to being perfect.

Yep, when push comes to shovel, we’ve got just about all the beauty Wicklow has to offer, some of the finest minds – and bodies – on the Planet Éire, and all that deep, deep local history to be smug about.

And that’s just for starters…

What stops Greystones from being all-the-way-up-11 perfect is really down to two simple flaws. Firstly, ten years after the La Touche closed, still no frickin’ hotel. Secondly, for a population of 8,000, how come there are only three bars in the town…? 

Well, the good news is, as Johnny Rohan tries once again to drop a boutique hotel into the area, and The Whale ups de culture and entertainment options a tad, Greystones actually does have another bar to wile away your night in. And it’s right in the heart of town.

Actually, The Happy Pear is right in the heart of town. Which would make this place sorta the aorta.

The main thing is, from now on, should you need to step away from the same-old, same-old without taking a €326 cab ride, Buoys Kitchen – right down at Burnaby Park – has a full, glorious, top-of-the-range, Grade A bar licence. Boasting a gin menu that could make Catherine Nevin’s moustache curl.

The fact that we’re talking about a restaurant that’s been in the town’s sweet spot for close to 4,237 years means that you’ll be toasting a little bit of Greystones’ history with each lift of the glass.

And hey, we haven’t even mentioned the fact that The Restaurant Formerly Known As The Copper Kettle – and later, of course, Vino Pasta – has a rather glowing reputation for their food.

With a new evening menu about to be unleashed at this fine eaterie, we swung by Buoys Kitchen to talk to head honcho Jeff Behan about his trainee days in this very spot, the growth of Greystones as a foodie haven, and how the town’s nightlife is suddenly coming to back to life, back to unreality…

You can find out more about Buoys Kitchen here, and about their Wednesday night specials right about here.