La Strada

This place holds a special spot in my heart. The boyfriend and I went here for a romantic date early in our relationship and we fell in love… with the restaurant that is.
While it looks unassuming on the outside, it is fantastically charming and welcoming on the inside. The owner, a fantastically charming Italian man, greeted us like we had been regulars there for years, sat us in a corner table and waited on us himself. He suggested the special, veal medallions in a pepper cream sauce with steamed veggies on the side. He suggested the creamy aubergine to start and what perfect way to start off a perfect date. The creamy smoothness of the aubergine starter blended perfectly with the spicy bite of the pepper sauce of the main and each course was cooked to perfection.
The best part may have been the lazy service we received, or the speedier service offered to those who had post dinner plans. The BF and I were allowed to hold hands over the table, gaze adoringly into each others eyes, have those terribly important conversations about nothing in particular which couples have in the early part of the relationship. When we were asked if we were in the way, the owner said not at all, looked at my bf and told him to enjoy the charming company he was lucky enough to have.
It was a wonderful night. We go back at least once a month to hold hands, eat great food and get all fluttery again.

Every now and then you get it wrong. It’s been a couple of years since I was at La Strada. I originally discovered the little bit of Italy from a former work colleague; «Nothing much to look at from the outside,» he says, «but inside, it’s a little bit of Italy, all home cooked Italian recopies and a lovely atmosphere. The owner came over and had a chat with us at the end. Wonderful.»
And indeed my first trip to La Strada was all of these things. It does look quite unappetising from the street, a shoddy blue door beside a derelict Chinese restaurant (which obviously doesn’t help the façade!) but inside, warm, intimate and friendly. Perfect for a date.
So my girlfriend and I were being treated to a night out, dinner and a movie courtesy of her Mum. I thought La Strada would be the right spot, near the cinema and some nice Italian home cooking.
The façade is still uninviting even with a recent paint job, and we were greeted by a waitress and seated near the door. When we entered there was only one couple visible to us, but the place did get busier as the night progressed.
The interior is a cream with some black and white photos scattered across the walls, some odd paintings of celebrities in the room to the right of the door (which, from our table, we can’t see into) and some shelves adorned with Italian food products, pastas and sauces and the like. The ceiling to the back of the room looks like there has been a leak, with a water mark on it, and overall it wasn’t a homey or as inviting on the inside as I remember. It actually made me wonder the state and cleanliness of the building.
I order the fried mozzarella with a mayonnaise and Reagan gets the garlic bread. The mozzarella is ok, 4 squares of decent mozzarella in a panko style coating and a side salad, not too much on the plate. Reagan’s’ garlic bread is two slices of a crusty brown bread and is again, ok, if unspectacular.
I debated between the steak and lasagne for the main, but the description of the home recipe and the memory of it from my previous visit won me over so lasagne it is. Reagan orders the spaghetti bolognaise, again, a «grandmother» recipe. The lasagne arrives on a very hot plate with a lasagne dish blackened from many times in the oven. The lasagne is delicious, hearty, plentiful and very much homemade. The sauce used in it is very good. Reagan’s spaghetti could feed a family of four, and again, is very very good. The owner/​chef passes and chats with us for a moment. Very friendly.
I order the home made caramel for dessert and Reagan orders some banana dessert. The caramel is a not what I expected and is ok. Reagan’s dessert is again, plentiful and looks delicious. I order a damn fine cup of coffee to top it all off.
Our waitress is pretty bad. She’s difficult to understand and is very matter of fact. Our dessert spoons are dumped down on the table with no effort to place them, and all in all, she’s not particularly friendly. Another table toward the end of the night seem to have a problem with her too and there seems to be a delay on their food. The owner comes out again to shake hands and all is good again.
As I said, every now and again you get it wrong. This was supposed to be a romantic treat for us, I should have picked a better restaurant which was a little plusher and where I knew we we’re going to get a little spoiled. But La Strada was the wrong call for the night. It is an ideal spot for someone on a tight budget looking for good food, but it doesn’t elevate from this position. I have strong concerns about the interior and the building itself, and would advise the owners to invest a bit more in the building (I realise it’s not that easy in these tight times.) And perhaps hire better staff.

La Strada is a hidden little gem in Dun Laoghaire.
This lovely little Italian is full of happy tables even on a Wednesday night. It has lovely big windows looking out on the street and inside looks warm and cosy. I had beautiful mussels to start € 7.95 and then the options are pizza and pasta. I had the Isabella € 10.95 and it was delicious. What a great value meal & such a nice evening.

This hard working and honest restaurant provides the sort of homely and welcoming experience you expect from an Italian. The owners (Husband and wife i think) run the place like clockwork and are nearly always interacting with the customers and making sure the night runs perfectly every night. I have had some seriously good meals here and find the family atmosphere only adds to the real good feeling you leave with (also very full since portions are generous to say the least) My tips are the minestrone soup, the steak, and the soup of the day has nearly always been Delicious every time i gave it a go!
Well worth the journey out to Dun Laoghaire, and is a good idea after a walk down the pier or before a movie. A perfect night out.