We'll admit that we can be creatures of habit more than often.
It's just so easy to go back to fail-safe brunch places in Dublin where you know you're guaranteed a stellar meal.
Last weekend a group of us decided to think outside of the box a bit, and settled on a lil day trip out to the coast of Dublin - to Monkstown to be exact.
Little did we know, we'd soon be eating one of the best meals of our lives.
Behold, Le Plancha
As far as seaside suburbs go, Monkstown is a very special place.
Especially when the sun shines.
Happy people, dogs galore and crisp sea air wafting up the town dense with boutiques, shops, cafés and restaurant as far as the eye can see.
We strolled down Monkstown Crescent looking for somewhere to grab a bite and stumbled upon Le Plancha.
Inside it was cool and bright, with some incredible smells drifting around the restaurant from the kitchen.
We started off with a special raspberry cocktails which were super refreshing after walking around in the heat.
Just what the doctor ordered.
One glimpse at the menu and we knew it was gonna be a tough decision when ordering.
And then along came out waitress who pointed out their massive 'Specials' board including yummy dishes like monkfish scampi, king prawn and crab cocktail, a homemade special burger which sounded like heaven and aromatic mussels.
Le Plancha specialise in seafood, in case you hadn't noticed, so we couldn't help but order the monkfish scampi which came with avocado salsa, a Caesar-style salad and chunky butternut squash chips.
The monkfish was perfectly seasoned, battered and fried and almost melted in the mouth it was so soft. It tasted like more and more.
Have been dreaming about it ever since, to be honest.
We were told that Le Plancha sources its ingredients from local suppliers daily to serve up the freshest seafood possible.
We also chose a dew taster dishes of crispy buffalo wings, a goats cheese, beets and orange salad and some parmesan and truffle chunky fries - 'cos we were absolutely staaaarved.
The winner here was the wings for sure. Large and generously meaty, coated in a light, crispy batter and smothered in drool-worthy house buffalo sauce, these could be a strong contestant for some of the best wings we've ever tasted in Dublin.
And sure it wouldn't be brunch without some eggs now would it?
We opted for a classic eggs Benny with pancetta and some huevos rancheros with chorizo, beans, peppers, spicy salsa and fried eggs.
Much to my objections, my company for the day insisted we get desert.
And our lives changed forever...
Made entirely in-house, our chocolate fondant was soft and spongey on the outside, and pure gooey chocolate liquid on the inside - heaven, with some homemade ice cream on the side <3
We stumbled out into the sunny streets of Monkstown utterly content, and utterly full to the brim and dreading the gym after all that chocolate! Le Plancha - we'll most certainly be back.
Head out there today and make the most of it with a stroll down Dún Laoghaire afterward - we can assure you that you won't be sorry!
You can find Le Plancha upstairs at 1a The Crescent, Monkstown, Co. Dublin.
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