Just returned from my latest trip to Ireland, and I have had a bit more of an opportunity to explore Malahide. If you've done Dublin and are looking for a more relaxed good time for an evening or two, especially if your travels include a rental car and you want proximity to the airport, I would highly recommend Malahide as a base.

I returned to McGovern's and again very much enjoyed my meal, but I learned too late (literally--just about 8 p.m. on a Sunday night when some of the restaurants had closed their kitchens for the evening) that there are a number of very good restaurants in Malahide that I'll need to check on my next trip there.

Bon Appetit is one. I was able to walk in, see some of the interior, and review the menu. Tapas dominated menu, a very chic interior in an old townhouse, and the restaurant, which once earned a Michelin star, is an interesting story in itself: https://lovindublin.com/opinion/oliv...okay-with-that.

I also learned that Jaipur, almost next door to Bon Appetit, is highly regarded as is Sale e Pepe, across the street from McGovern's. And I very much enjoyed an hour in Gibney's, a multi-part venue that includes a pub, a spirits store, and an outdoor area. For the most part, the pub was a good experience with one jarring note: a woman who ordered a Coors Lite on ice--now that's somebody who really doesn't like beer.

I had a wonderful breakfast the following morning at The Greenery, which is across the street from the water. If you want a traditional Irish breakfast, it's on the menu, but there were a number of other options. I chose the French toast which was made from ciabatta, cut into three planks that were placed to form the shape of the letter "H" with two strips of very well-prepared bacon. The Greenery is also open for lunch and dinner with what appeared to be a very casual approach.

There aren't many lodging options unfortunately, but prices are generally lower than in Dublin. On this trip, I stayed at the Island View Hotel, a place with seven rooms but a pub, two bars, and a restaurant. Since I was there on a Sunday night, the noise was not overwhelming, but I wouldn't be so certain on Friday and Saturday. The rooms were basic, no more. Two years ago, I stayed on a Saturday night at the White Sands which houses an obnoxiously loud disco but maybe on a Sunday night it would have been better. The Grand Hotel looks nice, and maybe that's where I'll stay on the next trip. The Portmarnock Hotel, a couple of miles further away along the beach road which is very walkable, might also be an option.

Given the DART service into Dublin and the proximity to the airport, I think that if I intend to take a rental car, I'll probably base the first day or two or the last day or two of my future trips in Malahide and go into Dublin during the day to see the sights. If you're not a Temple Bar person, especially as a solo traveler, I think Malahide's nightlife is more appealing and manageable; of course, the corollary is that if you are a Temple Bar person, you're unlikely to enjoy Malahide as much.