Shines - Athlone

The staff is very good both in the restaurant and pub. The rooms are huge and comfortable. The chef is top notch and the food is spot on. I met some very good people at Shines but at night in the pub I sensed a little bit of a rough crowed. The showers tend to back up. Shines is just a 10 min walk to the city center.

An excellent place to grab a bite to eat. I was pleasantly surprised to how good the food was when we stopped off the highway. Our waitress was very nice and friendly. The chef even made a of menu item for me and I met him after the meal and he was very friendly. Considering the price I'm going to say this is a five star experience...

Stopped here on our way home for some food. As it was Saturday, we expected the place to be busy. When it wasn't, it should've warned us. However, we never judge a book by its cover, and we sat down. The menu was limited, a few starters, three different types of steak, a burger, fish chips, pasta and the roast of the day, which was beef. I wasn't feeling the menu and was wondering what will I have when I spotted a sign they did a pizza special, not listed on the menu. I went for this and a beer for €10, can't do much wrong with a pizza. Oh dear! My partner had the fish chips, and our companion had the beef. Staff are friendly. I'll give them that credit. Food arrived fairly quickly. The temperature of the food was as lukewarm as the pub itself. The two doors cause a wind tunnel sucking any warmth out of place, it's also very dull inside, so it just looks cold. My pizza was lukewarm and small. I also know it was a frozen pizza as I've had that exact brand at home before they just shoved on pieces of cheap pepperoni. The fries where cheap, frozen skinny things with no flavour. They gave a side bowl of mayo and bbq sauce together in one bowl, really?? I don't like mixing sauces!! My partners fish and chips didn't fare any better. It was a lump of frozen fish of a brand we also know with a plateful of skinny chips and peas. Our companion had the beef which looked good and was soft for her. However, the mash was pureed, and there was an aftertaste of garlic (we ate her veg . She hates garlic. So what would've been a reasonably ok meal was destroyed by garlic. Not everyone likes garlic. At least say it's in something, so we don't need to waste food. If people don't have allergies, food intolerance can be uncomfortable too; food places need to be listing their ingredients correctly (garlic, mushrooms, nuts etc. if so much as a sliver of mushroom is blitzed in food my stomach tells me in about 15mins. I've been caught out a few times with restaurants disregarding vegetables and herbs as ingredients to be noteworthy of mentioning on menus!! Desserts weren't any better, and the coffee was cold. Overall, would not recommend. Maybe for a few drinks but not food. Lots of other places in Athlone with better food and atmosphere.

Myself and my husband had dinner in Shines. It was so tasty, we both ordered the pork with mushroom sauce. Nicest mushroom sauce ever.We will definitely go back again. Lovely atmosphere, great service.

The soup had garlic in it, so I couldn’t eat it. 1 slice of roast that I could not taste due to the after taste of garlic. I told the waitress, but I was still charged. These premises are not disabled friendly either. I will not be back.