Laura Scott
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O'Brien's Whale and Bird Tours
We had a really beautiful and rewarding experience with O'Brien's in mid-August for a 9am whale and bird tour with Con O'Brien, cousin of the original founder, and member of the band the Irish Descendants. Con educated our small group of 10 with really interesting facts about the area, Gull Island, all the seabirds we saw, facts about NL in general, and of course sang a few irish songs for us while we sailed. Con was available for a chat any time if you wanted more information about anything. He pointed out notable birds, explained about their habitat, and told stories of other tours he's done, and his traveling adventures. He's also really funny and entertaining, he's clearly very experienced in his role and a natural showman.
The boat itself is really comfortable, with a closed cabin for those who want to stay warmer, and an open upper deck. They sell snacks, alcoholic, and non-alcoholic drinks, and have two bathrooms on board.
We sadly did not see any whales, but did spot a seal, several jellyfish, gulls, murres, puffins, a sun shower, and a rainbow. Gull Island was particularly gorgeous with its mindblowing rock formations and massive bird colonies. The crew took good care of us, and were always consulting their instruments looking for whales. Safety demos were provided. Tipping is optional and could be made by dropping cash in a box at the exit at the end of the tour. When we docked at 11am, we noticed a huge crowd for the next tour, so maybe booking for the early slot is better if you don't want to deal with fighting for railings. Please remember that there are no guarantees about seeing whales and that the crew is doing the best they can to give you a great experience, but cannot pre-book wild animals in a vast ocean.
O'Brien's website is really easy to navigate and book your tour, and the prices are extremely reasonable for the experience. We paid $170 all-in for 2 ppl for a 2 hr tour, which works out to $42/hr which is a bargain for the experience.
The boat itself is really comfortable, with a closed cabin for those who want to stay warmer, and an open upper deck. They sell snacks, alcoholic, and non-alcoholic drinks, and have two bathrooms on board.
We sadly did not see any whales, but did spot a seal, several jellyfish, gulls, murres, puffins, a sun shower, and a rainbow. Gull Island was particularly gorgeous with its mindblowing rock formations and massive bird colonies. The crew took good care of us, and were always consulting their instruments looking for whales. Safety demos were provided. Tipping is optional and could be made by dropping cash in a box at the exit at the end of the tour. When we docked at 11am, we noticed a huge crowd for the next tour, so maybe booking for the early slot is better if you don't want to deal with fighting for railings. Please remember that there are no guarantees about seeing whales and that the crew is doing the best they can to give you a great experience, but cannot pre-book wild animals in a vast ocean.
O'Brien's website is really easy to navigate and book your tour, and the prices are extremely reasonable for the experience. We paid $170 all-in for 2 ppl for a 2 hr tour, which works out to $42/hr which is a bargain for the experience.
The Duke of Duckworth
The Duke is a really authentic irish pub located a few blocks from the local action on Water/George. We stopped in for dinner and drinks on Sunday night. Our server was friendly and patient with our questions and we got to know her as the night went on. The pub itself has great ambience and decor and the bartender was also friendly.
We ordered a caesar and a pint of Murphy's stout, both really good. We shared the chowder, a piece of fish, and the hot turkey sandwich. The chowder was chock full of cod and has a lovely, herby cream base. The fish was probably the best we tasted in NL after having sampled 5 other places; not greasy at all, light and crispy batter, moist and meaty cod. They win this round for sure. The turkey in the turkey sandwich was tasty and moist, but that was all that was between the bread. The bread was smothered in the gravy so it all got a bit homogenous. The fries were good, but again you have to be a fan of soggy fries to enjoy. The dressing did not add anything, and I'm confused by this local menu choice.
Note that the kitchen is only open till 8pm, so plan ahead. I'm glad we did!
We ordered a caesar and a pint of Murphy's stout, both really good. We shared the chowder, a piece of fish, and the hot turkey sandwich. The chowder was chock full of cod and has a lovely, herby cream base. The fish was probably the best we tasted in NL after having sampled 5 other places; not greasy at all, light and crispy batter, moist and meaty cod. They win this round for sure. The turkey in the turkey sandwich was tasty and moist, but that was all that was between the bread. The bread was smothered in the gravy so it all got a bit homogenous. The fries were good, but again you have to be a fan of soggy fries to enjoy. The dressing did not add anything, and I'm confused by this local menu choice.
Note that the kitchen is only open till 8pm, so plan ahead. I'm glad we did!
El Velero
This was a great place on Stone Island. The food is excellent and the service was really attentive (special thanks to Diana). So far we've tried the flan, beer battered shrimp, shrimp empanada, shrimp cocktail, tuna ceviche, pina coladas, strawberry daquiri The fun and colorful atmosphere inside feels really welcoming. They have the sweetest little parrot. You can just grab a lounger and an umbrella and everything will be brought you to. Everything takes a little longer in Mexico to make but it definitely tastes fresh and from scratch. There's bathrooms in the back and lots of lovely beach and calm waters (tho a little colder than in the golden zone, and also prone to mantas because it's so calm).