Seapoint, Monkstown - Get to the point!

We were due to meet up with our friend, Aine, for a Christmas night out and she suggested we try Seapoint, the restaurant in the row of restaurants in Monkstown village. I was surprised nay shocked to discover I had never heard of this restaurant, supposedly it's had a refurb recently and the new décor makes for a really nice atmosphere.

We had a few glasses of prosecco in Aine's first, before wandering down to the restaurant on Saturday night. We were seated in a booth just inside the entrance. Not my favourite location in a restaurant but it was still warm and cosy, and I do like a booth...

Our first waiter left a bit to be desired. We ordered a bottle of wine and he had to come back to ask us again what we had ordered. When you are trying out a new restaurant, this sort of start doesn't fill you with confidence. Thankfully he was replaced by another waiter, who was much more on the ball.

The menu is varied in price, the fillet steak is pretty expensive at €29 but at the same time, the fish and chips ('fish and fries') option was around the €18 mark, so much more affordable.

Rory had the scallops to start and the duck for mains. I tried the scallops they were cooked perfectly with a lovely light sauce to the side. The duck was again beautifully cooked.



Aine had the gambas and Seapoint burger, while I had the gambas and fish and fries. The gambas were seriously tasty, and Aine really enjoyed her burger. Both our mains came with chips, which were served in a little bucket and very crispy - exactly what you want in a chip!! My fish was lemon sole, in a very light batter. I really liked the portion amounts as well, not too much but not too little! We decided to share a dessert so we went for the crème brulee. Well I went for the crème brulee and Rory and Aine agreed...



With a bottle of Argentinian Malbec and coffees, the bill came to around €150. Good value methinks. We liked the place so much we have decided to make it a regular monthly night out! Well recommended.

http://www.seapointrestaurant.ie/
4 The Crescent, Monkstown, Co. Dublin

Kilkenny - later that same day.... Ristorante Rinuncini

On the same unplanned trip to Kilkenny, we managed (thanks to the lovely receptionist in the Ormonde) to get a table here last minute. I had been here years before with a friend, and was glad to find it just as packed as it was way back when so not a victim of the recession by the looks of it.

We were shown to our table, which was upstairs, and sort of in the middle of the room. I can’t say I liked it, I felt very much in the way of the waiting staff whizzing back and forth. Thankfully, the couple at the table beside us (beside the wall) left after about 10 minutes and we were able to move in. Much better.

Our waiter was fun and knowledgeable, even advising us to pick a different bottle of wine than we’d gone for, and one which was cheaper than our original choice! Once he said mushroom soup was one of the starter specials I was sold, being the avid mushroom fan that I am, and opted for the fillet steak for my main - cooked medium and served with garlic butter it was tender and full of flavour.

Rory had the Tagliata di Filetto di Manzo which was wafer thin slices of cold beef with parmesan shavings, rocket, olive oil and lemon, so basically the equivalent of the mains we had for our wedding reception which is always something we like to go for when it’s an option. He followed that with the pheasant which was again one of the specials, which he hoovered up and was very happy with.

We decided against dessert as we were both stuffed, and had an amaretto each instead. Lovely end to a lovely meal. And great to see Rinuncini's doing as well as ever...

Ristorante Rinuccini, 1 The Parade, Kilkenny

http://www.rinuccini.com/

Kilkenny - Cafe la Coco

So, during an unplanned trip to Kilkenny recently, my husband and I found ourselves looking for a quick bite to eat in the late afternoon. Dinner wasn’t till 8ish but we had no time to waste as we were starving so instead of wandering around and trying to find somewhere, we googled ‘best café in Kilkenny’ gave me this lovely little café as the No. 1 result. And they’re not wrong. Very dinky, lovely little tables, pretty, frilly and set out as what I would imagine a 50s tea room to have looked like. It’s not a huge place, and it was almost full when we got there, so we were lucky to nab the last table. Handy as well for our hotel, the Ormonde, as it was literally just down the road from it, so very central.

Not wanting something too heavy, I opted for the goat’s cheese tart, which was really good. Rory went for one of the sandwiches, imaginative and well made. And this from a man who prides himself on his sandwich making abilities… Not that we normally need an excuse but we had had a bad day, shall we say, and were hanging out for a glass of wine. At first, we thought they didn’t serve alcohol but then like manna from heaven, we discovered to our joy, they did! The waitress was a bit thrown that we wanted a quarter bottle each, which caused much hilarity as we were still a bit hyper from our day from hell! Anyway, it was very refreshing and went well with our late lunch.

We liked the place so much, we returned the next day for brunch! Bit piggy as we’d already eaten in the hotel, but hey ho, any excuse, and besides, we were on a night away. I had lemon and sugar crepes with a fabulous Americano, and Rory had the Swedish almond and chocolate tart again with an Americano.
This is the sort of place which should always do well. Decent friendly service, prices aren’t mental, lovely décor and the food is really good. Next time we’re in Kilkenny (later this month) we will hopefully have time to visit again.

Café la Coco, Patrick Street, Kilkenny
https://www.facebook.com/pages/cafe-la-coco-kilkenny/141253565940383

Not so cheap, but cheerful - Weafer & Cooper

Weafer & Cooper - a restaurant I'd heard about before I knew it as my friend raved about it. It is close to where we live and we have been here many times, be it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. And really, each time it has done what it said on the tin. I wont' say it's amazing, or I can't wait to get back there but it has a lovely familiarity and you know what you'll get when you go there.

Our most recent trip there was mid-week, which meant the rest of the week felt incredibly long, so something I probably won't repeat! We were asked whereabouts we wanted to sit, there were a few tables taken at the front of the restaurant but we decided to go down the back, and got a booth. It's well known (to my husband at least!) that I do like a booth. It's nice and private but you still have a good amount of room!

Service was friendly. We were brought our wine after ordering the food (when the wine order had been in for a good 5 minutes) but the wine brought was white when we'd ordered red. Not a big deal and it was rectified immediately.

The menu is pretty good for dinner, but for me, I would say, it never has anything on it really that would jump out at me and I was searching the blackboard in vain for specials, as there were none to be had. I eventually went for the chicken, which I always say I won't order as I could have it at home anyday, but really nothing else appealed. My husband went for the belly pork.

When the chicken arrived, the singing glory on the plate was the stuffing! Wrapped in bacon, it had sausage mixed in and had an incredible taste. I also liked the hazelnuts sprinkled around the dish and the chicken itself was nicely cooked, tender but with a nice crisp skin. There was figs as well on the plate, which I didn't care for and far too many baby potatoes for one person. My husband polished off his belly pork no problem, really enjoyed it.

AS it was a mid week dinner we didn't have coffees or desserts, preferring to head home for that.

I would always recommend Weafer & Cooper as a good breakfast or lunch place. I'd say it's great for a family gathering, be it a birthday or christening or whatever. For dinner, it's not inspirational, but it's good quality food, served with a smile, and it's not too expensive. It will continue to be a regular dining destination for us....

L

Weafer & Cooper, Glasthule Main Street, Glasthule, Co. Dublin

www.weaferandcooper.com

Always good - The Whitefriar Grill

With a quick stop for a glass of fizz in the Westbury on the way to dinner, my husband and I arrived at the Whitefriar Grill last night to meet my brother in law and his wife (J & L). I've been to the Whitefriar Grill quite a few times since it opened, for brunch, lunch, early bird and a la carte dinner and it never fails to impress.

They had changed the restaurant down around the kitchen area, there were booths which have been replaced with regular tables and the kitchen is now on show, which I don't remember it being before. Think a big Camden Kitchen. Looks good though.

We were shown to our tables by the maitre d' who is always very friendly and welcoming. We did notice straight away that there was a bit of a chill coming in from the window behind us and given these evenings are very cold, it's not very pleasant. The couple at the table beside us looked pretty cold as well, but were bravely smiling through it! The maitre d' did his best to tape up the window, it still felt a bit cold but warmed up after a while. Anyway, the menu in my opinion, always has a good selection, something for everyone. There were no specials though which I was surprised at, any other time I've been there there's been specials. Still it wasn't hard to pick something.

We all had different starters, I had the scotch egg, which was wrapped in crab and then deep fried, and came with a lobster sauce. I love eggs and the flavour combination although not one I would have thought of, was so tasty, I hoovered it up. My other half had 4 oysters, which came with a tomato salsa and mignonette sauce, which he devoured. L had the seared foie gras, which went down a treat and J had the gambas pil pil (prawns on tomato bread) which also disappeared pretty quickly.



So a great start with the starters. Nice amount of time then till the mains arrived. I can't stand it when your mains are brought straight after the starters have been cleared but this was perfect, around 15-20 mins. Mains were monkfish/scallops (me), the boys both had burgers and L had the venison. Mine was really good, came with a nice few crispy bits of bacon, saffron potatoes and a pea puree. Only complaint I'd have is that the bowl was full of liquid, as if something hadn't been drained properly, but it didn't take away from the taste, it was really nice and the monkfish and scallops are a lovely combination. The burgers did what they said on the tin and the venison was tender and full of flavour.



Dessert wise, again my dairy intolerance struck so I just had an americano (which was nice and strong). My husband asked for an ameretto and had a coffee as well, and J had the eton mess, which was pretty good by all accounts.



Turned out they didn't have much ameretto left but they gave my husband what there was and didn't charge us for it.

When the bill came they'd also taken off a percentage to make up for the draught which was really decent of them.

Whitefriar Grill never disappoints, the food is of a great quality, it's a friendly cosy place with a great atmosphere and you could see how popular it was last night as it was absolutely packed for the whole time we were there. We look forward to returning soon.

L

Whitefriar Grill, 16 Aungier Street, Dublin 2

www.whitefriargrill.ie

Life begins at 40..... the Pigs Ear

Having recently turned 40, as has become a tradition, friends of mine treated me to a birthday dinner yesterday evening in the Pigs Ear. This place was Jacob's Ladder in a previous incarnation and I had been there for a group dinner years ago, and remember it being pretty good. So I was looking forward to trying the Pigs Ear. We got there early enough for the Early Bird which is served 5.30-6.30pm Monday to Saturday. Not much of a window to get in there but at least they do offer it on Saturdays as well, which a lot of restaurants don't.

Arriving first, I was greeted by the friendly maitre d' and brought to our table, or rather I turned around and our table was right there, just inside the door. I don't think anyone wants the table just inside the door, but the other tables were taken. My friends, M and D, arrived and had just sat down when a waiter came over to see if we were ready to order. We obviously weren't and he didn't seem very pleased with us! Not very friendly either, no smile, no 'that's no problem' he just looked a bit annoyed and went away again, to return about 10 seconds later asking did we want to order drinks. I mean efficient is great, but cracking a smile would have gone a long way! Maybe he was having a bad day. Anyway, after getting our drinks we ordered off the early bird, where there were three starters and three mains to choose from. A short menu Gordon Ramsey would be proud of! I didn't think there was a great amount of choice, I know it's an early bird but another option per course would have been welcome - maybe the mushroom soup that's on the A La Carte which sounded lovely.

D and I got the same starter, the poached and fried hen's egg with Clonakilty black pudding and M got the salt cod brandade with dillisk cured salmon. I have to say poaching and frying the hen's egg did nothing for me, it was basically a fried egg in a tiny skillet (presentation was lovely) with some black pudding crumble. The flavour was good but there wasn't much to it and it was accompanied by a small spoon to eat it with which was a bit awkward as I had to chisel the egg off the bottom of the skillet. M had the cod with salmon but we thought at first she'd been given the wrong starter, as the dish is really more salmon than cod, the cod hiding in a 'brandade' of cucumber. Don't think any of us knew what a brandade was. According to Wikapedia "Brandade is an emulsion of salt cod and olive oil eaten in winter with bread or potatoes". So, you learn something new every day! She thought it was nice enough but commented that the cod mixture tasted more like some sort of potato mixture so not convinced it delivered taste wise.

Onto our mains, and we all had the hake. The other mains options were spelt and beetroot risotto and belly pork. We didn't order any sides, although there were no potatoes/chips whatever with the fish. But there was a very tasty carrot and orange puree which went well with the hake, which was nicely cooked. I also really enjoyed the seeds that were sprinkled on the dish, the burst of flavour from them every now and then was gorgeous. Nice addition.

Desserts were brown bread ice cream, lemon rice pudding and vanilla cheesecake but as I'm dairy intolerant I try to avoid the worst of dairy i.e. cream and cheese, when I feel like being good. So didn't have any dessert, nor did the girls. I just had an americano (decent americano) and we had one more glass of wine each. As we do ;) I also ordered the home made tea cakes, 3 of which arrived, so we had one each. Nice, dark chocolate and marshmallow. Basically what it says on the tin. Or actually not in this case as they arrived in a Cambridge's biscuit tin!

With the americano, the milk and sugar were presented like this

Now I'm all for kooky presentation, but I think the Siucra bag is taking kooky a bit too far. A lot of restaurants now seem to be presenting milk in those kilner type bottles and that's cute if a bit messy when pouring, but the sugar bag, maybe not...

Bill came to around Eur160 including tip, which is fairly decent as it included around 2 bottles of wine between us. I was treated to my dinner, the only reason I know the bill amount is because I had to work out the tip ;)

The food was nice enough, wine was good, service was fine, atmosphere was ok and they didn't push us out the door even though we only had the table till 8.30pm, but I wouldn't be rushing back, I didn't think there was anything special about it.

L

The Pigs Ear, 4 Nassau Street, Dublin 2

www.thepigsear.com

Quick nod to Cafe Java in Ballsbridge

So, my work history over the last couple of years has been a bit patchy, a bit on and off if you will. Personal circumstances have meant that I give up my job a couple of times in a row. Having said that, I have been very lucky in that I've managed to get a job again soon enough when needed. My current position is in Ballsbridge, only several stops from my current house beside the seaside and going well so far. Anyway, I used to work in the area around 10 years ago and it's changed a lot in the 10 years with new restaurants and cafes, but I have to admit I can't remember if Cafe Java was around back then.

When I find somewhere I like for lunch during the working day I tend to become a creature of habit and go back again and again. I spent 18 months having lunch in the McCafe off the Naas Road for example. Hey, if it ain't broke don't fix it! Also, there wasn't much choice around there....Anyway, for the last month I have been going for lunch a lot to Cafe Java. It's cosy, the service is friendly and efficient, and they make two really good dishes in particular - the lunch omelette and the BLT. I don't have cheese in the omelette but even so, it's bursting with flavour and not at all dry. It comes with a lovely fresh side salad and some brown bread. Which isn't really necessary but a nice addition. The ham they use is top quality as well. The BLT actually does have crispy bacon in it, which is often promised but not delivered. It also comes with a side salad.

I might go mad and try somewhere else tomorrow, but I doubt it.

Until my Friday feed in the Embassy Grill ;)

Update:

Forgot to mention they have the best music as well, it's mostly 80s and I don't know the idea behind it but kudos to them for some very enjoyable tunes at lunch!

pps: Just found out today they do an all day brekkie. Score.

Cafe Java, 49 Shelbourne Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4

http://www.cafejava.ie/cafe-java-locations-ballsbridge.html

First post - Gourment Food Parlour, Dun Laoghaire

So, first post. Which really means first restaurant review. As mentioned in my profile, my husband and I go out to eat. A lot. I think our family and friends wonder where we always have the money for all our meals out. Well we both work and don't have kids, and like to treat ourselves. I don't like cooking, I have no interest in it, but I love eating good food. My husband is a great cook, he enjoys it and likes experimenting with new foods. and for the most part, I like eating his creations! But mostly, we are serious dining out people. Not a weekend goes by where we are not out for breakfast, lunch or dinner or our favourite meal, brunch. Brunch combines the best of both worlds. It has all the options for breakfast, but with a lunchy savoury slant as well...

Anyhoo, to our brunch yesterday. After a great night out with friends in Dalkey, we were feeling a tad delicate yesterday but as often happens, we had nothing in so decided to head out into Dun Laoghaire. Googling 'best brunch in Dun Laoghaire' brought up Gourmet Food Parlour, which I was surprised to realise, I'd never heard of but they have several locations around Dublin and have been around 6 years. It's the same sort of place as Salt in Monkstown, in that it has nice relaxed décor, friendly staff and really great quality food, I went for the veggie breakfast, which looked amazing. And for the most part, tasted amazing. The mushrooms though (and I am a mushroom fan) were very garlicky, which for dinner, is lovely, but for breakfast? Not convinced. The potato rostis looked great but I found them a bit bland. Having said that, it was all tasty enough and washed down by a very decent Americano. Oh, I should mention, we are coffee fiends, and I can't stand a wishy washy Americano. What's the point of drinking coffee if it doesn't have a kick?!

My husband had the French toast with bacon, which he said was really nice. He couldn't' finish it though, and he'd have a decent appetite so possibly bit too big a portion. The place really filled up after we arrived, so by 12pm it would be slightly hard to get a seat.

It was lovely and relaxed and we enjoyed reading the papers and just not being rushed. It's also great that it's within walking distance for us, so we'd definitely go back and try some other dishes on the menu. Oh and it turns into a tapas restaurant in the evening supposedly, so we might try that some night as well...

L

Gourmet Food Parlour, Cumberland Street, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin

http://www.gourmetfoodparlour.com/index.php/restaurants/dun-laoghaire