SiRocco’s in Tullamore is a restaurant that is defying the trend in these straightened times.  On a January evening  the restaurant was packed, with most the tables taken, many with families.  Many diners were welcomed by name and the atmosphere was warm, welcoming and upbeat.

The a la carte menu has a good range and choice including steaks, grills and fish sections as well as the pastas, risottos and pizzas. To start we chose mussels and Antipasto misto, the latter being a plate of cured hams, salami’s, olives and artichoke hearts. Both starters were very good with the mussels being a pleasant surprise as good fish is often hard to find in the midlands.  Both of these starters cost €8.55; however the starters ranged in price from €3.70 for garlic bread to €8.55 for some of the more sophisticated dishes. The starters include some of the usual suspects such as chicken wings and garlic mushrooms, and the chicken wings particularly made frequent journeys past our table.

The wine menu has a good range of choice from traditional Italian wines to French and new world. We chose a French Fleurie, a particular favourite of ours and this one was no let down. The Fleurie is a red French Beaujolais with light tannins but a full rounded palate. The Fleurie was €25.95 and one of the more expensive on a list which has monthly special offers to please all purses.  Frequently in the current financial climate we see wine lists shrinking and quality disappearing but this wine list has stood firm and offers exceptional value for wines from only €15.95

We enjoyed main courses of the surf and turf (€24.35) and a daily special of seafood symphony (€23.50) with salad and fries and veg and potato. Portion sizes are excellent; certainly generous by city standards, you won’t leave this establishment hungry. The fish special was a delight served with a tasty lemon cream sauce, and the fish was so obviously fresh we asked the waiter and were told they are dealing with the same supplier for 10 years and he travels from Donegal daily to supply them and other restaurants in the midlands.  Sirocco’s purchase locally where possible and this is evident on the menu with reference to suppliers of cheeses, meats, etc.

Dessert was a push as we were so full but when we saw the menu we couldn’t resist a tiramisu (€6.60) and an ice cream selection with berries (€5.95) which we polished off with a filter coffee €2.50 and a liqueur coffee of baileys and frangelico  €5.95.

The total bill came to €112.55, which we think was very good value for money. Granted not everyone can afford to spend that much on a dinner too frequently these days but with the range of prices on the menu there is something to suit everyone’s pocket, not least of which is the set dinner menus offering thre3 courses + tea / coffee €24.50 and a Sunday lunch menu for €20.00. Sirocco’s is a place to go on a must-eat-there-list if you’re staying or passing through Tullamore.