Taste of Emilia, Dublin 1

2011-10-23  

On my way home from Italy this year, I met Róisín Ní Mhórdha, a PR lady and passionate foodie, who told me about a little place in Liffey Street called ‘Taste of Emilia', which specialises in food from that region. We decided then and there that we'd go together, and this week we did. Taste of Emilia describes itself as an ‘Italian Deli/Salumeria and Wine Bar'. By the way, a ‘salumeria' is a place that sells cured meats. So from the description alone, you'll know that it's not a restaurant and you won't get cooked dishes.

Il Fico, Co Kildare

2011-10-16  

In the past couple of months, I've had a few tweets telling me about an Italian restaurant in Naas called Il Fico. Most commented on its great-value set meals, so in my ongoing search for good value I felt a visit to Naas was in order. I set off across the Wicklow Mountains with my old friend and neighbour Mike Judd, who spent a year in Tuscany some time ago in Castellina inChianti. Those 12 months gave him a love and an understanding of Italian cooking. Since we were going to an Italian restaurant, he was the perfect dining companion.

Dax, Dublin 2

2011-10-08  

I was in Dublin this week at lunchtime and so I arranged to meet Sinéad Ryan. The restaurant has been in a basement on Pembroke Street for some years now and I last reviewed it in 2005.

Cistin Eile, Co Wexford

2011-10-01  

In early 2004, I heard about a young chef called Warren Gillen who had a restaurant in Wexford town called La Riva. There was a bit of a buzz about his cooking, and something quite unusual about his restaurant.

The Green Hen

2011-09-24  

The Green Hen occupies the space that Café Leon did, and the décor has been re-done with a lot of posters from the golden age of cinema. It's a welcoming room, not least because the waiting staff were very welcoming, providing good service and plenty of smiles -- something that's a great deal rarer than it should be.

Da Buzzanca, Osteria dell’Ignorante and Tripperia Bella Ciao

2011-09-17  

My daughter and her fiancé Simon Boudard live in a very beautiful Tuscan farmhouse about 30km from Florence.

The Hen House, Co Dublin

2011-09-10  

It wasn't planned that way, but this week I was once again in a restaurant where chicken is a speciality. Last week I was in Crackbird, no longer a pop-up restaurant but now a permanent one, and this week found me in The Hen House in Dun Laoghaire. It's in the Pavilion Centre and it's housed where Roly's and, most recently, Oliveto used to be.

Fenn's Quay, Cork.

2011-08-08   The Cork Gourmet Trail is scheduled for Saturday, July 30. The day begins with a Champagne reception in Soho at 11.30am, and after that you will be guided to four destinations, at each of which four restaurants will provide food. The day ends with entertainment in The Bodega. More>>

The G Hotel, Galway.

2011-08-08   For a while now, I've been hearing about the g hotel and specifically its food. The executive chef, Stefan Matz, was awarded Chef of the Year more than once and he oversees the kitchens in the g, as well as in Ashford Castle. That was an accolade, I thought, that needed further investigation, so the g was where I arranged to meet Ronan and his wife, Máire Ní Chonlain of TG4, for dinner. More>>

An Tintain, Multyfarnham

2011-07-10   I allowed an hour and a half to get to Multyfarnham from Dalkey, but the motorway got us there in one hour and five minutes, so we were a tad early. It gave us time to have a good look at the menus and wine list before John and Theresa arrived. An Tintain is alongside an old forge, and the dining room had a kind of cottagey feel to it with its plain tables and chairs. Workable glassware and crockery brought old-fashioned tea-rooms to mind, a perception quickly dispelled by the menus, of which there were two. More>>

Tinakely House, Wicklow

2011-07-09   There's a habit that restaurant reviewers can easily fall into, and that's always going to newly opened restaurants. It's tempting to do that because each new restaurant is a beacon of hope, it's another possibility for finding that elusive thing -- a perfect meal. We go to newly opened restaurants because even if we don't find that elusive perfection, at least we can let you know about what we did find. More>>

The Step House, Carlow

2011-07-09   One of these nominations was The Step House in Carlow, and more than one of my fellow judges expressed surprise that I hadn't been there. It was universally agreed that it was a very good place to eat, so I made a note to myself to pay it a visit. More>>

Spice Cottage Indian Take-Away Sallynoggin.
Las Tapas, Cabinteely.

2011-07-09   By now, we've tried most of the takeaways in the Dalkey area; some are okay, some poor and some too expensive for what you get. But this week, we found Spice Cottage in Sallynoggin, which is in a row of shops off the main road, just behind Power City. I say 'we found', but it was a suggestion by Gerard Carthy of tasteofireland.com that prompted us find it. Gerard spent quite a long time in Goa, so when he said that the Indian food in Spice Cottage was both good and authentic, I believed him. More>>

Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone.

2011-05-22   I've got to know the road to Athlone pretty well in the past few years because we've filmed 'The Restaurant' in Glasson's Wineport Lodge for the past five series. It used to be a bit of a trek using the old national road, but with the new motorway now open all the way to Galway, you can drive to Athlone from Dublin in just over an hour. Suddenly, the Midlands are in easy reach. More>>

The Brehon and Chapter 40, Killarney.

2011-05-22   I was staying in The Brehon, one of the new hotels on the Muckross Road, and it's next door to The Gleneagle. It's a four-star hotel, but you could be forgiven for thinking it is a five. There's an understated feel to the clean lines of the décor and the spacious lobby makes for a pleasing welcome. More>>

Mitsuba Japanese Restaurant, Parnell Street.

2011-05-22   The recent disaster in Japan has left many of us with a profound respect for the forces of nature and an understanding that our hold on the surface of this planet is tenuous at best. What has been extraordinary is the quiet dignity, the stoic resignation and the civic order among the people most affected by tragedy. Japanese society is a model of good manners and respect for others. More>>

Spice Indian Restaurant, Kildare

2011-05-22   It's been a couple of years since I was last in Kildare, so when I heard about a new Indian restaurant there, Spice, I knew it was time for a repeat visit. It's a very beautiful drive from where I live to Kildare and it was a sunny evening, so I called my friend and neighbour Mike Judd, found he was free, and the two of us set off for the plains of Kildare. More>>

Il Posto, St. Stephens Green.

2011-05-22   There's no doubt about it, it's easy to get set in your beliefs. Believe something for long enough and it begins to take on the attributes of absolute truth. It becomes a core belief, something that defines the very way you think. More>>

Keenan's Hotel, Bar and Restaurant of Tarmonbarry, Co. Longford.

2011-03-19   We were on the road to Westport and hit Tarmonbarry just about lunchtime, so we made a stop. Keenan's is easily found, it's right by the bridge overlooking the mighty river.

Inside, we found the warm-welcome atmosphere that makes Irish pubs so unique and found ourselves a table. Around us were mahogany display cabinets with bric-a-brac, fishing memorabilia, old trade posters, shiny brass objects and, just inside the door, a photo gallery of the good and the great who have stopped here to enjoy the hospitality. More>>

Cava Spanish Restaurant and Tapas Bar, Galway

2011-03-01   Cava is simply decorated with wooden tables and chairs and has a high, pitched ceiling, giving it a sense of space. I took a seat next to a whole Serrano ham set in its holder, ready for slicing, and looked down a very long list of tapas. Not only did that give me a big choice, but there was a blackboard of daily specials as well. More>>

The Butcher Grill, Ranelagh.

2011-02-28   Some of my earliest memories are of the restaurant that my parents bought in O'Connell Street in the 1960s. It was called the Green Rooster and it was one of the very few restaurants in those days that was open after 6pm. More>>

Bel and Belucci, Ballsbridge, D4.

2011-01-22   I was meeting Michael Colgan for lunch and found him already waiting for me. Bel & Bellucci is opposite the RDS in The Sweepstake Centre. A classic Vespa 125 is parked just inside the door, creating a sense of Italy despite the thick snow outside the door. More>>

A Taste of the North.

2011-01-15   There's something about Donegal that always makes me enjoy a visit. It's a mixture of the friendliness of the people and its extraordinary landscape that makes a trip there such a joy. I was back again this week for a couple of days doing cookery demonstrations and signing for my new Italian cookery book. More>>

The Fatted Calf, Glasson.

2011-01-10   I was back in the Midlands this week, filming a new series of 'The Restaurant' in the beautiful surroundings of The Wineport Lodge. My fellow critic Tom Doorley and I stay across the bay in The Glasson Golf Hotel, so there's no risk of us running into the celebrity chef. More>>

Residence, St. Stephens Green, D2.

2010-12-24   I've been hearing about Residence for quite a few years. It's the kind of club that has attracted a lot of people I know and many of them have said to me that it's a place I should review. However, I didn't think there was any sense in reviewing a dining room where only members could eat, closed to the average reader. More>>

Bar Pintxo, Temple Bar.

2010-12-22   I'd arranged to meet TV producer and director Deirdre McNally for dinner in Bar Pintxo, a couple of hundred yards away in Eustace Street. If you're having trouble pronouncing that name to yourself, it's pronounced 'peen-cho', which is the northern Spanish word for tapa, which describes the little plates of goodies that you get served in Spanish bars. More>>

Tribes Restaurant, Glasthule, Co. Dublin

2010-12-14   Somewhere in my library there's a book called 'How To Be A Jewish Mother', which is essentially a handbook on how to control your children using a mixture of emotional blackmail and guilt. More>>

The Lep Inn - food in a spin.

2010-11-14   Restaurants are always looking for a new angle. Perhaps they're not happy just to create a beautiful room and fill it with tables where excellent food arrives, brought by competent waiting staff.

I remember eating in a restaurant in Rome many years ago called Il Fungo, where you dined at the top of a tall tower, giving you a 360-degree view of the city. The food was okay, but the view was wonderful. It turned out to be my first of many high meals. More>>

Back with a Bang.

2010-11-02   One of my favourite poets, Robert Burns, said it like this: "The best-laid plans of mice and men aft gang agly," which translates to modern English as 'often go awry'. Winston Churchill had a slightly different take on it when he said "Plans are useless, but planning is invaluable". More>>

The K Club, dining in the lap of luxury.

2010-10-23   The very first restaurant review that I wrote was in the mid-1990s for the first issue of 'Food & Wine Magazine'. It was a review of The Byerley Turk, the gourmet restaurant of The K Club in Kildare. More>>