This weekend is a Bank Holiday here in Ireland so we decided to visit Chapter One for lunch. Located next door to the Hugh Lane Gallery we popped in for a visit before lunch. I love looking at Francis Bacon's pieces on view here. I find them hideously fascinating.
As we walked down the steps to the restaurant we both commented how nice it was and that we were in for a treat.
We chose the tasting menu and and also decided to have the wine pairings.
Fresh cherry tomato jelly with salted cherries, sweet basil yogurt and cherry blossom vinegar. This first dish was very surprising and an amazing entry way in to our meal. However, I felt it was let down by the plate ware - I think a white dish would have been better to see the food and it also would have looked more appetizing. A rosé wine was served with this dish.
Seared Blue Fin Tuna with black olive, green tomato, caper sprouts and pickled quail egg with onion and mustard dressing. I thought this was a delicious dish but didn't eat the olive as I am not a fan.
Wood Pigeon Terrine with salted radish salad, fermented horseradish cream and foie gras parfait. This was a controversial dish for us! I loved the earthy pigeon and foie gras parfait but was not a fan of the radish salad. Ciaran didn't like his food at all so I ate it for him!
John Dory with sprouting broccoli and pickled anchovy, shallot and mustard dressing, cured pink jowl. Yum! Yum! Yum! This was quite possibly my favourite plate.
Roast Salt March Duck Breast with burnt lemon puree, caramelised bonito flavoured sesame seeds and buttered leaf spinach. The duck was extremely tasty and I think it was at this point that they finally served red wine which I was very much anticipating.
Gin palate cleanser - this was a big hit with both of us!!
Fresh Irish Strawberries with buttermilk ice cream, caramelised soda bread crumb, strawberry and apple balsamic vinegar gel and elderflower cream soda all served with a sparkling rosé wine.
So what's going on here?
Well it's only the server flambéing an Irish Coffee for the table behind us!
Pros: Perfect amount of food was served - we were not hungry when we left. The wine servings were extremely generous. The time given to our meal meant that we had a very leisurely afternoon in the restaurant.
Cons: The smell of the heater from the flambé set up overpowers the area it is in and is quite unpleasant - they should consider an alternative heat source to what is currently being used.
A reader left a comment below where they ask would we go back and the answer is a definite Yes! But not until we have tried a few more of the other top restaurants in Dublin!!
