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    Was in Campagne last night. Lovely food served with all of the warmth of an ice cube. Either they shouldn't have a Michelin star or Chapter One should have 2, because its lol that they're considered the same.

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      Originally posted by zuutroy View Post
      Was in Campagne last night. Lovely food served with all of the warmth of an ice cube. Either they shouldn't have a Michelin star or Chapter One should have 2, because its lol that they're considered the same.
      Surprised at that, I've been in Campagne 3 or 4 times and 'twas always very friendly.

      They probably overheard you talking about your private plane.
      "We are not Europeans. Those people on the continent are freaks."

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        I'm looking for a recommendation for somewhere in Kildare this weekend.

        Preferably somewhere close along the N7 but Maynooth/Lexlip or anywhere else in that area would be manageable too if needed.

        The only preference would be to avoid an oriental cuisine but everything else is fine.

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          Butt Mullins @ Naas

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            Originally posted by Gimmeabreak
            Orangery @ Cliff At Lyons

            Canteen @ Celbridge

            The Hanged Mans @ Milltown

            Hartes @ Kildare Town
            I've been to those highlighted.

            I really enjoyed The Hanged Mans each time I've visited but Hartes wasn't quite as good when I ate there a couple of months ago.

            Originally posted by Arazi View Post
            Butt Mullins @ Naas
            I've heard good things, I'd say between Butt Mullins & Canteen.

            Thanks

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              Quick review. Amuse on Dawson St...nope.

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                Never a good sign when a place is selling vouchers. It's usually empty when I walk past it.

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                  Originally posted by Denny Crane View Post
                  Never a good sign when a place is selling vouchers. It's usually empty when I walk past it.
                  Wife booked it, I never heard of it. Remarked upon how quiet it was for a Saturday night. Didn't know that were on the voucher circuit.

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                    Talking about Dawson Street the brother had glowing praise for the Ivy when he went in for a pre work Eggs Benedict.


                    best image hosting

                    ''Had breakfast in The Ivy on Dawson Street. Ushered to a fab leather corner seat. Ordered Eggs Benedict and a single sausage to test the quality and coffee. The Eggs B was as near to perfection as possible. The eggs we on point not too runny and the hollandaise sauce level was perfectly minimal. The bacon they used was the shredded Bradys Ham type which added great saltiness. The place was as relaxed and geneal as they come. The staff v well trained. A gentleman over to my far right added a comment that something wasn't entirely right. It was corrected and then the shift manger arrived to apologise. A lovely morning experience.''

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                      Pickle on Camden Street must be the best place to go for an Indian in Dublin. Fantastic grub. Only been there for lunch, love to try it for dinner sometime.
                      No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity, but I know none, therefore am no beast.

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                        The Rounders family WhatsApp must be A1

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                          Originally posted by zuutroy View Post
                          Quick review. Amuse on Dawson St...nope.
                          I went there about 3 years ago, went for the tasting menu and it was like they put every good idea they could think of...on every plate.

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                            Aniar or Loam?

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                              Only ate in Loam, thought it was very good but not 'great' (it is hard not to have massive expectations for Michelin starred places sometimes) on reflection.

                              I'd spring for Aniar anyhow, much more of a buzz about it in Galway and it was a trailblazer for gastro-culture in the West of Ireland, worth starting there IMHO and trying Loam after


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                                That's what we went for. Have it booked for the weekend before Christmas which is my birthday. Should be a good buzz up there.

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                                  We'll be eating lobsters with the man who caught them tomorrow night. Guaranteed three stars.
                                  "We are not Europeans. Those people on the continent are freaks."

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                                    Was in Variety Jones last night and was very impressed.

                                    Food was of a very good quality and can see how they got their star.

                                    Highlights were the venison loin, cooked perfectly, melt in you mouth stuff along with the foie gras and chicken liver parfait, the smoked brisket, rye, pickles and aged chedder and the yeast mousse with dill (which is a new one of me) served with charred cauliflower.

                                    Every course was very good, only slightly sour note was the venison faggots, they were nice but very, very, very strong tasting.

                                    Very briefly spoke to the head chef when he brought our dessert out but he came across as a very down to earth guy who is just loving what he is doing.

                                    2 tasting menu's, a really nice bottle of Beaujolais and two glasses of wine to wash down the dessert came to €183 plus tip of €30 to bring the total cost to €213

                                    Thought it was very good value for what we got and was a very relaxing evening. The atmosphere/decor, etc is quite laid back and not formal as you would get in other Michelin star places but the food is just as good.

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                                      New veggie/vegan restaurant on chatham street, will be checking it out this weekend! https://glasrestaurant.ie
                                      Was in mulligan grocer last night, great and too hipster for Raoul as usual.
                                      Last edited by Tar.Aldarion; 22-11-19, 16:00.

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                                        Russian Tea Rooms for the grand historical experience
                                        3

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                                          For a very very casual lunch spot, go to Los Tacos No.1 in Chelsea Market. They are unbelievable.

                                          I'd love to recommend a good steakhouse but any of the ones I've been to there have been more miss than hit...

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                                            Minetta Tavern for old school dark wood NYC feel and class 'gone back in time' atmosphere/feel. The Black Label Burger is great.

                                            Gramercy Tavern two parts to this, the restaurant has a star but the 'tavern' room at the front is more casual and great value for top notch food from the same kitchen. Lunch rather than dinner here.

                                            Uncle Boons down in Soho for one of the best Thai meals I've had. They have a star now but it's vv casual and fun. Vaguely recall them not taking bookings and the wait at the bar was well worth it. Don't let their cheap website put you off.

                                            The Dutch great spot for brunch/lunch taking some time out if strolling in lower Manhattan.

                                            Walk the Highline - must do.

                                            Brass Monkey is good for a drink in Meatpacking.

                                            Get lost in the Met for half a day. MoMA great too. New Whitney not worth the time imo.

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                                              Forgot but a great night eating spot is TAO Uptown 42 e 58th street ( near Rockefeller Centre). Super buzz

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                                                Originally posted by The Istanbul View Post
                                                Forgot but a great night eating spot is TAO Uptown 42 e 58th street ( near Rockefeller Centre). Super buzz
                                                Ate in Tao in Chicago last week and have eaten in Tao Vegas and it’s massively overpriced for average food. If going for that kind of meal in NYC, Catch is much better.

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                                                  Originally posted by The Istanbul View Post
                                                  Russian Tea Rooms for the grand historical experience
                                                  3

                                                  Is the Russian Tea Rooms still open? I don't know why but thought they had closed, Jesus, it must be 20 years since I eat there last


                                                  Originally posted by Gimmeabreak
                                                  I'm heading to NYC for a few days. Any tips appreciated. Restaurants, Cafes, Diners, Burger Joints, Breakfast Joints, etc, etc. Suggestion and a reason why would be appreciated. TY.
                                                  If you want to go all out, Restaurant Daniel (two stars), The River Cafe (one star) and Aureole (looks to have lost it's star this year) are all very good. Daniel has a fairly strict dress code if you do fancy it.

                                                  Definetely do the High Line.

                                                  Bryant Park is a nice spot, should have the Christmas market up if you are heading there soon, plus it's a great spot to go to play outdoor table tenis and petanque with the locals.

                                                  Angels Share is hidden cocktail bar in the East Village - Max number of people allowed in a group is 4.

                                                  Eat Korean Fried Chicken (Koreatown on 32nd St between 5th and 6th avenue)

                                                  Ride a Bike around Central park

                                                  Check out The Moth to see if they have a session on while you are there.

                                                  Shake Shack for burgers and fries

                                                  Check Madison Sqaure to see what Art Installations are on

                                                  Momofuku Ssam Bar for Asian food (Korean pork buns, Rotisserie Duck, Hot Fried Chicken, 7 spice brisket)

                                                  Check out The Whitney Museum to see what's on

                                                  Sip-Sak for Turkish grub

                                                  Check out The Vessel

                                                  Head into Chelsea Markets for a ramble - Some decent lunch/brunch spots

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                                                    Been listening to the SBP Plate podcast a bit recently. Enjoying it, essentially just casual chats with restaurateurs from some of the high profile places in Ireland but interesting all the same.

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                                                      HHE Annual Dinner 2020

                                                      Right folks, that time of the year again. The Vintage Kitchen is booked for Friday 24th Jan at 8:30pm for 8 people.

                                                      I'm obviously going, so there is 7 spots up for grabs.

                                                      Let me know who wants in. If we get more than 7, I'll do a random draw and have reserves in place.

                                                      Plan is to meet in Mulligans from 7pm on the 24th before heading next door for cabbage butter, a feed of fine food and good wine*

                                                      I am out tonight and away from tomorrow so internet internet access may be a bit patchy over the next week but will try get back to everyone asap.

                                                      *Haven't picked out my wine yet but will do so week after next.

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                                                        Nice one Brian! Stick my name in the hat please.
                                                        ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

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                                                          Likewise please


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                                                            In like.

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                                                              In
                                                              "We are not Europeans. Those people on the continent are freaks."

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                                                                Originally posted by Lao Lao View Post
                                                                Right folks, that time of the year again. The Vintage Kitchen is booked for Friday 24th Jan at 8:30pm for 8 people.

                                                                I'm obviously going, so there is 7 spots up for grabs.

                                                                Let me know who wants in. If we get more than 7, I'll do a random draw and have reserves in place.

                                                                Plan is to meet in Mulligans from 7pm on the 24th before heading next door for cabbage butter, a feed of fine food and good wine*

                                                                I am out tonight and away from tomorrow so internet internet access may be a bit patchy over the next week but will try get back to everyone asap.

                                                                *Haven't picked out my wine yet but will do so week after next.
                                                                Would love this, but wouldn’t be the same in dry January!

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                                                                  Originally posted by Goodluck2me View Post
                                                                  Would love this, but wouldn’t be the same in dry January!
                                                                  You wouldn't be the first and certainly won't the last to be sober at it! Wouldn't necessarily let that put you off.

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                                                                    In if there is room
                                                                    Turning millions into thousands

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                                                                      This is up a week now and we have 7 of the 8 seats filled.

                                                                      The line up is

                                                                      Denny
                                                                      GAB
                                                                      Ionapaul
                                                                      Lao Lao
                                                                      Raoul
                                                                      Strewl
                                                                      V

                                                                      I'll post in the BBV to see if any else wants the last seat but if more than one person shows an interest, they will be on the reserves list as the above 7 people are locked in.

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                                                                        Wine has been picked out for the HHE dinner

                                                                        SPOILER

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                                                                          Originally posted by zuutroy View Post
                                                                          Wife booked it, I never heard of it. Remarked upon how quiet it was for a Saturday night. Didn't know that were on the voucher circuit.
                                                                          Closed now

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                                                                            Went to l'Ecrivain with the wife last night, using a voucher (six-course tasting menu plus glass of prosecco for two, €100). Hadn't been in a good few years.

                                                                            Enjoyable meal, not a huge volume of food considering the number of courses but enough so that we both felt very full by the end of the night. The two main 'meat' courses were cod, followed by veal, both very good. The prosecco was actually very very nice, they obviously go for the good stuff, makes a change from the piss-poor cheap prosecco that's very common these days. Had two glasses of the house Riesling as well, no complaints at all.

                                                                            Patrons seemed an even split of voucher users (young and not-so-young couples) and larger groups of people there after work. Service was excellent as always and there was nice buzz in the room, neither too quiet and stilted nor too loud and rambunctious.

                                                                            It's the wife's 40th next year, probably gonna book the Chef's Table in Chapter One. Anyone have an idea of how far out one can book it?


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                                                                              We ate in Aniar in Galway just before Christmas and Ichigo Ichie in Cork just after Christmas.

                                                                              Both were class, Aniar in particular was magic. In Ichigo we did the chef's table which was pretty neat, and probably worth the couple of quid extra you pay for it. That meal started off like a train but petered out a little bit, mostly I think due to the fact that for the 9pm sitting you are still eating at nearly 11.30pm. I was genuinely starting to fall asleep after driving down from Limerick that evening. I would probably go for the earlier sitting if I was going back (which I would).

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                                                                                Variety Jones on Thomas St. Dublin.

                                                                                No sign outside, seating for 28, more causal than any awarded restaurant i've eaten in before but clearly very popular - i only got in by the skin of my teeth in mid-December for the date i wanted at the end of January (Next window for March and April is Feb 15)

                                                                                Tasting menu only, the contents of which they currently don't publicise too much as far as i see (changing regularly but possibly including some of... oysters, brisket, salmon, lots of cheese, stout bread, celeriac, foie gras, waffles, blood orange, pasta, pepper, cheese, curry, yogurt, hake, artichoke, langoustine...).

                                                                                Excellent value (e210 for 2 + tip). The staff own the gaff as far as i could tell from talking to them (well, 3 out of 5 of them) and they were very friendly, informative and relaxed.

                                                                                The background music, including Kraftwerk, Iggy, The Beatles, Happy Mondays, was better than expected which was another cherry on the cake.

                                                                                Recommended.

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                                                                                  Ginger’s BBQ, Celbridge

                                                                                  Just dropped off a bucket of honey to Nathan (ex Cliff at Lyons).

                                                                                  He’s running a pop up for the month of March in what was Canteen in Celbridge.

                                                                                  I haven’t been in yet but based on the chunks of meat he handed me to sample, I imagine it’s a bit like going to an Ole barbecue and pigging out.

                                                                                  Lunchtime was poorly advertised and has plenty of availability. Evenings should be booked. Looks like good value too.

                                                                                  https://Instagram.com/gingersbbq

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                                                                                    I see the owner of The Greenhouse crying on Twitter about how they're barely getting by and the virus is going to kill them off. Curiously didn't mention that the prices have gone up 50% there in 2 years.

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                                                                                      Two quick mentions as am tight for time

                                                                                      Weekend before last, I was in Mr Fox on Parnell Square for the 2nd leg of a Hag party. Yes, we are well and truly back and Stag (or Hag in this case - blokes and girls) parties have 2 legs, home and away!

                                                                                      Pre pints, 20 of us hit up Mr Fox for a set menu. The price was €45 for three courses and it worked out at an additional €27 a head for booze and tip so overall, it was OK value wise.

                                                                                      The food was very good but the service was a little off. At one point, we tried to order another bottle of wine and we were told there wasn't time as we had to be out by 8pm, this was at 7:30pm - I explained that there was 6 of us drinking wine at our table so we could easily manage a glass each in 30 minutes but this fell on deaf ears.

                                                                                      I'd definitely go back but this time in smaller numbers and for the later sitting.

                                                                                      Was somebody from here involved in Mr Fox or did I completely imagine that?


                                                                                      ********************


                                                                                      Last night, myself and Mrs Lao Lao headed to Pichet for an early dinner. Mrs Lao Lao isn't mad on a late dinner of a Sunday, she prefers to be at home and ready for the week ahead by a reasonable time, she's such an 'aul one

                                                                                      We hit up The Old Stand for a drink and then headed around to Pichet for a 5:15 sitting. The place was very quiet when we arrived but picked up a good bit over the course of dinner.

                                                                                      I haven't been in Pichet in about 2 years but the food was really good, very tasty and very well presented - Definitely a restaurant to hit up every so often although I did notice a planning permission notice outside saying the owners of the biding are looking to knock it, the Trinity car park and 3 shops on Dame Lane down and rebuild a nine story office block with ground floor restaurant. If that goes ahead, I'm not sure what the future holds for Pichet?

                                                                                      Total bill came to €145 which was 2 x 3 course early birds for €32 each (plus 5 supplement for my lamb dish) side portion of duck fat roast spuds, a coffee and very nice Haut Medoc that came in at €69 quid.

                                                                                      From there, it was a quick night cap in Neary's before heading home.

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                                                                                        ...
                                                                                        "We're not f*cking Burundi" - Big Phil

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                                                                                          Going to Guilbauds this weekend, first time dining at this sort of place and very excite! Stupid question, if popping in for pre-drink arrive 30 mins early or arrive at allotted time and time included for that??

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                                                                                            Originally posted by Hitchhiker's Guide To... View Post
                                                                                            I'm too long in France to be reading this and thinking: wow, he was able to eat before 7:30pm and on a Sunday! Kebab shops and McDonalds are the only thing ever opened here before 7:30, and on Sundays even the kebab shops will take the day off.
                                                                                            Yeah, I remember years ago in Paris visiting a mate for a long weekend and on the Sunday I got up early and went out to get stuff for breakfast, thought it would be nice for everyone else in the gaff to wake up to it as they had put me up for the weekend.

                                                                                            Everywhere was fucking closed, must have walked around for almost an hour before I managed to find one or two really small places open where I was able to cobble together all the required items for breakfast, fuck me it was painful.

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                                                                                              Restaurant: Liath (Formerly Heron & Grey)

                                                                                              Address : Blackrock Market

                                                                                              Price : €€

                                                                                              It's weird how fast time flies, but it's been just over two years since I've eaten in Heron & Grey.

                                                                                              It doesn't feel that long but in that time, the partnership has split up, the restaurant has closed and reopened, it's been renamed Liath, they've had a major renovation and have had their Michelin Star automatically reinstated.

                                                                                              I haven't got to see the renovations in person and it could be a while before that happens due to the current circumstances but tonight I got to eat their food in an unorthodox method.

                                                                                              Liath has started to do Liathtogo, a service where you can collect a three course meal that with a little bit of assembling and cooking at home (full instructions given) you can have three of their courses from some of their tasting menus. The price comes in at 33 quid a head which overall is a fairly reasonable price.

                                                                                              The starter was Smoked Eel, Baby Gem, Aged Parmesan and was all just assembly. You had to marinate the shallots, quenelle the smoked eel paste and lash all the ingredients together. You then use baby gem lettuce, lightly salted, as your taco to put it all together before shoving it in your gob. It was really rich and the baby gem taco idea is pure genius.

                                                                                              This is how it looked before we put it into the baby gem lettuce.

                                                                                              SPOILER



                                                                                              The main was Beef Ragu Ravioli, Pancetta, Black Truffle.

                                                                                              There was slightly more work to this course whereby you had to fry off the pancetta, add in a sauce to it, heat up some cep paste, boil the ravioli and then plate it up.

                                                                                              I thought that I had made a mess of it and split the sauce but upon sticking it up on Instagram (The best looking plate wins a free meal for two), Liath responded to say, that's actually exactly how it's meant to look (I read instructions good). It tasted deeeelsih.

                                                                                              SPOILER


                                                                                              For desert, it was Rose Panacotta, Rhubarb, Amaretti Crumble

                                                                                              This was the simpliest of all courses and again was just assembly although getting the panacotta out of the tub was a slightly delicate process.

                                                                                              It looked and tasted great.

                                                                                              SPOILER


                                                                                              We washed the whole meal down with a decent bottle of plonk from Bordeaux.

                                                                                              I'm not going to lie to you, I've had worse Thursdays nights.

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                                                                                                Lockdown has had a fairly dramatic impact on this thread but lockdown or not, Mrs Lao Lao's birthday still comes around once a year so I booked us into Volpe Nera for a 9pm sitting on Saturday night last week.

                                                                                                Owned by Barry Sun, former head chef at Etto, I was really looking forward to it only for the Government to announce the night before that all indoor dining was off the table effective from midnight. I tried to call them to confirm the reservation was gone on Friday night but the phone rang out so I presumed it was definitely gone but my pessimism was unfounded as I got a call early Saturday morning to let me know that they had some outdoor tables and if we were willing to bring the booking forward by an hour, they could accommodate us - We didn't need to be asked twice!

                                                                                                The only thing different this year was no that we couldn't go for a pre dinner drink. I know, I know, the horror of it all, but when going out to dinner, I like to make a bit of an event out of it. Pre dinner drinks, dinner and then a nightcap somewhere. With the Vid in full flow and level 3 restrictions in place, we had to settle for a home poured G&T while getting ready and then it was masks on for the short taxi trip out to Blackrock.

                                                                                                When we arrived, there was only three table outside and all were full which seemed odd but we were quickly led two doors down the road to the Wishing Well Pub where they had the exact same set up as outside Volpe Nera & another 4 tables. It was a really nice space. There was an awning over us, outdoor heaters, and a glass partition with hedging to separate us from the path, we could have been on holiday somewhere hot! We asked the waiter how they had secured this space and it turns out that their restaurant building is owned by the Wishing Well so it made sense to all parties involved to keep the restaurant open as much as possible.

                                                                                                Onto the food - We started off with some bites of Homemade Bread with Cep Mushroom Butter & Salted Hake & Preserved Lemon Croquette. The bread was fresh, warm and lovely and the croquettes were delightful bite sized morsels of goodness. There was only one each, which was a shame as I could easily have eaten half a dozen of them. We washed the bites down with a glasses of Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley each.

                                                                                                Starters consisted of Mushroom Dumpling, Pickled Fennel, Lovage, Aged Soya for herself and Halibut Crudo, Fermented Radish, Black Sesame, Corriander for myself. Now, I absolutely love dumplings, albeit I would normally eat the Asian version of them so when I saw them on the menu, I was intrigued and was going to opt for them but Mrs Lao Lao had similar thoughts and being the ultimate gentleman, I pretended not to be too pushed about them. It turns out, my chivalry was rewarded as I most definitely got the better of the starters. I had one of the dumplings and they were nice but just a little something missing from them, bland is far to harsh a word but they just weren't something you'd rave about. My starter, however, was light, fresh, vibrant and really was delish. We opted to have another glass of Sav Blanc each with starters.

                                                                                                For main, we both opted for Suckling Pig, Morcilla, Braised Endive, Romesco (my chivalry has limits) and we shared a side portion of Beef dripping hash potato. I very much enjoyed the main, especially the morcilla which is a Spanish blood sausage (their version of black pudding ) - There was only a small piece of it but it was lovely. The main was washed down with a bottle of a 2016 Torbreck (Shiraz, Grenache & Mouvedre) which was fantastic, even if it was a little pricey at €84. I had bought some Torbreck many years ago but sadly drank my last bottle about a year ago so was very happy to see it on the menu.

                                                                                                For dessert, we deiced to share a sweet option of Warm Chocolate Mousse, Fig Leaf Ice-Cream which was lovely followed by a cheese board which we again shared as we polished off the last bit of the Torbreck.

                                                                                                Overall, it was a very pleasant evening in a very nice, albeit, last minute set up. Kudos to the staff of Volpe Nero for puling it all off, they were very friendly and attentive throughout but in a relaxed manner. Barry, himself, stopped by our table during the meal to make sure everything was OK which it most certainly was. Total bill was €241 and with tip, it was rounded up to €276.

                                                                                                From there, there was nothing else to do other than to head for home, break out the good gin, lash on a load of vinyl and dance our little cotton socks off into the early hours of the morning. I mean, what's a birthday without dancing?


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                                                                                                  While I'm in this thread, what are peoples opinion on the annual HHE dinner in January?

                                                                                                  A) Too far away to decide
                                                                                                  B) Sure it'll be grand by then
                                                                                                  C) I've no intention of hanging out with a bunch of degenerates during a pandemic
                                                                                                  D) Atari Jaguar

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                                                                                                    Restaurant: Mae

                                                                                                    Address : 53 Shelbourne Road, Ballsbridge

                                                                                                    Price : €€

                                                                                                    Mae, named after her grandmother, is the new restaurant from Grainne O'Keefe, formerly of Clanbrassil House. Opened in mid August, they sold out for three months solid in a few hours. As such, I was very happy to nab a table of four for last Thursday night.

                                                                                                    Our guests, were one of Mrs Lao Lao's mates and her fella, a couple who are into their food and wine and always up for a bit of craic so it promised to be a good night and it didn't disappoint. We met up in The Bridge for a few pre dinner G&T's and as an aside, I was somewhat surprised at the price they were charging for their wine. €60 for a bottle of bog standard Sav Blanc that you could get at retail for under twenty quid. I say somewhat surprised but when based on the area and the clientele, I'm not really surprised at all, just more surprised that people actually pay it.

                                                                                                    Anyway, onto the restaurant. Mae is located in the old French Paradox. That restaurant is gone but the wine shop of the same name is downstairs and they apparently have helped out in the curating of the wine list. Structurally, the restaurant is the same as before but it's being given a face lift and is a lot more fresh and light. The kitchen is completely open and our table was situated right beside it, so a perfect view of what was going on if you wanted.

                                                                                                    They offer a set menu for €60 and for me, it was excellent value.

                                                                                                    After some bread and butter, our first course arrived, a trio of small bites;

                                                                                                    A basque ham and gruyere bon bon which was delish - Literally couldn't have eaten loads of these and been happy

                                                                                                    Brioche, Chicken Liver and fig - Exactly what it says, was lovely

                                                                                                    Beetroot, goats cheese, pickled walnut - Served in a wafer thin edible basket - 3 for 3 so far

                                                                                                    Next course was Cais na tire agnolotti, artichoke, leek - A beautiful, creamy, cheesy, pasta dish. I was tempted to pick up the plate and lick it clean.

                                                                                                    For main you had an option, either

                                                                                                    Beef Rib, braised beef cheek, morels, celeriac, tarragon suace

                                                                                                    Or

                                                                                                    Cod, black Garlic, beurre blanc, seaweed

                                                                                                    3 of us went with the beef and Mrs Lao Lao went with the Cod - The beef cheek was absolutely melt in your mouth, really, really good. The Cod was apparently also very good, I wasn't so much as offered a bite which says it all.

                                                                                                    Dessert was apple tart tatin, calvados, creme fraiche - This was just devine. My only tiny complaint was that the portion was too small but that was probably more to me being a complete glutton than anything else.

                                                                                                    There was an additional option course for an extra €5 of young buck, pear chutney which we happily opted for to round out the meal.

                                                                                                    Mae have two options for matching wines (at two different price points) to go with the set menu and both looked to be very good value but we opted to stick to the one wine (and plenty of it) as we worked our way through four bottles of Chateau Martinet.

                                                                                                    By the end of the night, we were the last to leave and Grainne came over and chatted to us about how it was going so far and if we enjoyed the meal. She chatted to us for a good 10 minutes and it was great to talk through some of the dishes with her. She mentioned that the Michelin inspectors had been in already. I'm open to correction on this, but I think her price point is too high for a bid so wonder if there is any chance of a star. As good as it was, and it was really, really, really good, I would have thought it's not there, not yet at least, but what do I know.

                                                                                                    The final price, is well, kinda unknown. One of the other couple somehow managed to discretely pay for the entire meal with the other three of us not even noticing. I'm pretty sure that the wine was €55 a bottle so for food, wine, water and tip, I reckon the bill came just shy of 600 quid. The wine, like the food, was very good value, I'm pretty sure, it retails for close to €30. The Bridge could learn a thing or two from Mae.

                                                                                                    I think I could be on to a winning idea here - Book a nice restaurant, invite people to come with you and then they pay at the end*

                                                                                                    *just joking, we shipped half of what we thought the bill was to the other couple as that is too much for people to be paying.

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                                                                                                      I wonder if the €60 for a bottle of €20 wine thing, outside of restaurants, will seem far too odd for a while as everyone is acutely aware that it's almost as easy to have a pre bottle at home as to go out for one.
                                                                                                      "We're not f*cking Burundi" - Big Phil

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                                                                                                        The whole sneaking off and paying bill gig seems to have reappeared so. Only 2 of the meals I've had in the last few months were split. Different people ran off to pay the bill as soon as dessert/coffee arrived across multiple outings.

                                                                                                        I'd only seen this a handful of times in the past but it seems the novelty of dining out has made it popular again.I thought it was only happening to me. The good thing though is that most people seem to have revolut and if their number is saved as a contact on your phone, it's easy to send them a few quid.

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                                                                                                          Originally posted by coillcam View Post
                                                                                                          The whole sneaking off and paying bill gig seems to have reappeared so. Only 2 of the meals I've had in the last few months were split. Different people ran off to pay the bill as soon as dessert/coffee arrived across multiple outings.

                                                                                                          I'd only seen this a handful of times in the past but it seems the novelty of dining out has made it popular again.I thought it was only happening to me. The good thing though is that most people seem to have revolut and if their number is saved as a contact on your phone, it's easy to send them a few quid.
                                                                                                          My Brother in Law took this to a new level in Donegal recently. Two families out for dinner and I went up to the register while people were finishing up, asked for the bill.

                                                                                                          "oh no, that's already been paid"

                                                                                                          Turns out he had given them his credit card as soon as he arrived and told them he was paying. So if you do want to get into competitive bill-paying, that's probably the way to go.
                                                                                                          "We are not Europeans. Those people on the continent are freaks."

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                                                                                                            Any of ye bill payers up for an all day lunch, dinner and wine session in Shanahans when it re-opens

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                                                                                                              Related to this. I find the idea of bringing the bill to the table very disturbing. Really dislike the idea of it. The continental thing of going up to pay the bill is far better.
                                                                                                              "We're not f*cking Burundi" - Big Phil

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                                                                                                                Originally posted by Hitchhiker's Guide To... View Post
                                                                                                                Related to this. I find the idea of bringing the bill to the table very disturbing. Really dislike the idea of it. The continental thing of going up to pay the bill is far better.
                                                                                                                Yeah I get a good laugh if someone complains that they can't leave because the bill wasn't brought the table. Get up off of your hole ffs!

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                                                                                                                  Originally posted by Raoul Duke III View Post

                                                                                                                  My Brother in Law took this to a new level in Donegal recently. Two families out for dinner and I went up to the register while people were finishing up, asked for the bill.

                                                                                                                  "oh no, that's already been paid"

                                                                                                                  Turns out he had given them his credit card as soon as he arrived and told them he was paying. So if you do want to get into competitive bill-paying, that's probably the way to go.


                                                                                                                  I had to do something similar a few years back in Croatia at the brother in laws wedding. We were there for six nights, me and ALL the in-laws. The wedding took up two nights and the father in law and two sister in laws paid for dinner a night each so by the last night, we'd hardly put our hand in our pocket. I said that we would be getting dinner the last night and both the of the sister in laws tried to protest and said they would get it.

                                                                                                                  Once into the restaurant, I collared the waiter, told him he was not to accept payment from anybody else that the the two women over there give no tip at all so the bill needed to come to me.

                                                                                                                  Sure enough, both sister in laws tried to sneak up and pay the bill and each were told, 'I can't take payment from you, I heard you tip very badly'

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                                                                                                                    Originally posted by Gimmeabreak
                                                                                                                    Also ate in Mae last week, it's class. Can highly recommend it. I was going to suggest it as a IPB pre Christmas dinner if there was interest. I'd be confident of swinging a prime slot.


                                                                                                                    In for this if it goes ahead.

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                                                                                                                      Originally posted by Gimmeabreak
                                                                                                                      Also ate in Mae last week, it's class. Can highly recommend it. I was going to suggest it as a IPB pre Christmas dinner if there was interest. I'd be confident of swinging a prime slot.
                                                                                                                      In
                                                                                                                      Turning millions into thousands

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                                                                                                                        Also in if the date lines up.

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                                                                                                                          IN if room
                                                                                                                          "We are not Europeans. Those people on the continent are freaks."

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