Reviews

Tabletalk, Lucinda O’Sullivan, Irish Independent Magazine, 8th April 2007.

Bistro Best

Greedy restaurateurs and huffy waiters of the nation, take note: Lucinda O’Sullivan has found a chic spot offering sublime food, lovely service and excellent value..This is how it’s done

There is more than a touch of the theatre to the restaurant business..Some just can’t seem to get away from it, and once the curtain comes down on one, it rises on another – although I did meet two chefs recently who have escaped..Clare French Davis had a restaurant in Castledermot, but now sells delicious breads and chutneys – try the devine chocolate brownies and the green chilli sauce..Pat Hartley was in Dwyer’s of Waterford but now sells fish, including cracking seafood pies.

Longtime restaurateur Alan O’Reilly has just opened Alexis, a new restaurant in a premises that has had almost as many incarnations as himself..He has the cafes in Brown Thomas Dublin, and previously had Morels in Glasthule and Clarets in Blackrock & Leeson Street.

The cast list now gets complicated..He did have he café in Brown Thomas Cork, but that has seen the new Table restaurant opened by the Kemp sisters, Peaches & Domini..Clarets in Blackrock morphed into Dali’s, while the Leeson Street Clarets became Romanza..Morels, which had been in John McManus’s former Wishbone restaurant, went on to be Duzy’s, but is now Rasam, an Indian restaurant..This premises was originally John McManus’s De Selby’s restaurant before it became Big Cicero’s – and, more recently, the Alexis Bistro, Bar and Grill..Are you lost?.I almost am myself.

Anyway, Alexis is done with style..A red banquette runs the length of the room: lots of cream, sunken lighting, a bar on one side, modern pictures, and Barry White belting it out..Meeter/greeter Kim, from Germany, was absolutely fantastic – friendly, welcoming and concerned – and certainly coloured our view..She could give lessons to the new breed of whippersnappers emerging as “restaurant managers” who think they’re more important than their customers.

The menu and prices are very user-friendly – you could just slip in and have a main course and a glass of wine..Dishes are listed as small and large..They list their suppliers and state they buy organic where possible.

Prices, apart from their 10oz organic steak at €22.50 complete, are all under €18.50 – and even that price was for scallops..Most are €12.50-€14.50..My God, it just occurs to me… has a restaurateur been listening to the critics and the customers?

A bacon and cabbage terrine (€7.50) with a leek and mustard dressing and tossed leaves was robust, tasty and filling..Bayveen had the “small” scallop risotto (€12.50) with fresh peas – three perfect scallops and a very generous risotto..Brendan saved himself for his delicious 10oz free-range organic sirloin (€22.50), topped with tobacco onions and served with a big bowl of fries..Cassoulet de Toulouse (€14.50) was delicious trencherman stuff, a big succulent confit duck leg on an organic Toulouse sausage (from organic-sausage-maker Jane Russell) with a bean stew..Lovely fresh homemade spinach gnocchi (€12.50) was with tomato and basil sauce and Parmesan shavings..Other dishes included braised beef shortribs “Reform”, pan-fried peppered duck, sautéed spinach, confit potatoes..Side orders are a sane €2.50.

Puddings are €5.50, but they sent us a tasting plate that was scrumptious – warm chocolate brownie, rhubarb crumble, pear and almond tart, fresh homemade lemon tart.

With a bottle of Luis Canas Rioja Reserva Crianza 2005 (€29) and two glasses of Villa Masetti Pinot Grigio 2005 at €5 each for Bayveen, our bill with optional service came to €120.50 for three.

How does this man feel he can do food at these prices, while every other restaurateur in the country is bleating about low margins and what favours they are doing feeding us at exorbitant prices?

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