It’s a stunning evening. The glazed facade of a modernist structure looks out to the sea, reflecting the garden – the maritime pines, the palm trees and the exotic grasses – the mirrored image anchoring it in the landscape. It would not be out of place in the south of France. It’s The Sea Rooms, the new restaurant at Kelly’s Resort Hotel on Rosslare Strand. We head upstairs to a room which is designed to maximise the view.
There are some great tables, the prime one being an enviable round table in the corner with views out two windows. Other tables, set for groups of eight, have similarly good views. Two tables for two flank the white marble bar. I should mention that the downstairs room lacks the drama of the room upstairs.
It is most definitely a place to celebrate. Most tables have opted for the €70 seven-course tasting menu and are starting with cocktails which are shaken with noisy enthusiasm at the bar behind us. We go for the €55 three-course dinner, a welcome respite from the tyranny of tasting menus for those who prefer something simpler. Better still, it’s an a la carte menu, with three starters and four main course options.
Bread arrives, house-made baguette with whipped butter, followed by an onion brioche with a quenelle of beef tartar. I had expected that the amuse bouche would be reserved for the tasting menu only, but then, we’re in Kelly’s and generosity is the hallmark of everything they do here. It is a delicious snack; a kick of horseradish brings out the flavour of the finely chopped beef.
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The wine list at The Sea Rooms is a shorter version of the one they use in Beaches Restaurant, their fine dining restaurant, which is also available for those who want to dive deeper. It has a strong French focus and offers good value, with bottles starting at €32. I spot a 2018 Moulin a Vent, “Les Brussellions” for €38, a Beaujolais that is light enough to work with fish as well as meat.
Chris Fullam is the chef heading up the kitchen here. I haven’t had his food before, but he has considerable form, having spent time in the Cliff House Hotel and The Greenhouse, before working in Old Street in Malahide and Le Perroquet.
Our starters display some breadth in terms of technique. A smoked oyster emulsion, light and ethereal, works beautifully with five discs of scallop ceviche. They have been interspersed with discs of radish and pickled cucumber, and a seaweed cracker, much like a prawn cracker, adds a bit of texture. There are aromatics at play here, some chervil perhaps, making this a ceviche that is just a little bit more individual than the many renditions doing the rounds at the moment.
Three smoked bacon and Comté agnolotti are decidedly more robust, silky pasta stuffed with a light mousse filling. The foaming sauce is rich and savoury, the flavour of the bacon bolstered further by caramelised shallots. A splash of acidity could perhaps lift it, but it eats very well.
Our main courses feel just a little bit more mainstream. The lamb loin, an even pink from gentle sous vide cooking, has been finished on the pan, enough to add a bit of colour on the outside but not long enough for the savoury crust of a charred exterior. It is a substantial piece, cut into three slices, and there are plenty of other flavours on the plate – Jerusalem artichoke, braised aubergine, ratatouille, wild garlic and a deep flavoured jus.
The monkfish, ribbed and glimmering with the butter it has been finished in, is perhaps a shade overcooked, diluting the beurre blanc ever so slightly as its juices release from the flesh. Charred baby leeks are lovely with the fish, small chunks of turnips add crunch, and a side dish of smoked potato purée (€5) seems hardly necessary.
We finish with dessert, a quenelle of rhubarb mousse on shortbread and rhubarb ice cream, and a dark chocolate ganache, piped with a frothy whiskey and coffee mousse.
At The Sea Rooms, Kelly’s excels at what it does best. It is all about old-fashioned hospitality and an evening well spent. Bill Kelly makes his way around the room, greeting generations of returning guests as old friends and giving an equally warm welcome to newcomers. It may not be in the south of France but it has a certain magic.
Dinner for two with a bottle of wine was €153.
The Verdict: A stunning room that is made for celebrations.
Music: Ambient lounge music.
Food provenance: Bannow Bay lamb from Richie Doyle butchers; fish from Paul King; vegetables from Kelly’s garden.
Vegetarian options: Barbecued asparagus; gnocchi with smoked wild mushrooms; Kelly’s beetroot with St Tola goat’s cheese; and barbecued broccoli with smoked egg yolk and pickled shimeji mushrooms. Vegan tasting menu available on request.
Wheelchair access: Accessible with accessible toilet.
