Eating out:It is, as Margaret Thatcher pointed out in one of her more lucid moments, a funny old world. You would think a lot of smart people would have twigged that there is a huge gap in the market for a cheerful, inexpensive restaurant with excellent food and wine, the sort of place that doesn't involve saving up for a family outing. But have they?
The evidence suggests not. Of course, the concept is one thing; the execution is quite another. Not least among the considerations are talent and passion when it comes to food. The rest is, if not exactly easy, certainly achievable.
Fortunately Alan O'Reilly has the talent and passion. And with his brother, Patrick, he has created a remarkable restaurant in DúLaoghaire. Alexis Bar and Grill, named in honour of the great Victorian chef Alexis Soyer, is probably now the best-value restaurant in the country. Consider this: three of us consumed two starters, three main courses, two desserts, two bottles of wine and a coffee. And the bill was €120.
So far, so remarkable. But keen prices are no use unless the grub is good. At Alexis it is excellent. It's just as well this is a big restaurant, because as news spreads an awful lot of people will become regulars.
Our starters, in common with all of the menu, were simple but brilliantly executed. A dish of creamed button mushrooms with an intense mushroom duxelle, spiked with proper truffle oil, was presented in a little box of buttery puff pastry complete with lid. And a ham-hock terrine, dense and solid with not-too-salty meat, was wrapped in savoy-cabbage leaves and served with a piquant mustardy sauce rather than the usual gribiche.
Lamb cutlets were ordered rare but turned up decidedly medium; it is a measure of the restaurant and the whole experience that this did not detract from our enjoyment. They were perhaps cut a little too thin for rareness, but they scored very highly on flavour and tenderness; and their slightly sharp sauce was a perfect counterpoint to their richness.
Toulouse cassoulet was quite classic, right down to the sprinkling of breadcrumbs over the top. O'Reilly clearly understands that you don't mess with classics. Indeed, he occasionally puts lamb cutlets "Reform" on the menu, the dish created by Soyer for the Reform Club in London, which involves several dozen ingredients and slivers of cooked tongue. Here there were haricot beans, confit duck leg and, in a justified departure from tradition, fennel- scented sausages from Jane Russell.
I've never been blown away by scallops, but nor have I ever had a main course based on them that came in well below €20. They were nicely chargrilled, still moist in the middle, and served, rather fashionably, with a (perfectly correct) pea risotto.
We shared a couple of puds: two slices of perfectly tart lemon tart, which had a crisp caramel topping and an equally crisp pastry shell. It was made on the premises, which is a rarity these days, when most restaurants buy in not just their desserts but also a great deal of other dishes.
We also enjoyed a bottle of crisp Soave and a remarkably elegant Côtes du Ventoux. And a single cup of coffee.
This was an excellent meal at very modest prices.
The restaurant is worthy of its Soyer associations: the great chef believed it was possible to feed people well without charging a fortune. Alexis Bar and Grill is doing something radical. I just hope O'Reilly can sustain the value for money. If enough of us eat there, I reckon he can. I strongly suggest we beat a path to DúLaoghaire. This is one seriously exciting restaurant.
Alexis Bar and Grill, Patrick Street, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, 01-2808872
WINE CHOICE:The short but carefully chosen list was put together by John Wilson, editor of The Best of Wine in Ireland, and it shows. But there is more: prices are very keen. Our Alpha Zeta Soave was an eye-opener at €20: very fresh, dry and poised. Fondrèche Côtes du Ventoux (€26) was almost delicate in texture but intense in flavour. There's also Stonefish Chardonnay and Shiraz, from Australia - superior to many of the big brands - at €20 and Villa Masseti Pinot Grigio for the same price. Zenato's lovely Ripassa Valpolicella is €38.