On a weekend trip to Wexford, we came across the Little Yard. It's a recently opened tapas and wine bar to the rear of the established Yard restaurant. As we had been merrily drinking cocktails, we were somewhat late getting out for dinner and as a result, the main wave of evening diners had already been and gone. The Little Yard is very cosy, with a mixed bag of old tables, tealight candles and comfy cushions. I'm guessing that it operates as a cafe-type location during the day, and is repurposed as a tapas venue during the night, somewhat like Brioche Cafe in Dublin.
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| Candlelit table at the Little Yard |
The menu is short, with a selection of "classic" tapas, but it's the pricing that really stands out. It's refreshingly good value, which is something that I don't often associate with towns outside of Dublin. Some tourist towns really know how to charge. We agreed to order several dishes to get us going, with the caveat that we could always order more later.
We settled on a mix of items, starting with a generous cheese platter (€6.95) with salted almonds and capers scattered on top. Gambas a la plancha (€6.95), or whole grilled prawns, were overcooked but tasty. The daily special of pan-seared scallops came complete with the liverlike rosy coral, a feature that I quite like. Served on a bed of juicy samphire, the scallops were a knockout dish. Spicy baked eggs with chorizo and chickpea stew were served in an adorable mini cast-iron pot (€5.50) while little cubes of patatas bravas (€4.50) were crispy on the outside, yet fluffy on the inside.
We settled on a mix of items, starting with a generous cheese platter (€6.95) with salted almonds and capers scattered on top. Gambas a la plancha (€6.95), or whole grilled prawns, were overcooked but tasty. The daily special of pan-seared scallops came complete with the liverlike rosy coral, a feature that I quite like. Served on a bed of juicy samphire, the scallops were a knockout dish. Spicy baked eggs with chorizo and chickpea stew were served in an adorable mini cast-iron pot (€5.50) while little cubes of patatas bravas (€4.50) were crispy on the outside, yet fluffy on the inside.
The Little Yard also fashionably serves a selection of Irish craft beers and ciders, which are a great accompaniment to all the little dishes. As a result, I enjoyed my first bottle of Orpens Irish cider, while he chose from the Dungarvan Brewing Company range.
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| Queso - cheese platter |
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| Gambas a la plancha |
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| Special - seared scallops served with samphire |
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| Heuvos fritos con chorizo - baked eggs with chorizo & chickpea stew |
In short, the Little Yard is excellent value with tasty plates in a cute and charming setting. Sometimes it's nice to be able to grab a few small dishes rather than a full sitdown menu. But there was one final detail that nailed my approval of the Little Yard. At the end of our meal, we received a voucher for two free glasses of bubbly in the lovely nearby T. Morris pub. Perhaps it's a very clever scheme designed to keep diners in town, but I wasn't complaining.
The Little Yard, 3 Lower George's Street, Wexford
Tel: +353 (0)53 914 4083
URL: www.theyard.ie/little_yard
Twitter: @TheYardWex
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