[Review] La Bohème, George's Street, Waterford

La Bohème opened its doors in Waterford in 2006, but it's taken me quite a few years to cross their threshold. This is despite that fact that I have been visiting Waterford regularly for many years now as the other half of a Waterford man. I thought that I was completely up to speed with Waterford eateries, but there's always an exception to the rule. It turns out that La Bohème was about to change my perspective entirely.

Chef Eric Tréze, a native of Brittany, along with his wife Christine have located their restaurant in the restored vaults of the Port of Waterford building. From the outside, it's a classically and elegantly proportioned Georgian building, with the entrance La Bohème off to one side. As we went down the narrow plain stone steps, I wasn't sure what to expect inside. A narrow doorway opens out with a cocktail & little lounge area nestled to the right and a private dining room to the left behind a velvet curtain. Walking down the stone flagged corridor leads to the dining room, complete with its beautiful vaulted ceiling. La Bohème has featured in Food & Wine magazine as one of the Top 10 Romantic dining rooms and it's easy to see why. The whole room just (discretely) shouts romance and intimacy.

The menu at La Bohème is a pretty hefty affair with several variations on offer, as well a detailed listing of local and Irish produce suppliers. All four of us decided that the €35 Market Menu offered the best value. It's a real treat to find a set menu that offers lots of choice, rather than an anaemic list of the more basic dishes. To accompany the meal, we ordered Rose de Rosine, a light, strawberry influenced rosé (supplied by Tyrrell & Company), which was on special offer at €25 per bottle.

La Bohème, Waterford

Dining room at La Bohème

To get started, we received an extra special amuse bouche, including an excellent spring roll of Ardsallagh goats cheese, terrine and rilettes.  His risotto of scallions, girolles, Parma ham with rocket, truffle oil and parmesan was superb, served in a bowl that could have been used to explain the concept of gravitational wells. My choice of starter featured both blow torched marinated salmon and house-smoked salmon.  The accompanying coriander and lightly curried mousse made for an interesting twist on a classic Irish dish. On the other side of the table, Mr H stunned us all by breaking the habit of a lifetime when he ordered the crab creme brulée instead of his more normal soup. His deviation was rewarded however, with a light and tasty pot of crabmeat.

Risotto of scallions, girolles and Parma ham

Marinated and smoked salmon served with coriander and curry mousse

Baked fillet of Dunmore East hake with confit fennel, parsley salsa verde and white anchovies was literally immense, the single biggest fillet of fish that I've ever seen served. Despite the size, the dish was clean and a perfect blend of French cooking with Irish produce. My main of roast lump of Waterford lamb was spot on pink, served with rich, flavoursome aubergine caviar and rosemary jus. All mains were accompanied with generous portions of perfectly cooked, buttered vegetables. 

Baked fillet of Dunmore East hake

Roast rump of Waterford lamb

By the time the main courses were cleared away, we were beginning to think that some heavy duty machinery would be required to get us out of our seats. Clearly La Bohème caters for an audience who demand substance as well as quality in their meals. (I call this the country effect. Outside of Dublin, larger portions are more in demand, making it a risky business to spend extended periods outside the Pale). Somehow though, nearly miraculously we all found room for dessert. It was nearly a clean sweep for the creme brûlée with salty caramel ice-cream, although Mrs H did buck the trend by choosing the classic chocolate and coffee L'Opera cake. 

Creme brûlée with salty caramel ice-cream

We had taken our seats early in the night when the dining room was still quiet and peaceful. By the end of our meal, the room was full, with the accompanying level of background noise. The brightly lit kitchen pass allowed us to see the chefs at work, as well as giving us a voyeuristic view on all the plates leaving the pass. Service was attentive and excellent throughout, even to the point of correct wine pouring etiquette. 

Afterwards, we walked along the Quays in the setting sun in an effort to assuage the culinary damage we had done to ourselves. La Bohème is a hidden gem, sitting quietly below street level. But then, treasures are often found underground.

Waterford Restaurant Trail

La Bohème have teamed up with the Bodega to bring diners a Waterford Restaurant Trail every Wednesday. Both restaurants take pride in sourcing local and Irish produce and have designed menus to showcase local produce. The Trail will alternate its starting point every week, with amuse bouche, starter and fish course in the first restaurant. You will then be taken on a guided walk to the second venue where you enjoy the meat, dessert and tea/coffee courses. Tickets cost €39.50 per head. Contact La Bohème or the Bodega for further information and bookings. 

La Bohème, George's Street, Waterford
Tel: +353  (0)51 875 645
URL: www.labohemerestaurant.ie
Twitter: @bohemewaterford

Dax Cafe & Bar

Dax restaurant is long-established in the inventory of fine Dublin dining. More recently, the team behind this beloved establishment have opened a French-style cafe and bar on the ground floor above the restaurant, overlooking the Georgian elegance of Dublin's Upper Pembroke Street. 

Open from breakfast onwards, Dax Cafe offers breakfast, lunch tapas along with an extensive selection of wines and beers. I really appreciate restaurants and venues that work with the features of the building they inhabit, and Dax Cafe is no exception. The elegance of the Georgian hallway makes a perfect entrance to the cafe, and once inside you can choose a table at one of the sash windows or else opt for a dark leather sofa and a spot of lounging. Dax Cafe is that dangerous beast - perfectly chic and very comfortable. You could get caught very easily here on a Friday evening when out for after-work drinks.

And so it was with us. Three of us arrived a little late on a Friday evening and decided to choose a selection of tapas along with a bottle of house white wine (covered by a voucher purchased from Boards Deals). The wine turned out to be a 2009 Vin de Pays de la Loire (Lombeline - 100% Sauvignon Blanc) which was listed at a price of €26. It was a light, citrussy white, perfect for a summer's evening. Our deal covered 2 cold and 2 hot tapas (with a €2 supplement for the hot pork and salmon options, although this was not mentioned in the T&Cs of the voucher).

We chose the salmon tartar with rocket salad (€7.50) as well as the chicken salad served with homemade blinis (€6.50) for our cold tapas. These arrived quickly at our table, served on the omnipresent slate plates that are in fashion right now. We received three little timbales of salmon tartar, succulent and juicy with a light dressed set of leaves. The chicken salad featured little pieces of marinated chicken in a tasty dressing with rocket leaves.

For hot tapas we ordered the Clams & Chorizo (€8.50) as well as the Pork Fillet stuffed with Chorizo and served with Fava Beans (€10.50). The clams were the star of the show for me. They were so fresh, with a lovely taste of the sea that shone through the spicy, salty broth in which they were served. I found myself sucking on the shells, eager to enjoy every last drop of their marine goodness.

Clams & Chorizo

The pork fillet came served on a slate plate in three pieces on top of a scattering of bright green beans.. As I cut into one, I realised that it was served pink in the middle - a very confident step when it comes to pork. It was succently juicy with bags of flavour, while the fava beans gave a crunchy contrast.

Pork Fillet stuffed with Chorizo & Fava Beans

As there were 3 of us, the 4 tapas didn't go very far, so we also ordered the delicatessen plate, (€14) which arrived full of top-quality meats served with pickles and olives. Served on the side was some amazing french bread. I'd love to know where Dax source their bread, as this was manna from heaven - soft and crusty with a buttery sweet taste.

DAX Delicatessen Platter

To finish the meal we decided to order a cheese platter (€15), which featured a selection of French and Irish cheeses. The cheeses are cut from a cheese trolley located in the corner of the room. When the waiter lifted the lid of the trolley, the room filled with the pungent aroma of Epoisse. When the platter arrived at the table, the waiter took the time to walk us through the rows of cheese, explaining the best order in which to enjoy the selection. I was delighted to see Coolea cheese featured (a local cheese from home) and more pleased to see that it was the mature version which has a lovely nutty taste. The cheeseboard came piled with fruity toast crisps and grapes.

DAX Mature Cheese Platter

We decided to push the boat out and finish our meal with some dessert wine. I chose the Jurançon "Cuvée Jean" 2008 purely on the basis that it was listed as 100% Petit Manseng, which I couldn't recall tasting before. It turned out to be truly exquisite, with a fabuluous honeyed fruit taste that lingered well. For wine of its quality, I thought that it was well priced at €7.50 a glass.

I was highly impressed by the quality and panache of the food at Dax Cafe. It is confident and poised cooking, with superb flavours. However, on the negative, I did think that some of the tapas were on the small side and I really do wish that they all didn't come served on slate plates. It makes it hard to mop up the juices and scrape up those last delicious bits. One last gripe before I finish up, Dax don't offer a cheese and meat platter, but instead do cheese and meat platters separately. Personally I like platters that combine both, so Dax, please take note.

Total cost for all this (including the deduction from our voucher) and including some additional beers was approximately €75.In conclusion, it's not a cheap tapas bar. But it is elegant, relaxed and very high quality. There are still plenty of people left in Ireland with this amount of money to spend on food, but these days they tend only to spend it on quality. I think Dax Cafe & Bar meets that mark.

Dax Cafe & Bar, 23 Upper Pembroke Street, Dublin 2
Tel: +353 (0)1 662 9381

La Maison Restaurant, Dublin

La Maison restaurant on Castlemarket Street has been around since 2009 when it evolved from the popular cafe La Maison des Gourmets. It is under the guidance of Breton chef Olivier Quenet, with Nathan Dimond in charge of the kitchen. Their aim is simple, to produce freshly prepared, classic French food.

Thanks to deals wesbite Living Social, I had purchased an €80 voucher for La Maison and we set out to use it for an early dinner on a sunny Friday evening at the start of April. As we walked to the restaurant, the streets were thronged with Friday evening drinkers enjoying the evening sunshine. However, it was still a little chilly outside, so I was glad when our table turned out to be upstairs on the first floor of La Maison, rather than outside.

The interior of La Maison is narrow, with a view of the kitchen to the back of the ground floor. The decor is classically French in colour, while the first floor is flooded with light from the windows looking out on Castlemarket Street.  Although we were seated quickly, it took a while for our distracted young French male waiter to actually come around with the menus. As you'd expect, the menu is packed full of French goodies and features plenty of seafood with scallops, oysters and crab all on offer.

I chose Os a Moelle Rotis et son Beurre a L'ail (roasted bone marrow with garlic butter, €9) as my starter, while he chose the Saise de Noix de St Jacques (scallops with Sauce Vierge, €13.50)as his starter. When the starters arrived, we were disappointed to see only 3 small scallops dotted on the plate. Despite a lovely sauce vierge, this was a very meagre portion. 

My bone marrow came in two large chunks of bone, served with a slice of toasted sourdough bread. The last time I'd eaten bone marrow was at the fanstastic slow food restaurant Resource in Brussels (unfortunately since closed) and I recalled an unctious gloop, rich in flavour.  Unfortunately, I wasn't as impressed with my bone marrow in La Maison. In a stark contrast to his scallops, there was far too much of it to work as a starter, and it didn't feel like it was cooked enough. Once the flavour of the garlic butter had dissapated, I was left with a somewhat unpleasant fatty taste in my mouth. 

Roasted bone marrow with garlic butter

Two disappointing starters (for different reasons) meant that things weren't looking good for La Maison at this stage. However, we had pushed the boat out when ordering our main having chosen the Cote du Boeuf Irelandaise avec Pomme de Terre Sautee for 2 people (Rib of beef, served with sauteed potatoes and salad, at a stonking €58). At our waiter's suggestion, we ordered this medium rare.

Well folks, let me tell you something for free. This is a magnificent dish and it rescued La Maison from the lists of restaurants not to visit again. A lump of sliced rare beef arrived, served on a wooden chopping board, complete with rib bone. The meat was cooked to perfection, still very pink and moist. Alongside was a pot of potatoes and onion with a little bowl of green leaves. The beef had been seasoned and salted prior to cooking, resulting in lovely little crusty bits of flavour. After we finished the sliced meat, we attacked the rib bone, seeking the last little bits of meaty goodness. The potatoes were excellent, served swimming in butter  and rich with lovely sweet sauteed onions and garlic. The flavour just got better and better as we worked our way down to the bottom of the dish.

Cote du Boeuf Irelandaise ave Pomme de Terre Sautee

For wine, I enjoyed a very refreshing glass of Lombeline Sauvignon Blanc (delicious on a summer evening), while he was not impressed with the Lombeline Grenache-Syrah, finding it rather "meh". Both were priced at €5.50 a glass. 

 

Overall, we left La Maison with mixed feelings. Service had been slow, and a bit unresponsive at times and while we simply adored the absolutely carnivourous main course, the starters had distinctly failed to impress. Overall, the prices felt a little too high for the current climate, although I would consider a return visit at lunchtime, when prices should be cheaper.

La Maison, 15 Castlemarket Street, Dublin 2. Tel +353 (0)1 672 7258.
 

Vie de Chateaux, Naas

I'm currently working on a client site on the outskirts of Naas. Most days I bring in my lunch with me, or else I stop at the Tesco or M&S and buy a variety of salads or snacks. However, yesterday was a spring Friday, complete with sunshine and blustery freshness and I wanted to get out and about for my lunch.

I'm not overly familiar with Naas, so I went to TripAdvisor and searched for restaurants in Naas. Vie de Chateaux came back ranked as #2 and a quick glance at their website revealed that they were indeed open for lunch.

Vie de Chateaux is centrally located, but down a quiet cul de sac, near the Harbour in Naas. There's a lovely seating area outisde, covered by an awning, which would make for relaxed outside dining on a sunnier, warmer day. On a windy spring day however, it was a little more prudent to head inside.

Once inside, I could see from the table arrangements that they were expecting a lot of Friday lunch groups, but there was no problem in finding a small table for me (dining alone). My coat was taken (a nice touch!) and I was given the short and simple lunch menu. The restaurant is beautifully decorated in very Gallic style and makes for a very elegant and relaxed dining space. There are chalkboards on the walls which still carried descriptions of the previous night's specials (which, by the way, sounded delicious).

The menu carries a selection of tartines, both cold and warm, along with a short selection of starters, mains and desserts. In addition, there are several "Grand Assiette" on offer - a large plate which holds both a starter and main. I chose La Parisienne where the starter was a salad of Mortadelle sausage, walnut, diced Emmental and sweet corn, with a main of grilled sirloin steak, fries and garlic butter.

While I was waiting, a basket of fresh sliced bread was delivered to the table along with butter. As I was dining solo, I entertained myself by catching up on Twitter and reading the newspaper online. My plate arrived quickly, an important factor when dining out for lunch on a weekday. The salad came served in a little bowl and featured crumbed, crispy pieces of sausage on lightly dressed lamb's lettuce. A very nice little starter. My steak was decent in size (for those that like their meat). I had ordered it rare, and rare it was served, along with a slice of very garlicky garlic butter. A large handful of fries completed the Friday feeling.


I debated dessert, but after such a decent lunch, nothing on the menu stood out enough to tempt my sated appetite. FYI, there was a Poire Belle Hellene, as well as star anise creme brulee on offer. I opted for a coffee instead and relaxed for several more minutes before gathering myself back to work. As I paid the bill, I chatted with the very charming French owner (quelle surprise!). I left Vie de Chateaux with a "Bon Weekend" ringing in my ears and a feeling of happiness.

Total damage came to €23.50 for a grand assiette, coffee and large bottle of sparkling water.

Vie de Chateaux, The Harbour, Naas, Co. Kildare. +353 (0)45 888 478