O'Connells in Donnybrook

O'Connells is an independent restaurant offering the very best of Irish ingredients and aspires to be Dublin’s leading Coeliac Friendly Restaurant

It's hard to say what makes a great restaurant. Is it passion? Is it sourcing? Is it cooking, service, and execution? It is probably all these things and more and whatever it is, O'Connells has it. Tom O'Connell is one of those rare breed of restaurateurs who rarely misses a service, still works lunch and dinner on the floor and despite not being a chef, is keenly involved with the menu. The thing is, Tom knows his public. He has been serving them for years and knows just what they want and just what we all want from a good restaurant.

In Donnybrook, it seems like Tom has got everything he needs in his ideal restaurant.  The space is vast, occupying the site of a former pub, but somehow doesn't feel too big.  The floors are distressed wood, the chairs Bentwood café style and the planting and ceiling fans in the centre of the room suggest a semi colonial styling...cool but elegant and certainly not trendy or transient. Though the diners, in the main, are from Donnybrook and its environs, the restaurant has the air of Balthazar or Pastis in New York, a certain transported Parisien chic. The linen is crisp and white, the glassware sparkling and sophisticated and altogether, the room feels as though it's from another, more glamorous era. The menu, however, is another matter, rooted firmly in Irish terroir and clearly put together with love and attention.

To begin, we choose an appetiser of black pudding and apple compote. The pudding is from Nora Egan of Inch House, one of the lesser known but superior black puddings around today. It is truly fantastic, not too much cereal, full of flavour and melt in the mouth. A plate of Bill Casey's smoked organic salmon is treated classically and tastily with capers, chopped shallots and lemon and a grilled fillet of Castletownbere landed plaice is equally good, served with some fantastic tartar sauce, homemade chips and lemon. The side orders, as usual at O'Connell's, are incredible. Tom doesn't believe in scrimping on portion and variety and here, the plaice, besides the chips, came with a bowl of carrot and parsnip mash, green beans AND a bowl of dauphinoise so we could try them. They were truly scrumptious, garlicky, creamy, buttery and floury all at once!  Meat lovers are spoiled for choice too. Game is available when it's seasonally appropriate, for example Wild Wicklow Venison could be cooked two ways, braised and grilled and served with a rich juniper berry cream sauce. At lunch, if you catch it, there is a classic, old school meat trolley with a roast on the go, carved at your table. Chicken is always properly free range, beef is always Hereford (a passion of Tom's!) and fish is always sustainable and Irish. Dessert comes in 'little pot' options, allowing us to sample at least three, gluten free desserts form the menu. Warm pear and almond, coffee créme brulée and Tom's mother, Lil's sherry trifle were our choices and we were speechless as a result! The trifle was moist, boozy and traditional and was our favourite, closely seconded by the rich pear and almond. All three were made with a deft hand and were clearly indicative of the talent at work both in the menu writing and in the kitchen.

O'Connells is a truly memorable and great restaurant. The wine list is well sourced, with decent wines at decent prices. The value to be had here is superb, the staff whip around the room efficiently and more important, happily. There is an air of calm and pleasant business and the menu, as ever, is bursting with Tom O'Connells fantastic food passion, his knowledge of food producers, local artisans and good, old fashioned staples, devoid of cheffy ego and filled with flavour.  It is also a restaurant with a confident, contented staff, always ready to serve, without obsequiousness and with hospitality at its core.  A real find, a real joy, a real restaurant.

PRIVATE DINING AT O'CONNELLS

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Contact Details

To Contact a Member Directly, please click on the email or website below

135 Morehampton Road
Donnybrook
Dublin 4
+ 353 (0) 1 269 6116
Email: info@oconnellsdonnybrook.com
Web: www.oconnellsdonnybrook.com

 

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