Dublin: Worth its salt?
SEAPOINT Fish & Grill is known to us. One of several eateries secreted under the shadow of Monkstown’s Moorish gothic protestant church, it’s well-reviewed. When I ask for recommendations in the area, it’s invariably named.
The strip here is grandly titled The Crescent, and it makes for a lovely mosey. On one side, an elegant line of villas from the oh-so-salubrious school of Dublin suburbs; on the other, a string of boutiques, restaurants, wine merchants and a small-but-perfectly formed avoca — with its snazzy new James Whelan butcher shop — look like the recession never happened.
But the recession did happen. And this smart and snappy little bistro has made decisive changes.
Taking customer feedback on board, the former Seapoint Restaurant has tacked towards the classy-casual end of Dublin dining, altering its name, deploying a weekly fish board (a cool little creation, with letters pinned on like in an old chipper), dropping the wine prices (on Tuesdays, most wines are half-price with the a la carte), and offering take-away.
‘Seapoint’ refers to the coast nearby. Inside, a summery painting depicts bathers sidling into the water beneath a martello tower. It also suggests a hearty selection of seafood, exactly what our party of six wants.
We’re excited. The menu is enticing, and the sourcing — from Wright’s of Marino, among other suppliers — is impeccable. But, alas, the food is hitand-miss.
First, the hits. Of the starters, panseared gambas come with a finger-licking chilli and ginger coating, which cuts brilliantly through slithery slivers of pickled cucumber. By the time I’m done, four out of seven prawns have been pilfered from my plate. A tian of crab with apple and celeriac remoulade is lightly handled, and we like the Alsace bacon and crispy cabbage dressing the scallops, and the smoked duck that beefs up a goat’s cheese salad.
I go for the rib-eye steak as a main. A saucy hunk of meat has been given TLC — it’s tender, fatty and smacking of the grill, juices mingling with the oozy roundness of melting garlic butter. A clumpy, well-dressed salad is worth recommending, but I’m not so keen on the fries. Spotted with herbs, they look the part, but aren’t crispy enough.
And the misses? Three out of four fish main courses elicit the same complaint. A breaded fillet of plaice is deftly cooked, but pointedly salty. Pan-roasted hake comes with a creamy artichoke risotto, but the hake is pointedly salty. A baked cod fillet, served with tasty prawn bisque, asparagus and spicy potato cake, is ... erm, pointedly salty.
Of our desserts, Tickety-Moo ice-cream and a crème brûlée tick their boxes, but a lemon tart is let down by limp pastry, and a dark chocolate mousse has the texture of Pollyfilla. It’s devoid of moisture, sugar buzz, or any sexiness whatsoever.
The room chimes. Split in two by a well-stocked bar (I like the sound of Satan’s Whiskers, a house cocktail mixing Gordon’s gin, OJ, dry vermouth, grand marnier and a dash of bitters for €9.50), booths snuggle either side of a fireplace, and the street-facing area is emboldened by a burnt orange banquette and big windows.
There’s a zippy mix of customers — couples, families, 30-somethings sharing desserts.
Piped jazz buffs up the modern bistro feel, and you can sit under an awning in the laneway too.
The service feels flat and brusque. A fish ‘n’ chips order is miscommunicated to the kitchen as sea-bass, but instead of correcting the mistake, we’re brought the sea bass and offered it at a lower price. With the dish cooked, I can see the logic in this, but the effect is to pass any guilt about creating waste onto us.
We hold firm, and go with the original order.
As we’re leaving, and after we’ve paid the bill, we mention our smorgasbord of salty fish. The staff are receptive, lamenting the fact that we haven’t told them earlier. I’m sure they’ll take it on board. Judging by the rebranding, Seapoint takes customer feedback seriously.
Dinner for six came to €254 (€84.66 per couple), tip extra.
Monday to Saturday: Lunch — Thursday to Saturday, 12-2.45pm; Dinner — Monday to Saturday, 6pm-10.30pm; Sunday lunch — 12pm-8.30pm.
Food: 5/10
Service: 5/10
Ambience: 7/10
Wine: 6/10
Value: 6/10
