Dublin: Pop in to NEDE for al fresco
LAST YEAR, Yannick Van Aeken and Louise Bannon, chefs and partners who worked for several years at Noma, toured Ireland with one of the most talked-about pop-ups of 2012.
Ballymaloe Cookery School, Kai in Galway and Dublin’s Urbun Cafe were all blitzed by the emerging brand that is Yannick & Louise, but I was underwhelmed. The Dublin pop-up gave us glimpses of what could happen when Nordic nous was applied to Irish ingredients, but overall, the experience asked too much of the staff, kitchen and ultimately the diners who paid €80pp for variable quality.
I left wishing that Yannick & Louise would set up in a restaurant, so that we could enjoy their talents in a settled environment, fully backed up by matching staff and systems.
Well, now they have. The duo recently took over the reins at Eden restaurant in Temple Bar (NEDE is an anagram, though the ‘EDEN’ lettering still appears on the windows), pairing two of Dublin’s most passionate young chefs with one of its plumiest dining locations.
Dublin isn’t exactly famous for al fresco eating, but NEDE comes with a very desirable patch of restaurant real estate — a weatherproof terrace fronting onto Meeting House Square. Inside, mosaic tiles, white leather chairs and wooden floors are crowned by a mirrored ceiling and hanging baskets. It’s a tall, fresh and airy space that feels almost like an atrium.
And the prices? Mains on the a la carte range from €20 to €26, a five-course tasting menu costs €45, and there are some irresistible deals on the early birds, or at lunch — when we showed up.
The ‘Dish of the Day’, for example, offered half a lobster with a sprightly farm salad and a ramekin of Marie-Rose, together with a glass of house wine and coffee for €15. They didn’t scrimp on the lobster, either — big pillowy pieces of white flesh came out by the forkful.
Simple, light food using Irish artisan produce is the aim here, and starters on our short and sweet lunch menu included a cucumber and gooseberry gazpacho and a meat board from pork butcher Ed Hick for €8.
Like the lobster, this delivered smashing value. Aside from several fatty folds of pork neck, I devoured the lot — the highlights being some deliciously whiffy smoked ham and a pâté so smooth you could have drunk it.
Our second main was a salad of chicken, anchovies and baby-gem leaves served with a crème-fraiche dressing. It was nothing I’d rave about, and a €14 price tag didn’t compare well with what had gone before, but it was assembled with a beautiful lightness of touch.
Other mains included a mushroom risotto with barley and roasted garlic, and a broth of mussels, clams, cockles and garlic parsley. A warm basket of sourdough bread came with crispy skin and a soft scoop of butter on a granite stone. Interestingly, L’s gluten-free bread was fried and salted.
The drinks menu is worth dipping into too. Along with the usual sparkles, bubbles and cocktails, NEDE does a well-selected range of wines from €26, and a clutch of craft beers from Ballyhoura-based 8 Degrees Brewing. A glass of Howling Gale Ale seemed pricey at €6, but it offered a sweetly malty accompaniment to the lobster, and I loved the nifty blurb on the menu.
“Like blitzing down the Ballyhouras on your bike with icy wind in your face, it delivers a refreshing crisp smack around the gills,” it purred. Just the ticket for a summer heatwave.
Two desserts were on offer, Eton mess and a tiramisu with Has Bean coffee ice-cream. We shared the Eton Mess, which wasn’t as gungey and whopping as it can be, but rather a crisp and pretty presentation setting strawberry slices against spiky shards of snow-white meringue. I love light deserts, but L was left with a slight longing for a heavier gluten-free option.
NEDE is not the finished article, but it is a great opportunity to catch two exciting young chefs feeling their way into the scene. Here’s hoping Yannick & Louise have popped-up permanently.
