Restaurant Review: Spa Seafoods, Kerry
“Do you have your cheesecake?”
“We do, but it’s not ready yet. We made a batch earlier, but it won’t be ready until dinner time.”
“Well, then, I’ll just have to wait until you open for dinner, so…”
We are on our way to Kenmare, but are struck down with the hunger pangs of a bellyaching toddler, and so as we approach Tralee, we plump for Spa Seafoods not only because it’s a bit of an odd name for a restaurant but also because – like any curious tourist worth their pinch of salt – we like veering off the main road into side alleys. We’re on the road to Fenit, then, when we see Spa Seafoods tucked into a neat all-for-one/one-for-all harbour space that houses not just the restaurant (on the first floor) but also a deli/shop (on the ground floor).
The first thing we notice, as we make our way upstairs to our window table is how bright and clean the place is. While the restaurant hasn’t been open for very long (a shade over the two years) much effort has been made to keep it looking as spick and span. Such elbow-grease attitude carries itself into the toilets, which – while functional and utilitarian as they should be - are the brightest, most spotless and smartly tiled I’ve seen in quite some time.
The second thing we notice – and how could we not? – was the view from the first floor window: say a becalming hello to the geological grooves of the Dingle Peninsula. Something else was brewing, however, and that something was the increasing murmur of voices in the restaurant. Kerry ladies who lunch were greeted like old friends (possibly because they were?), and stray singletons were looked after as friendly as you like.
We choose a mix from the A La Carte and the Specials mini blackboard, sharing a starter from the former (Duo of Spa Seafoods – smoked organic salmon and dressed crab meat with avocado, lime crème fraiche, lemongrass oil) and a main each from the latter (pan roasted fillet of cod, with honey and sage roast butternut squash, baby potatoes, spinach, toasted pine nuts; and fried fillets of plaice, with garden salad, homemade fries, tartare sauce).
We tuck in as the Kerry ladies chat (about your woman who, well, you know, like, you’d never think it, would you?), and as the singletons (no verbal soundtrack to be listened to there, unfortunately) arrive empty and depart full as a tick. As befits a family run business (established in 1996) renowned for offering the freshest of Irish seafood, there isn’t an iota wrong with the fare, and it is cooked to perfection from tip to tail.
A glass of wine complements the lunches, and it is here that the first of two glitches present themselves. When we ask for the bill, we are charged for a carafe of wine; the mistake is rectified with such a polite apology that you’d wonder why other, possibly more rarefied restaurants, don’t take similar heed. The other, slightly less problematic flaw – heightened only by gazing out the window so often – is that the view of the peninsula is spoiled somewhat by nearby corrugated sheds (we’re guessing the ‘smoking’ houses). It’s a small, probably pedantic point, we agree, but they impair the views, and there it is.
This aside, there’s a strong sense of a place here that knows its worth, that knows its produce is among the very best, and that knows its reputation is worth hanging on to. Which it does in a friendly, conversational way that hints at self-assurance and self-confidence rather than anything connected with egotism.
As we make our way to leave, we notice that the Kerry ladies have ordered, perhaps, too much food, and so requests are issued for take-out trays. This is always a great sign - local people supporting local restaurants is all well and good, but when those same locals know in their hearts and souls (and stomachs) that the food they choose is as good to eat at home as it is away, then it’s a win-win for everyone.
And the woman who wanted her slice of cheesecake? We’re guessing she got it, and was glad to wait until 6pm.
Lunch for two, with wine, came to €50.15, tip extra.
Open Tues-Sun, 12.30pm-5pm (lunch); 6pm-9pm (dinner). (Shop and Deli: open Mon-Sat, 9am-6pm; Fri, 9am-6.30pm)
Food: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Ambience: 7/10
Drink: 7/10
Value: 8/10
Spa Seafoods, The Spa, Tralee, Co Kerry; 066-7136901; www.spaseafoods.com
