The Menu: Wonderful food getaways on the Wild Atlantic Way

The latest restaurant and food news

Chef Brian Donnelly, of Bia Rebel Ramen, in Ballydehob for the month of August, at Levis' Corner House bar.

The Menu was greatly saddened to learn that Shannen Keane’s much loved Diva Boutique Cafe, in Ballinspittle, is to close permanently after 18 years, a most funky little outpost in West Cork where The Menu dined on many an occasion, each time seemingly more pleasurable than the last.

But there is some consolation to be had in the knowledge that the Diva Bakery will continue producing fine breads, pastries, coffees, sandwiches and some of the truly sumptuous and impossibly decadent cakes with which Shannen first introduced herself to her myriad Irish fans, The Menu first encountering them and the effervescent Shannen herself in the Kinsale Farmers’ Market many moons ago. (www.divaboutiquebakery.com).

After hearing such news, The Menu needed cheering up and that came in the form of tidings of the reopening of one of his more favourite restaurant discoveries of recent times, the rather perfect Pigalle, on Cork’s Barrack St, where chef Mark Ahern, applies consummate talent and minimal ego to some very fine hyper-local produce while Paddy Lumezi oversees front of house immaculately. 

Opening from Wednesday to Saturday, they will operate two sittings nightly, 6pm to 7.45pm, and 8pm to 9.45pm, offering two courses for €35 and three courses for €35 from a set summer menu (including some old favourites and intriguing newcomers. Booking: email [e-mail]/Tel. [phone] or 083 368 3878).

The Menu having repaired to West Cork last weekend can confirm that the re-opening of Levis’ Cornerhouse Bar, in Ballydehob, is well underway with huge demand for any of the three sittings for Belfast’s Bia Rebel Ramen experience, with chef Brian Donnelly serving gorgeous noodle dishes from their gorgeous silver food truck to the rear of the wonderful little pub’s beer garden, repurposed as a dining space for the pop-up operation for the month of August only and which The Menu can’t recommend highly enough. www.leviscornerhouse.com

The Menu is saddling up Neidín this very week for a return to the high roads and byroads, in particular an extended jaunt around the West of Ireland. 

Should any holidaymakers heading to Connemara be stuck for the aul’ bit of grub of an evening, White Gables, in Moycullen, freshly reopened on July 23, have a Summer Get Together menu with home dining options for Garden Party, Relaxed Supper or Divine Dinner Party. (www.whitegables.com) 

The Menu has a real soft spot for Sligo, a favourite spot for many a long year and is happy to report that The Sligo Oyster Experience offers an immersive guided tour to the Coney Island working oyster farm on the shores of Sligo bay, and including a tastings of some delicious fresh oysters. 

Tour includes a guided coastal walk, with participants treated to a crash course in ancient local folklore, shoreline flora and fauna and the history of Sligo’s native oysters (the Irish for Sligo, ‘Sligeach’, translates as ‘abundant in shells’ or ‘the shelly place’). 

A shucking demo will be followed by unlimited oyster tastings (www.sligooysterexperience.ie) 

Hooked and Cooked, a new dining experience in Killybegs which allows diners to select their own fish and bring it to Hughie's Bar to be cooked and served up

With Neidín’s head also pointed towards more northerly climes, Donegal in particular, The Menu is happy to report of a co-operative venture as two local businesses in Killybegs come together with the Hooked & Cooked Seafood Experience, which allows visitors to select their own fresh fish and preferred seasoning and glaze from local fishmongers, The Fish Stop, and then taking the newly bagged fish to Hughie’s Bar to have it cooked and served up on the plate, from Tuesday to Saturday, all year round, with the entire schemozzle coming in at €15 per person, children every bit as welcome as adults. (www.atlantictreasures.ie) 

TODAY’S SPECIAL 

One year, when caught short, The Menu baked a tray of brownies for La Daughter’s birthday, slicing them up and piling them high into something akin to a Minecraft mountain, sprinkling it with icing sugar, adorning it with more candles than a cathedral at Christmas and then dubbed the entire affair ‘birthday cake’! La Daughter and her youthful compadres were delighted as were most adult attendees to boot so.

Where you to think of doing something similar or perhaps were simply in the market for a multitude of one of the great baked chocolate comforters for a celebratory gathering, The Menu can’t recommend highly enough the Brownie Boxes from the very wonderful Wildberry Bakery, in West Cork, only baked fresh to order and either available for free collection from their Ballineen outpost or delivered nationwide for just €5.

Rose and Pistachio brownie, from Wildberry Bakery, in West Cork

Containing 12 brownies (either mixed or one particular flavour), they are quite excellent examples of an always popular sweet treat. 

The Menu’s recent sampling included a very pretty Rose & Pistachio, which looked as good as it tasted with its Belgian white chocolate, rose petal and crushed pistachio, while a Salted Caramel, incorporating a layer of handmade salted caramel, was decadently delicious. 

The Triple Chocolate was an object lesson for the many cheap garage forecourt pretenders and their ilk around the country besmirching the reputation of the real deal while the tangy fruit of the Raspberry Thrill, introduced delightfully tart notes. 

By the way, did The Menu mention that they just so happen to be entirely gluten-free? 

Actually, he didn’t, as would be more usual, do so at the outset because that usually causes a whole swathe of the readership to switch off but the Wildberry brownies are the match and more for any gluten-laden cousins, making them a rare pleasure for coeliacs and the gluten-intolerant as well. (www.wildberrybakery.com)