Restaurant Review: By George! Orwell Road is creative and exciting
Orwell Road: "you'll be wowed", says Leslie Williams
- Orwell Road Restaurant, 8 Orwell Road, D02 Y973.
- Tel: 01 5610889
- orwellroad.com
- Monday/Tuesday - Closed; Wednesday-Friday & Sunday - 5pm–10pm; Saturday 12pm–3pm
- E:info@orwellroad.com
- Instagram: @orwellroad
Are we there yet? I think we just might be — the Covid cobwebs are dusted away and dining out now seems as natural and fun as it did 36 months ago. There have been several new openings all over the country and getting a booking is as difficult as I can remember. So there was proper excitement when the artful Engineer scored a lunch booking in Orwell Road Restaurant in Rathgar a couple of Saturdays ago.
Orwell Road is a former coffee shop (Howard’s Way) and rather compact but the space has been nicely transformed — it feels modern, airy and comfortable. At the helm is über talented Dan Hannigan, last written about here when he was perfecting the art of barbecue in Mister S on Camden Street. Dan is working with Marc and Conor Bereen who own Charlotte Quay Restaurant and were forced to close their much loved Coppinger Row restaurant recently due to the building being redeveloped — if they can find a suitable space expect a revival.
We began with snacks and you should too. Free-range Andarl Pork Croquettes (€6.50) were ping-pong-ball sized crispy globes of happiness filled with sweet meaty pulled pork in a crispy breadcrumb case topped with apple. A mini Mackerel tart (€6.50) with ceviche mackerel cubes flavoured with ponzu and chilli flavours was a nigh-on perfect palate awakener, while Buttermilk fried lions mane mushroom (€5) with a tarragon emulsion caused the Physicist to declare that all mushrooms should be deep fried thus — he was not wrong.
As I write this and reflect on the several dozen flavours we experienced my mind keeps dwelling on our starters — they were so good I think we could happily have ordered them twice. Dry aged Beef Short Rib (€14) came with a bonus fluffy beef fat brioche perfect for mopping up the meaty juices. The ribs had been slow-cooked long enough that you felt you could almost crunch the bones — the intense beefy flavours lightened a little by wild garlic and shimeji style mushrooms. Chicken & Scallops (€16) involved plump juicy caramelised scallops topped with crispy chicken skin, while a herb stuffed Chicken wing added extra substance and layers. Cáis Na Tíre tortellini (€13) meanwhile arrived in an umami rich ‘burnt onion broth’ a dish that almost caused a row it was so good — definitely order two of those.
Tender BBQ Monkfish on the Bone with smoked mussels and trout caviar sauce (€34), and luscious meaty Lamb rump (€34) cooked rare and served with asparagus and a roasted cos lettuce with Caesar dressing, need far more space than I can give them, as do the sides. Ballymakenny farm potatoes (€5) were roasted until golden and Courgettes had a subtle but lively preserved lemon dressing — mere vegetables have no right to taste this good.
The wine list is a pleasing mix of classic and modern styles and I am told it will change with the seasons. At the upper end you will find Róisín Curley Burgundies and Rausan-Ségla Margaux but there are also left field choices such as Ch. Ksara white from Lebanon and a Txacoli from the Spanish Basque Country. Prices start at €30 for supremely juicy and drinkable Rafael Cambra Garnacha from Valencia and smoky ripe ‘Crazy Grapes’ Monastrell from Jumilla in Eastern Spain (€36).
Salted Caramel, Chocolate and Blood Orange (€9) offered delightful contrasts between subtle toffee cream, rich chocolate and punchy blood oranges — in both whole and sorbet form. Orange and chocolate is always a killer combination but this went further. My feather-light vanilla parfait meanwhile was given heft with some rhubarb and sweet crunch with a light meringue.
So please put Orwell Road on the ever-expanding list of places you need to visit, there are flavours and complexities here I'd need twice the space to evoke. There is no trickery here, just a bullish full-on focus on flavour — you'll be wowed.
A substantial lunch for three including five glasses of wine, three snacks, three starters, two mains and two desserts cost €198
- Food: 9.5/10
- Wine: 9/10
- Service: 9/10
- Ambiance: 9/10
- Value: 9/10
Orwell Road is one of the most exciting restaurant openings of the last 12 months with creative precise cooking in a comfortable modern space — good luck getting a booking!
