Restaurant review: Some of the finest ‘traditional’ cooking in Ireland can be found in Adare

Brilliant 1826 boasts skill and substance

The restaurant’s home, white lime-washed walls and thatched roof, is a real-life John Hinde postcard cottage that undoubtedly flips the hearts of touring Yanks.

1826 Adare

Our rating: 9/10

I have returned to Adare, further exploring the local culinary ecosystem. Tonight we’re all gussied up and smelling fine, ready for the next step up the ladder, at 1826 Adare.

The restaurant’s home, white lime-washed walls and thatched roof, is a real-life John Hinde postcard cottage that undoubtedly flips the hearts of touring Yanks. However, inside a restrained hand prevents it from tumbling over into diddly aye twee, and we settle easily in cosy, friendly space.

Beer-battered monkfish ‘scampi’ (€14.25), with roast garlic and chive aioli is a house favourite, a very approachable dish for the more conservative diner. But as we learn, there’s always more going than meets the eye. 

Chef/proprietor Wade Murphy uses monkfish cheeks, a delicacy rarely used in Ireland, a scallop-like quality to tender flesh, and a buttery succulence not found in the muscular tail. Beer batter using Treaty City Harris Pale Ale is delightfully light and crisp, balanced acidity of roast garlic and chive aioli, pitch perfect in harmony.

1826 Adare

Doughmore Bay Crab (€17.50) with avocado, wasabi, creme fraiche, and herbs sees premium ingredients do the heavy lifting, chief among them superb, near-sweet, dressed crabmeat; supporting players know their lines but never try to steal the show, nori and rice paper crisp adding a textural grace note.

The union of goat’s cheese and beetroot, as in St Tola Goat Curd and marinated figs (€13.50), is now a classic Irish culinary trope — if only other chefs took the same care as Murphy with delivery. 

Cheese is gossamer light — natural lactic tang enhanced by yuzu juice and nutty walnut vinaigrette; chives, parsley and chervil’s anise add bracing freshness. Figs, fermented, then marinaded, bear sweet complexity, but beets eclipse them. These are slow-cooked over 24 hours: White and yellow, with white balsamic, olive oil, and tarragon; golden, with orange zest, more white balsamic and olive oil; and the natural sugars of purple beets are doubled down with regular balsamic, port, and brown sugar. It is a masterclass in peasant foods as premium product, bridging the gap between simple and sumptuous.

Toothsome pan-roasted cod fillet (€29.50) is finished in the oven, skin crisp and golden, butter-basted flesh, sweet and tender, sitting on pureed roasted carrot — alongside purple Ballymakenny Potatoes, and a citric salad of lemon and lime, red onion, and coriander. Harissa-infused beurre blanc completes a steady yet vibrant dish.

If only other chefs took the same care as Murphy with delivery. 

Pan-fried wild halibut (€39.95) is exquisitely cooked, firm yet tender, and sweetly succulent. Fennel and miso puree is a punchy umami, salad of shaved fennel and pickled red onion adds texture and zing. An oyster is breaded and deep fried, a juicy, sweet morsel, and tapioca pearl wafer presents like a prawn cracker. A cracking dish.

Twelve-hour braised beef short-rib (€34) is rapturously received, lush, winsomely tender meat sweetened with treacle until bordering on dessert territory, but perfectly arrested by deep umami flavours pierced with thyme’s astringency.

Housemade pancetta and Garryhinch mushrooms pile on further flavours and texture, mustardy horseradish foam is acidic and piquant. Potatoes are baked and then mashed to a buttery cream, while cabbage is grilled and dressed in gorgeous warm caper-rich parmesan emulsion; outer green leaves are cut to a chiffonade, deep fried for crispy contrast.

Handcut chips are girder-like, sea salt drawing out the sweet fluffy white interior.

There’s no gainsaying the generosity in 1826 so, suitably stuffed, we share two desserts between three. Treacle, date and walnut tart (€9.95) is an old school classic, crumbly buttery shortcrust meeting walnut’s demure bite, sweet excess of treacle and date stayed by Chantilly cream with Bunratty mead. 

Fruits of the forest creme brûlée (€9.95) sees blackberry compote topped with a custard of eggs, cream and, crucially, creme fraiche, adding an intriguing lace of acidity. No reinvention of the wheel with either dessert, but both make for joyful eating.

There’s no gainsaying the generosity in 1826

Domaine Jean Aubron 2024 (Loire Valley) is an organic Sauvignon Blanc, but overly chilled, anticipated lightness and brightness is overly muted. Still, factoring in excellent service overseen by Murphy’s partner, Elaine Hourigan — it is the only flaw on the night, so let’s chalk it down as the ‘beauty spot’ essential to true perfection.

Adare is a popular, much visited village but 1826’s primary audience of rural locals and mostly mature tourists is more naturally inclined to veer away from the outré extremes of contemporary dining for safer conservative offerings.

More than a few Irish restaurants comfortably fill that gap but very few do it with the skill, precision, and technical chops on show here, Murphy digging deep into each dish to divine real flavour-forward magic.

All in all, it makes for some of the finest ‘traditional’ cooking in the land, reborn for the 21st century in a truly great Irish restaurant.

• Adare, Co Limerick
• Dinner for three, including drinks, cost €244.35
• 1826adare.ie