Room with a view
So, if you go to Ballycotton’s lovely Bayview as a couple, beware. You’ll find yourself ensnared in a ménage à trois whether you like it or not. It’s more or less impossible to sit in the bright, airy dining room and not be seduced by the view. It must one of the very best from any restaurant in these islands. From its cliff-top vantage, the panorama leads your eye away from Ballycotton’s tidy harbour, right across the bay and, miles away to the north, Knockadoon head.
On a bright summer’s evening, the ever-changing light on the sea adds a dimension to a night’s dining that very few restaurants can match. It creates a calming atmosphere where silence — and the view — can be a shared pleasure as rewarding as most conversations. There are very few places, much less restaurants, where the view has such an undeniable presence.
We — DW and I — were with two good friends so had an opportunity to see more of the menu on a plate than we usually would. We were not disappointed — just the opposite in fact.
DW started with pork belly with celeriac veloute, caramelised navets and pineapple chutney. It was lovely, with a depth of taste that comes best from slow cooking cuts that deserve the attention. It set a trend too — wonderfully long and alluring, almost Gothic, descriptions of chef Ciarán Scully and his staff’s dishes.
I started with ham hock terrine with soft-boiled quail eggs and sauce gribiche and though it was really lovely, the terrine’s tastes and texture might have been even more impressive had it not been blunted by being so chilled.
Our companions had prawns — seared with gazpacho jelly and saffron aioli — and pan-fried scallops with carrot gel essence, pickled cauliflower and purée. Both declared themselves more than satisfied.
For her main course, DW chose roast cod. It was firm and fresh, accompanied by cauliflower gratin, apple purée, raisins and a sabayon of Bombay aloo. The heart of the dish was lovely but there was almost a layer of taste too many, enhancement almost touched excess. John Dory and turbot were chosen by our friends. The turbot was excellent and very well presented but there was not enough of it, even for my weight-conscious and still-fit friend. The John Dory, grilled with beans, black pig lardons, dried tomato, coriander shoots and tomato jelly, was enjoyed too.
My main course was so wonderfully described — more a script than a menu — that it would be miserable not to share it with you: Braised pig’s cheek with mustard and spice brittle, turnip purée, specially smoked loin of saddle back pig, celeriac purée, walnut, apple and celeriac remoulade and rabbit saddle stuffed with black pudding.
This could so easily have been a victory for marketing over cookery but it was not. Even writing such a description is labour-intensive, so imagine the great effort that went into getting it on a plate.
But did it work? A lot more yes than no, every sliver on the plate deserved its place but I was left wondering if these great tapestries were more for the kitchen’s amusement than for the dining room. This, of course, is all subjective and it may be churlish not to celebrate such an array of skills on just one plate but surely the food is the subject and the preparation just the conduit? Nevertheless, it was a lovely dish with a spectrum of taste and texture that was very enjoyable.
Though there was a good selection of desserts I, once again, was the only taker and really enjoyed a plate of Spanish goat’s cheese — manchego — with an almond, fig and date cake. Really lovely and subtle but hard-edged too. The wine was a spikey red from New Zealand, more torpedo boat than battle cruiser.
All in all, a very pleasant evening and meal, even without the wonderful view. Add it to your summer to-do list and when you do, consider staying overnight, it is a hotel after all.
THE TAB: A three-course dinner cost €49, two courses €42, though there is a supplement — €5 — on steaks. The wine, a Sherwood Pinot Noir 2009 from New Zealand, was €31. There is also a day menu from 12.30pm to 5.45pm and a Sunday brunch menu that seems excellent value.
Food: 3/5
Ambience: 4/5
Wine list: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Website accuracy: 2/5
Parking: 5/5
The Bayview at Ballycotton, Co Cork, 021-4646746, www.thebayviewhotel.com
