Tel: 01 4788783
TWO COURSE €21.50 / THREE COURSE €25
Available all evening Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Sunday
RETURNING home from a walk with the baba I noticed a new restaurant I fancied trying out, called Richmond. It is where the infamous after-hours diner Gigs Place (think cheap wine and full Irish breakfasts at 5am) used to be on Richmond Street in Dublin.
What first started as a dinner for two turned into eight and I hoped that the restaurant, being small, could cater for our growing number. When I called, the manager was a little nervous that I was cancelling my booking but was delighted when I said I was increasing the numbers. We made the reservation for 8pm on a Saturday night and I was hoping he wouldn’t say that we only had the table for two hours (he didn’t) as it can can be annoying when you’re part of a large group and feel rushed out the door.
On arrival we were shown to our table upstairs. It’s a small room which fitted our table of eight, another large group of about six; and two tables of two. It’s small but we really liked that we were able to hear ourselves talk and it felt like we had our own private area. The decor is really nice – think dark Farrow and Ball paint tones and large framed arty photographs. Half of us were very comfy (we were sitting along a padded banquette) but my friends across from us felt their chairs were a little too low for the table.
Anyway, enough waffle – let’s get to the food. The starters included Oxtail Croquette, Blue Cheese Salad, Scallops, Mushroom Risotto and Ham Hock. I ordered the risotto, which was smooth and creamy but packed quite a garlic punch. Fine for me, as I like garlic, but it may put others off. I’d serious food-envy when I saw the croquettes arrive as they looked delicious and came in a perfectly-sized portion. I managed to persuade my other half to let me try his scallops. They did not disappoint, and were probably the nicest scallops I’ve ever tried – tender, moist and cooked to perfection. So far, so good.
Main courses included Cote de Boeuf for two, Rib Eye, Lamb Neck, Brille, Beef Burger and Duck to name but a few. I went for the burger, which I don’t normally do. It came with Applewood cheese and fries. I ordered mine well done – to the horror of everyone at the table. Even with the increased cooking time, it was still a huge, tender chunk. My husband enjoyed his steak – but regretted not ordering a side dish to complement it. Everyone agreed that our table’s winning dish was the Cote de Boeuf. It came out on a board brimming with crispy onion rings and mini roast potatoes. We all said to each other “should have got that”.
Those with room for dessert ordered either the lemon tart or the date pudding. I felt the lemon tart portion was a little too small but maybe thats because I wanted more as it tasted so great; the perfect balance between zesty and creamy with the pistachio ice-cream.
We also downed about six bottles of a delicious, smooth Cote du Ventoux red wine.
Richmond has only been open a few weeks, and considering it is only in its bedding-in period, the meal and the service were great. They didn’t rush us and the staff were polite and not overbearing. We each paid €67 for wine and three courses, and that included a tip.
I will definitely try it again for the early bird menu.
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