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The Mermaid Café

Ben Gorman and Mark Harrell's unusual restaurant on the edge of Temple Bar is not large, but every inch of space is used with style in two dining areas and a wine lounge.

They celebrated a decade in business in 2005 and they've achieved well-earned recognition for a personal style of hospitality, imaginative French and American-inspired cooking and interesting decor.

Innovative, mid-Atlantic, seasonal cooking can be memorable for inspired combinations of flavour, texture and colour - and specialities like New England crab cakes with piquant mayonnaise, the Giant Seafood Casserole (which changes daily depending on availability) and pecan pie are retained on daily-changing menus by popular demand. Vegetables, always used imaginatively, are beautifully integrated into main courses - rump of lamb with roast vegetable & couscous tart, aubergine & cumin purée is a good example.

Then delicious desserts, wonderful Irish cheeses (like the deeply flavoured Gabriel and Desmond from West Cork, served with apple chutney) and coffees with crystallised pecan nuts: attention to detail right to the finish. Lunch menus are extremely good value, and Sunday brunch is not to be missed if you are in the area.

Wines are imported privately and are exclusive to the restaurant.

Seats 95 (private room, 40); reservations required; air conditioning; toilets wheelchair accessible. L 12.30-2.30 (Sun brunch 12-3.30pm), D 6.00-11 (Sun to 9pm). All à la carte. House wine about €23. SC discretionary except tables 5+. Closed Christmas, New Year, Good Friday. *Next door, Gruel (Tel 01 670 7119), is a quality fast-food bistro (60 seats) under the same management, with a large & loyal following; open Mon-Sat 11-10.30; Sun 11-9. Amex, MasterCard, Visa, Laser.

Directions:

Next door to Olympia Theatre, opposite Dublin Castle.