Down a lane a hundred yards or so from the main square, The Mews restaurant and Art Gallery is a distinctive low-beamed stone building, reminiscent of Brittany, with a sun room attached that floods the restaurant with light. The featured artist is Eoin O’ Connor whose bold, brightly coloured canvases adorn the walls.
Currently run by Helen Noonan and chef partner Paul McDonald, who have been here with their friendly Boxer dog since May 2010, The Mews is well worth a visit for good honest cooking and the charm of the operation.
The place is spotlessly clean (including upstairs toilets) and white linen napery and formal table settings set a serious tone, maintained by Helen’s supervision and service - Helen is also responsible for the Sixties music, which many people love, although it may not necessarily be to everybody’s liking.
The menu is à la carte, presented on a single sheet; it offers four starters, four mains plus a vegetarian choice, three desserts and a selection of French and Irish cheeses.
You might begin with fresh and simple starters of crab cakes, cured salmon, or Parma ham and asparagus salad, all presented with accompaniments on rectangular slates.
An excellent seasonal soup - Pea & basil, perhaps – is made to order with herbs picked from the little courtyard within view of the restaurant. Curiously, no bread is served - apparently for the admirable reason that, unless it was home-baked, they couldn't justify serving any. (But maybe it’s time for somebody in this kitchen to take up baking!)
Main courses offer a balanced choice - rack of lamb, a 10oz sirloin of beef, pan roast salmon with sweet cured beetroot and fennel salad, orange & raisin cous-cous, for example. All are essentially good and properly cooked, and all desserts deserve praise: light chocolate and orange mousse with sweet pastry biscuit, and Eton mess are both typical of the delicious classics that round off a meal at The Mews, and it is especially pleasing to find a light and refreshing fruit-based treat like their champagne and red berry jelly with lemon and apple granita.
The wine list is short – just eleven old world wines are offered – but well chosen, and prices are fair. A delicious Pinot Grigio (€24) is the perfect summer wine, and a Quinta do Crasto, Douro, Portugal (€29), should live up to the list’s claim for its characteristic smoothness and dark fruity flavours.
Prices are fair and you may expect to spend around €50 per person all in, for a full meal with wine.
The Mews : Seats 32 (outdoors, 4). D Wed-Mon (high season). Closed Tue. No Credit Cards.
