Not the easiest place to find on a first visit, Barry and Elaine Wallace’s restaurant in Cahirciveen is down a lane off the Main Street (harbour end, beside a small shoppers’ car park) and above a pub – not a great start and the stairs up to the entrance will not impress either, but it’s well worth persevering.
With expectations lowered, diners will be pleasantly surprised by the first glimpse inside, which is of a bright and airy space, with lots of wood, plain but solid furniture and the welcoming sound of low background music.
Once inside you realise that this is a stylish restaurant, with polished wooden floors, well spaced tables and prints of locals from yesteryear on white walls giving it a lovely feeling – and a genuinely warm and enthusiastic welcome from Elaine soon makes you feel at home.
This is a place to feel relaxed in and head chef Barry has a clear commitment to local produce, with fish coming “straight from the boats ‘just a stones throw from us’, lamb direct from the farmer and beef from the surrounding fields…”
An early bird menu is available, chosen from the à la carte – and there are always daily specials (mainly fish), along with other special offers. Although there’s plenty of choice for everyone, fish lovers will be especially happy here; on the à la carte, four of the seven starters (€5.95-10.95) may be fish and seafood - including baby squid two ways (flash fried calamari and seared squid stuffed with feta and chorizo), perhaps, and locally smoked organic salmon (with fennel and cucumber salad, herb crème fraiche and citrus juices), and there may be unusual meat dishes too, such as pan fried lambs’ kidneys or confit duck & pork rillettes.
Main courses offer a well balanced collection of desirable dishes, with local meats – notably the ever-popular sirloin steak with all the trimmings - well represented, as well as seafood. Interesting combinations could include an unusual dish of braised belly of pork, with Sneem black pudding and seared scallops.
Vegetarian dishes are imaginative too, often based on home made pasta, and everything is beautifully presented and cooked to a high standard – notably fish and seafood, which is cooked to perfection and with excellent saucing, and tasty seasonal side vegetables which are served with just the right amount of crunch.
The dessert menu (about €5.95) offers variations on five or six favourites – a rhubarb and vanilla crème brulée, perhaps, or dark chocolate and cherry brownie (served with farm-produced Madagascar vanilla ice cream, from nearby Valentia Island). Excellent coffee to finish, served hot and strong.
Service is friendly, professional and attentive, the wine list is well researched with a good balance of reds and whites, and the value is good – a recipe for success.
: Seats 60. L&D daily in summer: Mon-Sat 12-3pm & 6-10pm; Sun 12-8pm. Off season D Thu-Sun. Laser, MasterCard, Visa.
