Julian and Katia Wyatt bring an international sensibility to the excellent value menu at their comfortable and relaxed Main Street restaurant, but the produce at the heart of Julian’s skilful cooking is (almost) pure Dingle, with just a sprinkling of impeccable sourcing from beyond the peninsula. And what a fine natural larder Dingle offers, with suppliers like Jerry Kennedy butchers, Sully the Kid crab and lobster, Iasc Ui Mhathuna Teo fish, Derick O’Conner’s vegetables and Dingle Distillery all on their doorstep.
The husband-and-wife co-owners met in France (Julian is English-born to a Cork family and Katia hails from Italian-French parentage) and have been living, working and raising their young son in west Kerry for a number of years before opening their smart-casual restaurant in the spring of 2019. And, thanks to the sense of locality, good cooking and value offered, Land to Sea quickly earned well deserved recognition.
That value is achieved in part by a rather spare aesthetic in the dining room – no linen or lush furnishings here – but primarily through the expertise with which Julian approaches his ‘modern Irish cuisine’. There is an impressive confidence to how this kitchen draws on classic techniques rooted in French country-style gastronomy (think deep-flavoured Dingle crab bisque, or pithivier of butternut squash and Cashel blue cheese with dandelion leaf salad) married with Irish food preservation skills such as home-smoking and curing, pickling and fermenting.
They’re not afraid to borrow from other cuisines too, but always rooted in a real sense of locality, in dishes like corn-fed Irish chicken breast served Kiev-style with a curry sauce, or in garnishes like the saffron aoili and black ink tuile served with seared scallops. Nor are they shy of using value-cuts from top-quality local produce such as confit Skeaghanore Duck gésiers (gizzards) deglazed with raspberry vinegar and nicely bitter chicory, and elevated with shavings of summer truffle for that special touch, or superb pork cheeks from Crowes in Tipperary slow-cooked in Cronin’s cider and served with perfect crackling and sprouting broccoli.
Confidence exudes from every plate here, and ambition too, with a great handling of flavour and textural balance and some surprisingly elaborate flourishes (given the menu prices). Sweet dishes are given as much love and respect as savoury, with real charmers like an airy yet punchy Dingle honey and Dingle whiskey mousse, honeycomb and sea salt ice-cream or an inspired cranberry and Dingle gin sorbet making dessert an unmissable treat.
The wine offer is largely European and designed for popular appeal in terms of style and price point (many available by the glass, 500ml carafe or bottle), but with some quality choices like a distinctly saline Albarino.
The front of house team may not yet be quite as confident as their kitchen counterparts, but they more than compensate with charm and enthusiasm – and besides, when you’re on Dingle time, and enjoying food this good, who minds shifting into the slow lane? Consider settling in for a leisurely paced evening with their excellently priced six-course tasting menu, which offers great comparative value to the à la carte offer.
