Located in the beautiful six acre grounds of Dun na Si Heritage Park, Mount Temple Road, Moate, the aptly named The Restaurant offers diners a wide selection of delicious evening meals in comfortable surroundings.
As it is newly opened, I was curious to see what The Restaurant could offer diners in the Midlands who already have a wide selection of options at hand. On first entering The Restaurant I was pleasantly surprised by the warm, cosy atmosphere. With post-Christmas fairy lights strung around the dining area and an open fire the restaurant has a real homely feel that a lot of eating establishments are missing these days.
The staff of The Restaurant are friendly and very helpful when it comes to picking from the varied and delicious menu. The Restaurant is run by three locals, namely Pauline Kane, Neil Dolan, and Kieran O’Shaughnessy. Kieran has returned to Moate after training in the world-famous Dorchester in London. At The Dorchester, Kieran learned the skill of creating a mouth watering menu, enticing cuisine, with subtle extras to add to your dining experience.
It’s always uplifting to hear of young talent returning home to show off their skills. From talking to Kieran, it is clear he is dedicated to his work and wants nothing but perfection for his clients. He’s also a fan of quality, fresh foods, all sourced locally, including the steaks, which is certainly reassuring.
Their starters range from mussels to glazed goats’ cheese. I went for one of the outstanding starters on The Restaurant’s menu, the smoked salmon. The tian of smoked salmon with avocado and cream fraiche is perfectly balanced by the sweet balsamic cream. It’s a beautifully presented starter that almost looks too good to eat.
If you’re looking for something heartier, the chef’s soup of the day is always homemade and fresh, and is accompanied by homemade brown bread. On the night it was mushroom, a consistent winner with diners, and was certainly packed with flavour.
The Restaurant always goes that step extra to make sure you enjoy your meal, and I was pleasantly surprised to see a small glass of lemon sorbet put before us after our starters. I always thought that a sorbet between meals was the perfect way to cleanse your palate in preparation for your delicious main course.
As for the main course selection, I was immediately attracted to the assiette of duck which was accompanied by braised red cabbage, parsnip puree, all in a sweet chili and lime sauce. It’s the perfect main course choice for anyone who loves duck. The breast of duck was cooked perfectly, as was the leg, and the parsnip puree was an uplifting addition to the meal.
The main course menu also includes a beautifully cooked stuffed chicken breast with tarragon, lemon, and rosemary which was served with mint new potatoes. The chicken was perfectly cooked, and simply melted in your mouth.
Along with succulent sirloin steak and filet mignon, another favourite on the menu was lamb shanks with winter vegetables on a bed of rosemary mash potatoes.
As for the dessert selection, the star attraction has to be the tiramisu, which had to be the most delicious tiramisu I had ever tasted and would certainly be reason enough to return. Another winner from the dessert menu had to be the warm apple tart.
The Restaurant may seem to be a little off the beaten track, (perhaps a half mile out of town ), but is most definitely worth the visit.
The Restaurant would make the perfect location for an intimate Valentine’s meal, and with a cosy setting and mouth-watering food, reservation is essential.
Winter opening hours at The Restaurant are Thursday to Saturday from 5.30pm with last seating at 9.30. Sunday lunch service is from 12.30 to 6pm
They are currently running a wine and dine offer for two, which includes a three course meal and wine for €50 for two every Thursday. Reservations are advised.
For more information or to make a booking call The Restaurant, Dun na Si, Moate, on (090 ) 6466797 or (087 ) 2903036.
