While walking up Quay Street last Thursday at about 7.30pm I noticed that every restaurant has a cordoned off area outside with tables and some brave diners/smokers. It is such a pity that we cannot have warm balmy evenings to enjoy food outside as it really is a great way to eat and watch the world go by. Maybe our city fathers would consider putting a roof over the street and blowing in warm air? It is more or less wall to wall restaurants now in Quay Street with great value deals posted everywhere.
Just around the corner is Cross Street and it is there I returned to sample what is on offer at Kirby’s Restaurant. There was a very large party upstairs so we were seated in very comfortable seats on the ground floor. Subsequently I spotted some very comfy looking sofas in the window area and I think I would opt for that next time. They have a value dining menu with a difference; two courses for €22.50 and three courses for €24.95, the difference is that diners can also have a complimentary drink after their meal in Buskers, next door, six nights a week, with the exception of Saturday night. As a vodka and red bull costs over €6 this offer could make your meal excellent value. I asked if there is a restriction on the type of drink you can order and the answer was no, with the exception of someone ordering doubles or trebles, etc.
For starters we had seafood chowder and a chicken and bacon terrine, both portions were big enough to feed the most hungry person, and the presentation was excellent. The taste was also excellent, with each component having easily identified flavours — the salad, the salsa/chutney, the chicken, and the bacon. This would be an excellent dish to have on its own if you wanted a light bite some time. The chowder was also a large portion, and while it tasted good was not in the same league as the terrine.
Next up was a grilled fillet of monkfish on creamed potatoes and served with fresh asparagus, black olive and caper butter. This is the dish in the picture and it was one of the best fish dishes I have had for some time. The really unexpected part of the dish was the taste of the sliced black olives with the monkfish and it was so good I cleaned my plate. My guest had a baked fillet of hake with a parmesan and cheese crust with sautéed potatoes and béarnaise sauce. This was pronounced as excellent also and in particular the accompanying French beans were cooked to the correct level of al dente. We had two glasses of wine with our meal and it was good to see that nearly half the wines on the wine list are available by the glass. I feel that this is one area that could be improved on, as €26 for a pinot grigio and €27.95 for a New Zealand sauvignon blanc is a tad high especially nowadays when wines are available at really keen rates from wholesalers.
For dessert, I chose an old English favourite called Eton mess — or as the very witty waiter called it, David Cameron mess. It is crushed meringues, cream, and stewed rhubarb, with the addition of some passionfruit. I loved it. My guest had a warmed chocolate brownie which disappeared off the plate as quick as a flash. All in all, a very enjoyable evening and a venue that you should put on your must visit list. Why not try for a Thursday night when there is live music in Busker’s next door? You can sip your free drink of choice after dinner. Finally, I would like to compliment all the staff at Kirby’s as they appear to really enjoy looking after their guests’ needs and it makes the evening much more enjoyable for everyone.
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