1 year ago
52
Columbia Hillen
It’s Sunday evening and 10 West Bistro & Cocktail Lounge in downtown Wexford successful Ireland’s south-eastern ‘Riviera’ portion is buzzing.
Most tables successful this intimate, softly-lighted edifice are taken, with guests successful upbeat, conversational mood. Opened 3 years agone by Paul Cullen and Craig O’Toole, aft respective mendacious starts owed to Covid, the tract was erstwhile the location of legendary restaurant, Granary.
Columbia Hillen
The interior is an elegant one, adjacent homely, and surely not ostentatious. On 1 broadside of the room, tiny enclaves are decorated with flowers and bottles of gin and champagne. The partition opposite, on the thoroughfare successful the Westgate neighborhood, is decorated with framed photographs.
Columbia Hillen
Above, from a debased ceiling, bent shot lamps of varying sizes and the level is of a glistening wood, oregon wood-like, material. The bath is discreetly hidden, beneath the level accessed by a abbreviated acceptable of stairs and the euphony is chiefly casual listening jazz astatine conscionable the close volume. Seating is booth-style oregon connected brushed padded chairs astatine simple, unadorned tables. Parking is convenient, a specified 50 meters distant successful an off-street, ceremonial parking zone.
Staff are affable - an innate Celtic trait it seems - and JP, Damien and Paul spot and service america wrong minutes of arriving.
Columbia Hillen
With 33 antithetic spirits and 15 cocktails, including classics similar ‘cosmopolitan’ arsenic good arsenic modern concoctions specified arsenic the gin fizz based ‘bramble evo,’ each utilizing house-made syrups, not to notation trade beers, ales and a wide enactment of wines, champagnes and proseccos, there’s plentifulness of portion accompaniments to take from.
Columbia Hillen
Pre-dinner, my companion chose the ‘pornstar martini,’ a fruity concoction of Ketel One vodka, vanilla bitters, passionfruit and pineapple juice, with a sneaky dash of prosecco for balance. I was successful the temper for a whiskey sour, Dublin-based Roe & Company, 1 of Ireland’s newest distilleries, providing the alcohol.
Chef Mary Long taking a abbreviated break. Photo by Columbia Hillen
The eating paper created by Mary Long, radical enforcement caput chef, is varied, with plentifulness of options for radical of each tastes. Take, for example, the starters, 7 successful all, ranging from tempura prawn with bacon jam, herb and chilli emulsion to pressed ham hock with cauliflower food croquette, kohlrabi and apple.
Columbia Hillen
I counted 8 mains, a equilibrium of nutrient and food dishes with 2 enticing vegetarian options - spiced chickpea, herb falafel, Italian achromatic kale and chili broth and a citrus and thyme risotto with chaotic garlic, King oyster mushrooms and hazelnut.
Columbia Hillen
Meat dishes included duck with Jerusalem artichokes, plum and murphy fondant and beef abbreviated rib with Madeira section greens and pomme puree. Fish and seafood offerings ranged from hake with ricotta dumplings and Nduja and herb pick to the food of the time peculiar from the section Meyler’s Fish Merchants.
Columbia Hillen
Five delectable desserts included beverage cocoa and nutmeg breadstuff pudding; honeycomb delice with achromatic chocolate, pear and blackberry sorbet and citrus curd with raspberry ripple, meringue and crème diplomat.
With beauteous gardens, coastal walks, past monuments, castles and museums, Wexford has go 1 of the astir fashionable towns to sojourn successful Ireland and 10 West Bistro & Cocktail Lounge has conscionable made it adjacent much popular.
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