The Green Hen - Restaurant Review
Tuesday 06 July 2010
You know, we are a terrible crowd of snobs here really. We only have to hear the words “new French Bistro or Brasserie” and there’s a rush of Mrs Bouquets from Foxrock to Howth to try out their ‘Snail Pithivers’ and plonk, and be able to drop the word in suitable places! You wouldn’t get the same response to a new Italian Trattoria – even if it might be far better!!
The Green Hen is a Brasserie style restaurant right beside the very popular Old Stand Pub. I’d been there before when it was “Leon Bistro Maison de Qualite” promising “traditional French cuisine” but we’d had a real ‘Allo Allo’ experience departing sans our main course! It has now been taken over by Paul Rooney, former General Manager of Frank Gleeson’s Café Leon Group, and he has morphed it into The Green Hen. There is an Oyster bar to the front where you can have a few molluscs, hot with chorizo hollandaise, or cold with limoncello – 3 for €6, 6 for €12 or 12 for €24. To the rere is a larger dining area, faded French Chateaux style, with grey panelled walls, bentwood chairs and tables, a banquette across the back wall – best seats - above which an ornate gold framed mirror sports the specials of the day.
The Lunch Menu offered 2/3 courses for €16/€20 or a la carte with starters €5/€8 and mains €11/€15. A Plat du Jour at €15 is available until 7.30 pm – add a glass of wine and coffee for an extra fiver. Starters included sweet potato soup with chilli, rabbit terrine with a plum relish. There was also Crispy Squid Caesar Salad and Confit of Duck Leg Salad both of which could be had in small or large portions at €6/€11. We started with a small size of each and both were enjoyable – nothing overly fussy or mind blowing – but well dressed and flavoured. Miranda’s confit duck leg salad had a good fluff of mixed leaves with fresh fig sections, crisp green beans, and a sweet walnut dressing. The cephalopods in my “Crispy Squid Caesar salad” weren’t crispy per se, more soggy courtesy of the Caesar dressing, but nonetheless, with croutons and robust pancetta, it was tasty, so I won’t bitch about it at all! Hot Tip – just drop the word “crispy”!
A Pinot Grigio wine special at €19 of from the blackboard brought me straight back to those monstrous big 2 Litre bottles of naff white plonk that tasted like cat pee in the 70’s. Seeing my face the delightful waitress whipped it away…… We moved on to Fox Mountain Chardonnay/Sauvignon Blanc and Calatayud do Langa at €6 and €6.50 by the glass, of which we had a brace each.
Mains included homemade lamb and black pudding sausage with herb mash and shallot jus, steak baguette, and grilled beef burger with blue cheese, bacon and pomme frites - looked good at another table. Miranda opted for “Grilled Chicken Pyard” (€11) - come on guys leave it at ‘Paillard’ - don’t be uber smart and confuse the natives. ‘Paillard’ basically means flattened – put the chicken breast between some clingfilm and bash it down - sprinkled with herbs it is tasty and fast cooking. The Green Hen served it on Balsamic roast red onions, sweet potatoes and a whack of chilli jam – tasted good. I had the Duck & Mushroom Pie Plat du Jour (Friday!) Others plats, starting Monday, include Navaran of Lamb, confit pork belly, coq au vin, Beef Bourguignon, Ox cheek pie, and sauteed lambs liver. I am not a pastry fan but this proved very homely, very amply filled with duck, mushrooms, green beans and a few peas – all in all very nice – topped with nicely anointed mixed leaves and pea shoots.
No Tarte Tatin or Clafoutis but Tiramisu, Pannacotta and Key Lime Pie which seemed quite of place. I had the Pannacotta (€4.50) with poached pear and a sticky caramel sauce – sinful! Our bill with optional service came to €74.50.
Simple but pleasant so Bon Appetit.
The Green Hen,
33 Exchequer Street,
Dublin. 2.
Tel: (01) 670-7238
THIS ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED IN THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT ON JULY 4, 2010.