Restaurant Review - The Brasserie at The Marker
Tuesday 07 May 2013
“I’m having difficulty choosing a starter”, said friend Rachel. “They are all ‘wobblies’ or ‘cheesy’”. We were in The Brasserie of the new Marker Hotel, on Grand Canal Square in Dublin’s Docklands. The ground floor is open plan - light and bright with lots of glass. Through the door you are straight into The Marker Bar, with sofas and lounge tables. You can certainly see and be seen but it has all the feel of a waiting area or departure lounge. The Rooftop Lounge was not yet open so we took flight and checked in for our table in The Brasserie. A very large cool space with contemporary retro furnishings, The Brasserie includes a massive communal marble table, also used for the breakfast buffet, and from which “we are trying to sell as many glasses of Champagne as possible,” said our Meeter Greeter.
But back to the Starters. Ranging from €7-€12.50 neither Trout Tartare, Irish Beef Carpaccio or Oxheart Tomato broth, grabbed us on a bitingly cold night, nor did oysters at €12 for 6, or a “Raw” or a Blue Cheese salad. Roasted Scallops (€12.50) and Chicken and Foie Gras Terrine (€10) it was, both of which, whilst elegantly presented, were homages to the colour beige, and reminded me of what a Bridegroom’s mother is advised to do on the big day - wear beige and keep your mouth shut! Three medium sized seared scallops on blobs of Jerusalem artichoke puree, intermingled with a brace crispy chicken wing bites, a perhaps fashionable but insipid combo I don’t like, and the smell and taste of which I found off putting. Chicken and foie gras terrine, with pear pure blob, blended in with the pecan toast on which it was resting, and Rachel found the terrine itself “tasteless”.
Mains €15 - €29 included calves liver, roasted cod, saffron risotto, confit Globe artichoke, whilst a small Grill Section sported lamb rump at €28, an 8 oz sirloin steak at €26, and a 6 oz Rib Eye at an eye watering €29. Grill dishes included one side dish and one sauce. Rachel enjoyed a medium sized tranch of pan roasted Halibut (€28), dusted with smoked paprika, sitting in a mussel chowder topped with an onion Bhaji, whilst my aromatic truffle and honey glazed pink Skeaghnore duck breast (€28) with carrot puree, Shitake mushrooms, fondant potato and salsa verde was colourful and delicious. Although there was a slight push on the sides, in the event, Rachel was glad she opted for steamed green beans (€4) with Béarnaise sauce (€2) and Rosemary fries (€4). However, add even one side to each base cost, and your €28 Mainer is a not inconsequential €32.
The website sports ‘The Gathering’ logo, and a lot of verbiage about The Marker being truly representative of Ireland, including that the architecture draws “on the elemental nature of the Irish landscape…..” – oh yeh - to the traditional Irish way of cooking with simple dishes and “we try to stay true to our Irish roots.” However, despite this blather, and whilst it undoubtedly felt lovely sitting under a vast cavernous white ceiling that reminded me of the Ice Hotel in Sweden, we could have been anywhere in the world as everyone we spoke to, all unfailingly charming, including the telephone operator, were non-nationals. At the coalface is where they need to be true to their roots as Tourists want to meet Irish people when they visit Dublin.
Wine prices run a tad embarrassingly downwards from high to low on the page, as my eyes flicked rapidly to the bottom, to find only 3 white and 2 red wines just under €30. However, we did enjoy a cracking Alcohol Free (0.5%) Muscat grape Torres Natureo Cataluna (€25) – an option I would like to see more often.
Desserts were superb but a hefty tenner each! A sleek rectangle of chocolate mousse had gold leaf, raspberry, a mini doughnut and cracking icecream, whilst buttermilk Pannacotta had blackcurrant sorbet and honeycomb.
Our bill with water (€5.25) one coffee (€3.50) and service came to €152.25. We felt somehow a more user friendly general Brasserie menu would be better suited here.
The Brasserie,
The Marker Hotel,
Grand Canal Square,
Dublin. 2.
Tel: (01) 687-5100
FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT