O'Connell's Restaurant
Thursday 21 January 2010
In 1977, when the late P.V. Doyle opened his 5 Star Berkeley Court Hotel, people ooohed and aaahed around the place, and particularly at the idea of a phone in the BATHROOM!! It quickly became the place to be for the affluent classes, and maintained a loyal following for years. However, life has changed, and The Berkeley Court has been caught somewhat in a vacuum, running into well reported planning difficulties after it had been sold for redevelopment. It was then re-opened by D4 Hotels with budget prices.
O’Connell’s Restaurant is now in situ at the BC occupying the two rooms which comprised the original Berkeley Court restaurant and café. We heard they had a reasonably priced menu – they do - but don’t expect sophisticated fare. Approaching the door of the restaurant, Brendan said to me “how have they managed to get the old Country Hotel smell of food into the place in a short space of time.”
We were seated on a banquette in the ‘café’ section with art deco lightfittings and a self service counter – not in use – from which there was a fair bit of clattering and banging of silver domed cloches. Retro, or timewarp, was the feel in more ways than one, it almost felt somehow like an old Department Store café from my childhood days. A pianist was tickling the ivories with everything from the Harry Lime theme to Mise Eire and Macushla which seemed to be going down well with the diners, 95% of whom were the blue rinse brigade.
Starters were €6.25/€8.95, mains €16.50 /€22.50, and desserts €6.95. Three courses could be had from €25 to €32.50 depending on your main course. Staff were very pleasant and the menu featured artisan produce including the excellent “Nora Egan’s Inch House Tipperary Black Pudding”, Bill Casey’s Shanagarry smoked salmon, Ardsallagh goat’s cheese, and free-range Irish Pork. Brendan chose chicken liver pate (€6.95) which, with cherry tomatoes, greenery, and melba toast might, in the 70’s, have passed as gourmet! I had a tranch of “Nora Egan’s Black Pudding” (€6.25) which was delicious. It came with a tart apple compote, a grainy mustard dressing, and perched, a tad incongruously like Dallas shoulderpads, were “O’Connell’s potato crisps”.
From a selection that included cottage pie, plaice and chips, pork schnitzel and cornfed chicken, we chose shank of lamb (€18.95) for me, and fillet steak (€22.50) for Brendan. However, silver cloches or not, here you couldn’t get away from the agricultural presentation and style, which was extraordinary. The meat from my overdone dark brown ‘sheep’ shank had literally fallen off the bone but there was a huge revolting “jellyfish-like” lump of soft fat which should have been trimmed off before it came to the table. Brendan’s steak was in two slices rather than the expected “steak”. Vegetables came in stainless steel casserole dishes, nice in themselves, but far too big for individual portions – it was more like plonking the cooking pots on the table! We ended up with three of these squashed on a small table holding a lash each of pureed carrots, gratin potatoes, and chips, for which they appear to have charged €4 as his “dinner” came to €36.50.
Desserts came as Little Pot Desserts – all gluten free – and you could choose two for €6.95 – a great idea giving variety. Brendan had Crème Caramel and Warm Pear and & Almond Pudding – both very nice. I had Warm Chocolate Pudding and Coconut Pannacotta with a fruit compote. <ep>
With a bottle of Spanish Luzon Organic Monastrell 2008 from Murcia (€25) and optional service our bill came to €94.50.
It was definitely what they call “the feed”, the most sophisticated element being the D4 diners!
O’Connell’s Restaurant,
Ballsbridge Court Hotel,
Lansdowne Road,
Ballsbridge,
Dublin. 4.
Tel: (01) 665-5940
THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT ON 18/10/2009.