Augustine's at the Clarion Cork
Thursday 21 January 2010
Augustine’s was a small bistro restaurant in Washington Street in Cork which enjoyed a loyal clientele and reputation, and in which I previously had a very nice lunch. However, in November they succumbed to the lure of the bright lights of Lapps Quay, moving into the 140 seater dining room of the Clarion Hotel, which area, approaching the hind quarters of the limping Celtic Tiger, had become the hip dining area of Cork. <ep>
We were four and one of my guests had a very simple vegan medical dietary requirement –– raw vegetables, salad, nuts, beans – not difficult in any restaurant previously. However, we had phoned in advance and spoken to the lady in charge re this. We arrived early - eight other people were there – so there should have been no pressure. We went through the requirements of our guest again with the Maitre d, the waitress, and eventually the chef, who stood back confidently saying “he would blow her mind away”. He did alright. It was like the opening Act of a Pantomime. Scene 1 was fine, Scene 11 was dreadful, and Scene 111 descended into a farce. <ep>
Starters were €6.95/€12.95. I had “warm salad of pan roast quail with green beans, Port soaked raisins, spaghetti of parsnip and pistachio nuts (€12.95)” - very pleasant if pricey. Brendan had pesto crusted Ardsallagh Goat’s Cheese (€9.95) on grilled field mushrooms, glazed beetroot, and basil oil - also fine. Mike wasn’t impressed with his sparsley filled trio of “Braised ox cheek ravioli” at €10.95. Mags had a tiny salad with green beans (€2.95). <ep>
Mains were €17.95/€26.95 and, as we reached that point, the place was filling up rapidly. There was an awful lot of dashing around and being busy going on with the female Maitre d’ and a waiter. Rushing out of the kitchen he put down our main courses and dashed off. They were “roast farm duck and buttered confit leg with Provencale bean stew, ‘Pomme’ Aligot and Star Anis jus (€24.95)” for me, “slow roast aromatic belly of West Cork pork, with a smoked bacon & Puy lentil casserole, apple ‘membreo’, cider jus and pomme puree (€22.95) for Brendan, and “slow roast troncon of hake in Parma ham en crepinette with ‘pomme fondant and flagelot’ casserole (€24.95)” for Mike, and a plate with about a tablespoon of “smoked bacon and Puy lentil casserole” in front of Mags, along with crude baton carrots and grey little boiled potatoes – which she already specified she couldn’t have! <ep>
There were no prizes for presentation. The cinder black belly of pork was sitting to the side of a pasta bowl on a “bean stew”. The duck was ‘hunched’ in a corner on Puy lentils with a watery bloody jus floating around the bowl, the leg burned dark brown and the singed breast too bloody. Nothing else – no “Pommes Anything”. Mike’s hake was dry and overdone – like eating a rolled up towel. Eventually I got the lady in charge, she didn’t seem phased, just went in and got two dishes of “Pommes Aligot” – basically creamed potatoes. <ep>
Mike had a “Vodka & Cranberry Jelly with orange and Mascarpone mousse”. The colour was nice in its cocktail glass but it tasted of nothing and one wonders how they had the audactiy to charge €9.50 for it. I had a Crème Brulee at €7.50 which was very light. The prices for desserts were for the birds in these times as was the “Fromages” at an unbelievable €15.95. <ep>
When finished I managed to get hold of the dismissive waiter and told him in no uncertain terms how we felt about the way we had been treated. They didn’t charge for the pork and with two aperetifs (€12.30) a bottle of Crios Malbec (€28), two bottles of water €7.70, our total bill without service came to €152.30. <ep>
Augustine’s was a topping little restaurant in Washington Street which appears to have gone all to sea at the Clarion and they need to get it back on course rapidly. <ep>
Augustine’s Restaurant,
Clarion Hotel,
Lapp’s Quay,
Cork.
Tel: (021) 427-9375
This article was published in the Sunday Independent on 17th January 2010.