Lucinda O'Sullivan's Ireland

About The Restaurant

Finin’s People often say to me “where do you eat when you are not working?” I suppose it might be true to say that Restaurant Critics are always working. Unconsciously, whether they like it or not, they cannot help but notice if things are not properly served or produced. However, one of the places I will share with you that I go to quite a lot when “not working” is Finin’s Bar & Restaurant on Main Street, Midleton.  Inside, Finin’s fab Gastropub is a very chic décor, always lovely flowers on the bar counter, and fabulous paintings by leading Irish artists including Peter Collis, Elizabeth Cope, George Dunne and Graham Knuttel. For me these paintings define Finin for, apart from producing great food, he is a modest man with great style in everything he does. Talking about Gastropubs, Finin’s won the Best Gastropub Award for Munster in the Sunday Independent/Restaurant Awards. The restaurant is upstairs but food is served downstairs too - my favourite table is in the window – what Finin jokingly refers to as “the suite”. Located directly across the road from Ballycotton Seafoods, Finin’s always has great seafood – the biggest and the best prawns in the country – and Finin will be over every morning chosing the fish himself for his menu. Finin’s prawn cocktail will be the real thing with fabulous Dublin Bay Prawns. His Seafood platter comes with beautiful fresh crab, smoked salmon, prawns, and great big dishes of sinful old world potato salad and coleslaw. The scampi is made with large prawns coated in batter and deep fried, the sole on the bone is fab but, great and all as the fish and shellfish is, Finin’s is not all about seafood. I always waiver between the traditional roast half duckling which is what I called “old fashioned” duck, none of this pink hard Barbary duck variety, this is comfort food duck with stuffing and orange sauce. The fillet steaks are great too served with wine and mushroom sauce or studded with black peppercorns and served with a brandy and cream sauce. Vegetables or side salads come with main dishes but do have the great big dish of gratin potaotes – they are to die for. Another dish that will appeal to real gourmands is the starter of saute lamb kidneys in Madeira sauce which is a real nostalgic dish. The A La Carte Restaurant mains are from €19.50 to €30 and the bar menu has main courses from €11.50/€24 including a cracking beef curry. There is also an excellent Table d’Hote dinner menu to include starter, main course, dessert or cheese, and tea and coffee. But don’t be in the Suite when I get there!!

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