Chequer Lane by Jaime Oliver

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I loved the vibe and on-the-ball staff when I first visited Chequer Lane by Jamie Oliver on the corner of Exchequer Street and St Andrew’s Lane. The contemporary Art Nouveau fin de siècle brasserie décor here is stunning, with emerald greens and gorgeous William Morris wallpaper, and, from our table in the window, we had a great time absorbing the street scene with a lots people rolling up to check the menu – on which there’s an emphasis on showcasing Irish produce and drinks.

To whet the appetite, a selection of Nibbles features olives, sourdough bread and Carlingford Oysters with trimmings. Meanwhile, Starters include some great crowd-pleasing dishes like crispy squid, dressed West Cork Crab, Chicken Vol Au Vent or a good old Prawn Cocktail. Their Baked Scallops, in the shell, with their beautiful golden garlic & butter crumb are a fishy delight, and can also be had as a mains.

And speaking of the mains, there’s great pasta dishes like Prawn & Crab Linguine, 6 Hour Braised Beef Tortellini, or Lemon & Ricotta Ravioli. Their Chequer Fish & Chips are popular - beer battered and served with mushy peas, tartare sauce and curry sauce – as is their burger which comes topped with bacon Irish Cheddar, onions and pickles. For the veggies out there, they have a tasty Buttered Cauliflower & Chickpea Curry served with pilaf rice and flatbread.

The star attraction, however, is their Grill & Seafood menu featuring the likes of Steak Frites; Irish Fillet Steak with sticky onions, peppercorn sauce and chips; not to mention the divine aforementioned Baked Scallops. They do a delicious Duck Breast also, served with red cabbage, red wine gravy, sea buckthorn berries, crispy parsnip and a choice of side. Ask your server what the current Market Fish offering is. On our visit, it proved a fab presentation of plaice in a glorious saffron sauce topped with mussels and samphire.

There’s a delicious assortment of puds to choose from including Vanilla Panna Cotta; warm apple & blackberry crumble; or Killeen Goat’s Cheese with pear, crackers and quince jelly, but we finished by sharing a scrumptious citrus trifle of saffron oranges, yuzu jelly, Chantilly custard, and hazelnuts. 

There’s lots of cocktails, wines by the glass, the 500ml carafe and bottles, as well as bubbles galore.  

Something for everyone really…