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Clerkenwell Dining Room
Halo
Eliza Blues

This find by Stephen & David was a jewel. The interior is cosily modern with warm lighting, high ceilings and booth-style layout. I liked the huge impressive drawing/etching on the wall overlooking our table.
The yellow gerberas in LSA blue vases on the tables got the nod of approval from interior designer David and myself for the vibrant injection of colour.

The food can be described as modern takes on traditional ingredients which can be gamey cuts, which seems to be distinct to Clerkenwell and its proximity to the history of the Smithfield market.

I couldn't go past the seared scallops on chunks of bacon - yummy! In fact the whole meal was yummy - my main of the red snapper was great. Tasty, crispy fish on mashed yams. The dessert selection was also very enticing and I fell for the passionfruit crème brulee, which is actually big enough to be shared.

Having scoffed the lot, we all went to our respective homes bursting at the seams. My only disappointment of the evening was of eating so much that I got bellyache! Next time, restraint will be exercised (not the only thing).

Special note for me, the Springfield sauvignon blanc from South Africa was light and not an overpowering white wine - I could actually drink a whole glass (almost). Luckily, the boys quaffed the rest easily.
Very attentive and efficient, genuinely warm service.
Cost: £100 for 4 incl. lots of wine.

9 / 10

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Eliza Blues
23-24 Wellington Quay, Dublin, Ireland
ph +353 1 671 9113
Modern European

Easter Sunday night, 8.30pm-ish, March 31, 2002

Walking around Temple Bar, its numerous cheap eats looked a little run-down. The bistros, which looked of a better standard at a low price had queues of people waiting outside for tables. Eliza Blue, on the riverside, off the main drag, looked relatively posh. The weird security revolving door seemed better suited to a bank than a restaurant, but I guess the riff-raff has to be kept out somehow. It was fairly easy to get a table without a booking for the 2 of us. The place was full of romantic dinners for two.

Skipping the starter, we homed in on the Bangers & Mash for Ben and the Surf 'n' Turf for me. Sadly, my original choice of the Guinea fowl was out, and so was the lime and lemonade - out of lime. Ditto for a menu for Ben to see, and napkins on the table which we had to ask for.

The 8oz sirloin steak was tasty and tender, not really 'stuffed with prawns' as the menu describes, but pretty good. The sausages had a lovely smoked bacon taste. For both of us, the mash potatoes (with yam for the saussies and with basil for the sirloin) was dry and solid. Sides of the home fries ended up being bits of roast small new potatoes, but all was forgiven because of the yummy onion rings coated in beer batter.

Décor: Trendy 90s style interior, lots of blue neon, beech flooring, dark tables, and bar.
Cost:

6.5 / 10

Halo, The Morrison Hotel,
Ormond Quay, Dublin, Ireland
ph +353 1 887 2400

Modern European

Saturday night, 9pm, March 30th, 2002
Ade & Ben

An absolutely stunning interior sets this restaurant apart. Designed by John Rocha, it is breathtakingly modern and dramatic yet comfortable.

I started with the Ballotine of duck foie gras, duck rielette, wild mushrooms and sauteed bramley apples, presented as four portions on small shapes of toasted brioche, on a square platter. At €12 this platter was one of the more expensive starters, but the serving of the foie gras was generous. The simple taste of the duck rielette (basically shredded duck meat in a creamy sauce) was a welcome antitode to the richness of the foie gras. Ben enjoyed the quizzical sounding Cappuccino of roasted Dublin bay prawns, ginger and lime prawn fritters, which turned out to be a frothy broth. It was a bit strong for me but Ben liked it. Worth mentioning are the little white bread rolls hot from the oven and the treacle and guinness bread - tasted like rye bread with a hint of sweetness.

For the main, the Roast fillet loup de mer (sea bass), with fennel confit, yam mash, braised scallion, pernod and virgin olive oil emulsion was delicious (€25). The sea bass was fresh and the sauce nice and light. Ben's main, the seared tuna was tasty. However, we were told by the waitress to expect an almost raw, just seared steak of tuna, just the way we both prefer, and Ben was a little disappointed that it ended up being quite cooked through.

By now we were both really full, and only could manage one dessert between us. The couple at the table next to us had ordered the Halo Surprise which looked amazing - a platter thickly coated with cocoa powder and gold leaf decoration in the middle which hid the dessert. Once our dessert arrived from the kitchen, it was our turn to be pleasantly surprised, the dessert chef had decorated the plate with a birthday message for Ben. Can't imagine that happening in London. The icecream was light and full of flavour, a lovely way to end an exquisite dinner. Good strong tea too!

Excellent attentive and friendly service.

9.5 / 10

 

Disclaimer: Please note reviews of restaurants are the personal opinion of a particular dining experience only. The writer is not a professional food critic and dining encounters are experienced in the role of a customer and the meal is paid for out of one's own pocket (or Ben's).

All content and images are the property of Adrienne Wong and may not be used or copied without permission. © 2002

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