The statement above is Patrick Guilbaud's philosophy as printed on the
inside of his menu. Gallic to the core, even after his
seventeen-year sojourn in Dublin, he does not eschew the rich variety of fresh
fish, meat and game that Ireland has to offer. His new restaurant
has just opened in one of the
four splendid and historic brick town houses that form the front terrace of
the equally new Merrion Hotel. You can either enter the restaurant directly through the
original entrance of number 21, or from the Georgian splendour of the
hotel lobby. In the old house is a rather grand private dining room and a
charming sitting room. Both are furnished in the eighteenth century style,
and one can relax over a drink and some exquisite canapés whilst
agonising over the menu which is written in clear and simple English.
The restaurant itself forms one of the modern wings of the Hotel complex.
It is a large airy room with a cathedral ceiling and
windows overlooking a landscaped courtyard garden. The sense of space and
light is further enhanced by the plain decor which shows off an important collection of
modern paintings to advantage. A picture by William Scott (1913-1989), Frying pan,
funnel, eggs and lemons (left) is used as the outer cover for the menu.
For IR65.00, there is a surprise menu of six courses, an idea I find particularly appealing (especially when dining alone as I was on this occasion), as it gives me the chance to sample more dishes. I challenged the sommelier to bring me a pair of interesting wines that could cope with so many contrasting dishes. To keep me quiet until he had found out what surprises were in store for me, he brought a very nice glass of Heidsiek Brut Reserve, IR9.00 a glass. I nevertheless gave a careful study to the wine list, which is one of the most impressive I've seen. Not just for its sheer size, (the format is a little unwieldy), but in its depth and range. Lots of Champagnes - which I tend to skip knowing they're bound to be beyond my pocket - then on to the white Burgundies. There are ten Chablis including five Grand Crus, seven Meursaults and fifteen Montrachets, but regretfully all the 88's have been downed. Amongst such largesse it is perhaps churlish to complain of the paucity of really good Domaine bottled Beaujolais Crus, but never mind, there is great strength in Beaune. And as for the Cotes de Nuits, there is a formidable collection of greats. This list has probably the most comprehensive collection of Rhone wines available in any restaurant in the world, starting with Condrieu and continuing with 24 Cote Roties alone, mostly from Guigal, but there are other marvellous wines from Jaboulet, Chapoutier and Reynaud. Nor is Bordeaux neglected: you can enjoy the very drinkable '93 Patach d'Aux for IR25.00 or push the boat out with the 1970 Petrus at IR1200 a bottle or IR1049 for 1955 Yquem!
By now, I was beginning to wonder which of the seven starters on the
menu would be about to surprise me. They range in price from green pea soup with wild
mushrooom tortellini and morels for IR8.00 to pan fried Bantry Bay king
scallops with watercress and deep fried leek salad IR15.00, or Lobster
Ravioli IR17.00.
I was brought an amuse of one of the Bantry Bay
Scallops, and large and juicy it was to be sure. At the same moment, a very nice half
bottle of a 1995 Sancerre, La Poussie arrived. Its gooseberry fruit
was the perfect match for the scallop, but when the Terrine of duck foie
gras arrived a little later, I began to have my doubts. As if by magic, my sommelier
reappeared like a genie to show me a bottle of
Reserve du Chateau Manos (Cadilliac 1988)
from which he poured a glass of golden botrytis affected nectar. By now I was in heaven;
the marbled sheen of the paté beckoned, the peppery gelée
glistened and the texture was elevated by the judicious use of a little
gros sel. Equally judiciously, I reserved a little of the
Cadillac for the dessert later on.
Next I was offered a lobster raviolo, the pasta artfully draped rather than shaped, encasing easily recognisable pieces of lobster. Recognisable by sight, smell and flavour I might add. There was a discreet garnish of curry flavoured oil, an appliqué which went extremely well with the light infusion of coconut jus that coated the lobster pieces. This was an excellent example of modern fusion cuisine without the confusion. To complete my trio of fish, I sampled the Sea Bass from the main menu. It was pan fried in walnut oil with shallots, herbs and tomato, an exercise in utter simplicity. The elegantly focussed presentation was without unnecessary elaboration so that there was the minimum distraction from the sublety of the fish itself. A refreshing basil sorbet prepared and restored me for the delights ahead.
Left to my own devices I might well have chosen a main course of poached
loin of Wicklow venison, or wild Irish Mallard, or even "Crubeens" which
are pig's trotters boned and served with white mushroom bread pudding and
rosemary jus.
Instead, I was invited to try a boned corn-fed squab pigeon. I'd be
happy to wager that this plump little fellow came from one of the
volières or pigeon runs of Normandy, much loved by the great
Escoffier. What the bird may have lacked in wild, gamey roughness was
more than made up for in tender delicacy and mousse-like texture. A very
clean plate indeed made its way back to the kitchen. By now I was well
into another half bottle, this time a 1995 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Clos du
Papes (18.00) whose intense spicy fruit spoke of even greater benefits
to come to those with the patience to wait a year or three.
Amongst some well conditioned French cheeses were some very nice Irish ones. (The very next day I was to discover Sheridan's the super new cheese shop just opened near Temple Bar). For dessert, I was offered a classic Café Parfait. Here the decoration was more exuberant and it was a fine example of the pastrychef's art, although I wasn't sure that it was necessarily the kindest choice to round off a six course marathon. I was glad that I had only to stagger up a few flights of stairs (to get a little exercise) before collapsing gratefully into the luxury of one of the Merrion's brand new beds.
Patrick Guilbaud has his sights firmly set on his third star, and it is
certain that this exciting new venue provides both the necessary tecnical
infrastructure behind the scenes as well as suitable front of house
ambience. For some, the rigour of the Michelin criteria are a hurdle too
far, a strait-jacket that inhibits rather than a challenge that
encourages. But I believe Guilbaud, and his chef des cuisines
Guillaume Lebrun, are sufficiently in accord with the Michelin
philosophy for it not to pose too insurmountable a problem. Guilbaud knows
precisely what has to be done and he understands perfectly how to motivate
his staff to achieve it. If you want to see really professional teamwork,
take a look at the way his waiting staff operate under the direction of
partner and front of house manager, the discreet M. Stephane Robin. By the way, it
is Stephane who is largely responsible for that magnificent wine list!
The Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud in its new setting undoubtedly deserves
its place at the pinnacle of Dublin's fine dining scene.
Clifford Mould, November 1997. Dine Online most highly recommended.
Photographs reproduced from Issue number 3 by kind permission of The Food and Wine Magazine a super new magazine for the gourmet, published in Dublin bi-monthly at IR2.50
Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, 21 Merrion Street, Dublin 2
Tel: (1) 676 4192
Open: Lunch: 12.30 - 2.00pm
Dinner: 7.30 - 10:15pm
Prices: Starters IR8.00 - IR15.00; mains IR24.00 - IR29.00; desserts IR8.00
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