We were promised that under the canopies, or "the mushrooms" as I like to call them, of Meeting House Square there would be "an enchanting setting of verdant lawns, vintage elegance and live acoustic sets" That's all very well and good but I was dubious as to how much of this was achievable in the middle of Temple Bar. When I got there I was stunned, it was absolutely fantastic, have a look;
What a fine entrance!
What every popup needs - a pink wheelbarrow full of lavender!
I was quite impressed overall. A lot of the furniture appeared to be bespoke.
Love love love the umbrellas!
As the lights went down it really became magical.
Then I started to worry that it might all end up being all fur coat and no knickers, great design and ambiance are one thing but what about the food? That's what really mattered. Again, I needn't have worried! We were treated to six wonderful courses of delightfully tasty and interesting food that was plated up with panache and elegance. Check out these dishes;
Pressed lime and celery soup being poured over my mackerel ceviche.
I loved the little linseed crackers that accompanied the mackerel, a lovely sweet contrast to the smooth oily fish. The gazpacho soup also complimented it nicely, it had a real kick to it!
The different textures in this dish really impressed me. The tomato foam and the tomato water snow were both really delicate while the grissini, sundried tomatoes and the celery added a lovely crunchy element. The dish left a really warm taste in my mouth probably thanks to the fact the celery was macerated in vodka.
This was a real comfort food dish! The potato shell was lovely and crispy, totally different to the warm gloopy mixture inside. I can imagine eating this on a cold winters day when the wind is howling!
Perhaps the most tender steak I have ever eaten. it required very little cutting and very little chewing. The accompanying Bearnaise sauce was divine! As nice as the rice that came with it was I could have done without it, this dish was all about the steak!
This was my dining companion C's favorite dish, lamb two ways with a whiskey sauce. On the left is lamb smoked with with Connemara peat and on the right a sort of pulled lamb coated with malt crumb.
For me the presentation here is a little off. Nothing wrong with the flavor though! The strawberry jelly sits on top of some basil mousse. These two flavor combinations alone are delicious but then you add in the dark chocolate and it becomes decadent but most importantly still light. There has to be a better way to display the chocolate though?
The meal went off without a hitch despite the cascading rain. No doubt Cuán Greene and Harry Colley are now old hands at this popup scene, they founded Dublin Pop Up in November 2013, but if they can serve this quality food up to 40 or 50 people all at once imagine what they could do in restaurant situation, what other gems have they hidden up their sleeves? I can only imagine what that menu would read like!
This really begs the question though, why are some restaurants not as good as this?
