But now we have Saison.
My elderflower bellini. All the syrups for Saison's cocktails are made inhouse by their chefs.
We started off in the bar area with some cocktails and nibbles. I was loving my petal topped elderflower bellini while we considered the sheer amount of top notch restaurants in Dublin that are located, like Saison, in basements... what's the story with that?
An amuse bouche of prawn in gazpacho
Our appetite was whetted with a Dublin bay prawn in spicy gazpacho. It all but screamed summertime to me. When our starters of mackerel and salt beef arrived we knew for certain that there was something very exciting happening Saison
Seared mackerel with compressed cucumber.
Salt beef with quail egg.
My seared mackerel fillet was ever so succulent and the compressed cucumber, along with more of the tomato gazpacho, continued the theme of summertime. He opted for a tartare salt beef with quails egg. It was decorated ever so lightly with nasturtium leaves which punctuated the lush salt beef with a nice peppery crunch.
Beef with brown onion.
We enjoyed our wine, a very tasty cote du Rhone, while we waited for our mains. His beef and brown onion looked super when it arrived and tasted even better. He usually avoids fondant potatoes as they are invariably crappy but he claimed the one accompanying his short rib and sirloin to be perfect. This dish read really hearty and rustic but sensitive flavourings and a light touch really elevated it.
A tasting of lamb.
Parmesan and truffle mash.
My tasting of Wicklow spring lamb was no less disappointing. I had a juicy piece of fillet along with a little lamb pie but the thing that really stood out for me was the crispy sweetbread fritters. My side dish of buttery creamy mash topped with parmesan and truffle shavings deserves a mention here. It was about as rich and decadent as a potato can get, really beautiful!
Chocolate ganache with cherries.
White chocolate parfait dressed with strawberry soup at the table.
And so on to dessert, as has happened many time with me, when a chef impresses you can't leave after only having half a meal! I wanted to see what other wonders were in store. Himself went for the chocolate ganache with boozy cherries which was splendid while I was pretty happy with my dramatic white chocolate parfait and strawberry soup, though if truth be told, I was more impressed with the accompanying black muscat which was a perfect partner for this light dessert.
Interesting petit fours.
We finished off with some espressos and delightful petit fours. We'd had a truly wonderful evening down in equal parts to the good food and also the wonderful service. We talked briefly to the cheerful staff on the way out about the renovations and changes the restaurant has undergone. I really felt that with their combination of great food and service there's no way Saison won’t be a success. We climbed out of the basement with heavy tummies but light hearts and a promise to ourselves to return.
Saison Restaurant and Bar21 Kildare StreetDublin 2Website01 662 4800
