Lucinda O’Sullivan’s restaurant review: From Kelly’s in Rosslare to La Côte in Wexford, the Sunny South East is simply superb
Skipping the ordeal of international travel, our critic found plenty of seafood and tasty treats as she travelled the highways and byways of Co Wexford
Whether it was walking the glorious beach at Rosslare Strand, tucking into an enormous seafood platter in Kilmore Quay, or revisiting a longstanding restaurant under new management, I couldn’t help feeling slightly smug that I’d chosen a break in the Sunny South East rather than having to endure the nightmare queues I was seeing reported at Dublin Airport — with the added ‘fun’ of lost luggage, not to mention all of the cancelled return flights. Indeed, over the same few days, this sort of disaster happened to a good friend of mine, whom I was supposed to meet in Waterford for dinner at Stephen McArdle and Morgan Vanderkamer’s new Union Wine Bar & Kitchen on The Mall.
He’d gone to Switzerland for a business meeting but his return flight was cancelled at the last minute. Having secured another flight the next day from Lyon, some 300km away, he took the train south. Murphy’s Law kicked in, however, and the train broke down. The weary traveller eventually got home but we missed our dinner date.
Kelly's Hotel in Rosslare, Co Wexford. Picture by Ger Lawlor.
Kelly’s Resort Hotel & Spa
Meanwhile, I was with myfriend Rena, staying in the fabulous Kelly’s Resort Hotel & Spa at Rosslare Strand in Wexford, which never ceases to amaze me.
There’s so much to do and see within the confines of the resort itself for all ages from morning to evening, be it taking in the glorious art collection, with works including William Crozier and Maurice MacGonigal; visiting the Kitchen Garden; or its amazing Sea Spa, and the Aqua Club. There are constant activities, including a band and dancing every evening in the residents-only Ivy Room. The Kelly family’s latest addition is The Sea Rooms, a chic, standalone, split-level restaurant nestled in the lush, beachside sub-tropical gardens. With Beaches and La Marine Bistro, it brings the dining options to three. The ground-floor restaurant has a casual dining vibe with access to the lower west-facing terrace and games area, while the lower terrace also has an outdoor kitchen, perfect for summer months and al fresco dining. Upstairs will be a more formal dining option with the lounge area taking in the spectacular sea views and the gardens.
At Beaches restaurant, we had starters of superb baked Rosslare crab claws in chilli & lime, and a salad of Kelly’s garden beetroot with Meadowfield’s goat’s cheese with hazelnut & balsamic. We followed with mains of superb chargrilled loin of yellow-fin tuna with cucumber, red onion & mango salsa with an oriental dressing; as well as pan-fried prawns set on a feuillette puff-pastry basket, with creamed spinach and a classic creamy white wine sauce Dugléré.
Kelly’s import their own wines so offer great value — you can also buy wines to take home. We enjoyed a terrific rich, floral biodynamic Domaine Trapet Alsace Schoenenbourg Riesling Grand Cru 2015 (€52).
Many years ago, I said that Kelly’s was “a jewel in the crown of Irish tourism” — and this is still true!
Oysters, fruits of the forest vinegar and shallot reduction at Wild & Native, Rosslare. Picture by @wildandnativeseafoodrestaurant Instagram.
The Little Beach Cafe
After a great breakfast thenext morning, we set off on the narrow roads of south Wexford on our way to Kilmore Quay. We were mesmerised by the number of beautiful thatched cottages en route, not to mention in the village itself.
Having surveyed the boats in the harbour going about their daily business, we drove up to the moving and stark Memorial Trail & Garden on the cliffs at Crossfarnogue, on the edge of the village, which beautifully reflects, in a maritime manner, the experience of loss and the journey to recovery. The Vigil Sculpture by Ciaran O’Brien, of two grieving figures supporting one another, looking out to sea, to the Saltee Islands, marks the beginning of the trail.
Coming back down, in front of the big seafood plant, we spotted The Little Beach Cafe, formerly The Crazy Crab. Now boasting an outside space, and dog-friendly both inside and out, it serves breakfast from 9am to noon with the full Irish or a veggie breakfast at €10, plus breakfast sandwiches, pancake stacks and ice-cream sundaes. There’s still plenty of seafood, including calamari and tartare sauce (€9), right through to scampi (€15), sharing fish boxes for two (€26) and fish platters for two (€40). There’s also a ‘Burger Zone’ selection (€12/€13) and 12-inch pizzas (€11.50/€13). Look out, too, for Kate’s coffee truck nearby, which has a cute little seating area.
Mary Barry’s Seafood Bar & Restaurant
We headed for lunch to Mary Barry’s Seafood Bar & Restaurant, which you can’t miss on the way into the village as it’s bedecked in colourful flowers. It was hopping when we stepped in, with a mixture of locals enjoying their usual favourites, plus some ladies in their best dresses, and men in the once-a-year suit, as there were a couple of events on.
We got a comfortable table in front of the bar and surveyed both a page of ‘Nicky’s Specials’ and another full range of starters, which can also be had as mains; plus seafood, chicken, meat, vegan, vegetarian, stir-fry & curry dishes. “Are these all available at lunchtime?” I asked, and was assured that they were. “Nicky [Cullen, head chef] likes to give a good selection.”
Local seafood is the specialty here, with dishes including Tuskar crab cocktail or ‘Retro’ prawn cocktail, along with chorizo pan-fried prawns; pan-fried Kilmore Quay scallops with black pudding & apple sauce; Kilmore Quay fresh scampi with chips; goujons of monkfish, or if you want an Asian or Italian influence, there was a Thai yellow prawn & monkfish curry; crab and prawn linguine, as well as seafood platters (€29.95) or a half lobster, half crab salad (€34.95).
Rena had a special of the day, Duncannon smoked haddock & prawn gratin (€10.95). It was excellent value and delicious, with a generous helping served in an attractive blue bowl with a bread roll to the side.
I had the Tuskar crab cocktail inthe main-course size (€14.95/€24.95) and it was a whopper, sporting a sizeable amount of delicious fresh crab meat, plus two huge crab claws, potato salad, a hard-boiled egg, with one-half topped with a blob of Marie Rose sauce, a variety of greenery, cherry tomatoes, red onions, julienned carrot, micro herbs, lemon sections and a big dish of fresh crispy fries. That says it all — what more can I add!
Our bill here with a glass of Chardonnay (€6.95) for Rena, water for me (€3.50), and service came to €53.
See marybarrys.ie.
Dock Boutique Hotel
The next day, we popped over to Rosslare Harbour to scope out the newly opened Dock Boutique Hotel in the former Harbour View Hotel. It has had a super refurbishing job done to its downstairs bar and dining area, where food is served all day. They were doing a brunch menu until 3pm, which included sausage & bacon blaas at €11, plus various pulled pork, garlic & chilli prawns and other bowls at around €12. After 3pm, an a la carte menu comes into play.
Treasure Trove and The Old Mill
Heading next into Wexford for a look at the shops, we drove out the couple of miles to Castlebridge to discover Treasure Trove, set in the three-storey former Malt house, with an enormous range of antiques to explore, and around the corner in The Old Mill, we visited Mairead Stafford pottery, where she produces beautiful ceramics and contemporary art.
It’s a great place for a pitstop as there’s also a food truck doing coffees and delicious cakes with plenty of outdoor seating. In fact, a relaxed-looking book club was in the middle of discussing Elton John’s autobiography while we were there.
The Lobster Pot restaurant in Carne, Co Wexford. Picture by PJ Browne.
The Lobster Pot
Our next port of call was The Lobster Pot at Carne for a spot of lunch. Set in the cutest little ‘olde inn’, The Lobster Pot was an immensely popular spot for nigh on 40 years under the baton of Ciaran and Anne Hearne. It had a certain cachet as it was where the visiting Wexford Opera set once went, including Tony O’Reilly and Chryss Goulandris with their entourage. Mere mortals like myself and the family often enjoyed big shellfish platters outside.
It has now passed into the hands of Nicola and Josef Zammit, an experienced couple in high-end dining, who also have TwoCooks Café restaurant and wine bar, overlooking the Grand Canal at Sallins, Co Kildare. Nicola has also worked at The Ledbury and Josef at Tom Aikens, in London. The delightful long-standing staff were still there to usher us into a picture-perfect back room and the lunch menu had a nice selection of starters & bar snacks (€3-€18), including seafood chowder; prawn cocktail; mussels; wings; and oysters. Mains (€18-€21) included classic fish & chips of haddock, skinny fries and mushy peas; beef burger on brioche; seafood mornay and linguine marinara, plus a seafood platter for two (€50).
I had the squid (€12.50), which, unfortunately, was a bit of a disaster. It was presented as a half-dozen two-inch pieces, centred with a roll of pickled cucumber ribbons, on a base of mild wasabi. I found it very difficult to chew. I tried cutting the chunks in half to find what looked like a ‘rubber band’ holding it together. Holding it aloft, both ends of the squid swung stubbornly. I mentioned it to the nice lady looking after us and, after some delay, Nicola arrived to the table saying “we don’t normally remove the membrane”, which took me aback somewhat.
I wasn’t offered another dish — but it was removed from the bill — so I ploughed on through the side of Parmesan & truffle fries (€6) with water (€5), as Rena enjoyed her bowl of linguine vongole and glass of Albariño (€8.50). Thank God for chips, I often say.
See lobsterpotwexford.com.
Aldridge Lodge
There’s something specialabout having the wind in your face in south Wexford and there are lots of wonderful places to stay and eat, including Billy Whitty and Joanne Harding’s wonderful Aldridge Lodge, which is set on six acres on the outskirts of Duncannon village. Going strong since 2005, with a Michelin Bib, two AA Rosettes, and a superb dinner at just €40, it’s always heavily booked in advance, but it’s worth the wait — or you might be lucky enough to get a cancellation. By the way, Billy’s dad is a local fisherman, so if you like lobster...
See aldridgelodge.com.
Wild & Native
Also great for seafood in Rosslare is Fergal and Jodie Dempsey’s Wild & Native in Rosslare. They have just added a new Piano Room in which to enjoy pre- and post-dinner drinks and small plates of charcuterie, cheese, wings and mussels.
See wildandnative.ie.
La Côte Seafood Restaurant
In Wexford town, on the Quay overlooking Wexford’s famous mussel trawlers, you can enjoy Paul and Edwina Hynes’s terrific seafood at their La Côte Seafood Restaurant, or head across the road by the water’s edge to their brilliant food truck, The Cheeky Cod.
