There are countless streets in Dublin that we don’t know the names of. We give directions by landmarks of pubs, hotels and eateries. Any idea where Balfe Street is? In fairness, this is a harder one to know than most, seeing as it was once known as Pitt Street and has since been renamed in honour of celebrated composer Michael William Balfe, who was born at number 10 Pitt Street.
Balfe’s, the self-described all day dining destination under the Westbury Hotel, takes its name from the street it resides on. At the helm is Head Chef Cathal Dunne, formerly of La Maison and Mulberry Garden. The décor is Paris meets Dublin (there’s something about the dark brown wood of the tables that evokes Bewley’s at its peak), with a menu inspired by New York. My interest is piqued by items like pickled daikon, and the inclusion of some of my favourite Irish producers such as Hicks Butchers, Toonsbridge Dairy and Arún Bakery bread.
My guest and I are charmed by our old-fashioned Castletownbere crab cocktail (€12) with an avocado purée and Granny Smith apple matchsticks, which is suitably served in a martini glass. A plump ball of burrata with toasted sourdough (€14 and there’s plenty for two) is as gloriously creamy as it’s meant to be, but there isn’t enough of the kitchen in this dish, perhaps as they were trying to leave this perfect raw ingredient alone. But there is definitely room for the kitchen to lift this dish further; more complimentary flavours in the accompanying cherry tomato sauce next time, please.
Our waiter enthusiastically recommends the seafood skillet, which arrives full of salmon, cod, langoustines and mussels (€18). He may have built it up a little too much and it fails to leave a big impression. The chunks of salmon and cod are clumsy and over-cooked. But the tidy skillet-based presentation and the addition of a real langoustine, black eyes and all, is welcome. The 10oz rib-eye steak (€24) is also a little flat. The caramelised onions on the side are lethargic rather than softly sweetened, and the flat cap mushrooms can’t carry this steak all on their own. It’s baffling that it should be so ordinary. We were expecting more.
The service throughout is relaxed, informative and friendly. They look after us perfectly, enabling me and my guest to get really stuck in to a heart-warmingly long chat. While scooping the last of our dessert – an oozy chocolate fondant (€7.50) which is the highlight of our meal – I finally look up to have a nose at our neighbouring diners. Everyone in the place seems to be deep in conversation; the special kind that is most often accompanied by food and enabled by those who are serving it.
I only wish the food had lived up to the menu’s promise. It all just needed another push, another layer of taste, to take it from being good to marvellous. It’s a reminder of how deceptively hard it is to make simple food taste remarkable.
It’s disappointing because there’s a great Head Chef in the kitchen who clearly wants to celebrate the best of local ingredients. But something has been lost in translation for our meal. The bill, which includes a glass of Odfjell Armador Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon (€7) comes to €101, thanks to two eye-wateringly expensive 75cl bottles of San Pellegrino at €7 each, reminding us that we are, in fact, eating in a hotel.
It’s a beautiful room managed by a great team and if the food could match that, we really could have that vibrant New York-style hub where the city’s conversations could play out over simple but thrilling food. Balfe’s are open all day, serving brunch, lunch, dinner and cocktails. And if you don’t know where Balfe Street is, just head for The Westbury.
Balfe’s
Balfe Street, Dublin 2
t: 01-6463353
Words: Aoife McElwain
