Sometimes I feel like Dalkey is a kind of residential zoo. Once I’m off the DART and wandering through its meandering lanes, I can’t help but gawp in at people’s properties. I’ll walk around peppering the clear Dalkey air with catcalls like “Cor, look at those hydrangeas” or “That’s my dream house!” and, most often, “Is that where Chris de Burgh lives?” I would jump garden gates and peer against living room windows if I thought I’d get away with it.
I was hungry after a recent property perve in this seaside suburb, so we stopped for dinner at The Mermaid in Dalkey village, which was in its opening fortnight.
The Mermaid is the newest venture of restaurateur Rachel Clancy who has years of experience in the trade having set up Brasserie Sixty6 in the city centre and The Magpie Inn in Dalkey. “I’ve always loved the name The Mermaid. Everyone loved the restaurant in town and no one had taken the name so I thought I’d bring it to Dalkey.”
This is a busy year for Clancy as The Mermaid is one of two restaurant openings for her this year, with Farm Hill Restaurant coming to Clonskeagh soon. The Mermaid is her coastal business so naturally there’s seafood on the menu. And plenty of it. “We go the extra mile to give our customers a great selection. We try to keep it simple while using the best of raw ingredients.” Clancy has worked with Head Chef Hadi Fahes and is proud of the Lebanese influence he brings to The Mermaid’s kitchen.
There’s a subtle and tasteful nautical theme throughout the space, with conch-filled wallpaper that is Instagrammed instantly by my seashell loving dinner chum. Thick sailor’s ropes swirl around large glass vases that house thick candles, sitting atop wooden tables with simple linen napkins and pretty wine goblets. The wine list offers a great choice of organic and biodynamic wines while the beer list reads like a who’s who of Irish craft brewing. The Galway Hooker Irish Stout is on tap and it hits the spot.
Our starters set our meal on a promising course. My crayfish and crab cakes (€10) are fat and juicy, allowing those great core ingredients to really strut their stuff. A plate of Tiger Prawns (€10) are deeply tasty, capturing that garlic-fuelled finger-licking level of crustacean cooking. A superfood salad (€9) shows us it’s not all about seafood at The Mermaid and that kale, toasted macadamia nuts and dried cranberries are on Ariel’s menu too.
We order from the list of grilled whole fish made up of the best of what’s available that day. My rainbow trout (€17) is on the edge of being overcooked and, though its accompanying vegetables have been fabulously treated by the kitchen, I could have done with less butter on the plate. The grilled sea bream (€18) is a dream, though I would take umbrage with the butter application here, too. An option to add some seafood to the nicely al dente vegetarian pea risotto (€17) would be welcome and a bucket of rustic chips (€7) for the table hits the spot for all of us.
The Mermaid’s lighter take on bread and butter pudding (€6) is a neat little cube of comfort. We’ve been encouraged to order the chocolate dessert which is basically chocolate with chocolate and chocolate (€8). Obviously, it’s amazing. It’s designed for two people to share or one chocaholic to devour. A wooden board arrives with a dollop of deeply creamy salted caramel ice-cream, a little jug of chocolate milkshake (with two straws), shortbread chocolate biscuits and a pot of chocolate mousse that is both velvety and airy.
My Coconut Anglaise and Raspberry tartlet (€6) gets lost along the way and arrives when the last mouthful of the others’ are disappearing. When it’s delivered, we not only get apologies but it’s also stricken off the bill. Though the tart base is a biscuit textured delight, there is only a whisper of coconut to the Anglaise which is too thin in texture for me. This does not deter me, however, from polishing it off.
These teething problems were handled expertly by manager Rachel Clancy and her team. The level of experience here is clear so once they have ironed out those first fortnight jitters, it will no doubt be plain sailing from there.
Our total bill, which included glasses of wine, a craft beer and pink lemonade plus coffees and water for three people came to €129.30.
The Mermaid
111 Coliemore Road
Dalkey
Co. Dublin
01-2849262
T: @MermaidDalkey
w: www.themermaiddalkey.com
fb.com/themermaiddalkey
Words: Aoife McElwain
