Angelina’s is a new restaurant from Press Up, a leisure and hospitality group owned by Patrick McKillen, Jr. Their stable of businesses include The Dean, The Clarence, Wagamama, Captain Americas, Vintage Cocktail Club, The Workman’s, Tower Records and Ireland’s Muji franchise. Within their 20 businesses, they employ over 1,200 people in Ireland, and appeared to thrive throughout the recession.
Their businesses share a style that could be described as ‘modern chic meets creative vintage’ courtesy of their design partners O’Donnell O’Neill Design (ODON), and they tend to arrive fully formed. ‘Today’s consumers are hugely informed and have a keen ability to cut through pitches and gimmicks,’ says Aileen Galvin, Marketing and Communications Director at Press Up. ‘When launching a restaurant product, you get one shot. If you aren’t confident about what you are and what your food and service ethos is, you’re on the back foot before you even dish up the first plate.’
We’re seated at one of the booths by the window at Angelina’s, looking out onto the canal-side terrace. The space is a completely new build, designed by ODOS Architects in Dublin, with interior design by long-time partners ODON. Previously, the site was a coal merchant’s yard and Angelina’s is just the first phase of the site’s redevelopment, with luxury apartments on the way.
The food is Italian and Head Chef Ryan Bell is aiming to highlight the simple ingredients of Italy, in an informal style that is executed well in our starters. Blobs of burrata cheese arrive on crunchy toast, speckled with a piquant red pepper romesco salsa (€10). The grilled octopus salad (€12) turns out to be the stand out dish of the evening. The octopus is cooked in a three-hour confit and then rolled in chilli rub before it hits the grill, making it incredibly tender. Black aioli provides pleasing grey circles on the plate next to a deconstructed, lightly-sauced potato salad of spring onions, celery leaf, baby potatoes and basil oil.
Less successful is my orecchiette with fennel pork swiss chard, parmesan and fennel pollen (€13.50). Though the generosity is appreciated, the portion is too large and an over-salted sauce is so meaty in flavour that the fennel is lost. Roasted hake with ’nduja sausage, black olive and fried black kale (€24) is part of the mains section, where the prices take a jump on the pizzas and pasta dishes. It’s a good plate of well-cooked fish but the price feels a little steep and out of step with the simple Italian fare.
Desserts make an impressive appearance, with an iced coconut parfait accompanied by sheets of glassy, sharp toffee shards speckled with almonds, and hot chocolate sauce served in a tiny copper pot on the side (€7.95). It’s perfect. The vanilla honeycomb sundae (€7.95) with toasted pecans and salted caramel sauce is the kind of sundae children dream of being allowed to eat; huge, sticky and sweet.
This meal was an exercise in excellent service. We’re extremely well looked after from the minute we walk through the door. The cocktail menu is long, and their The Best Damn Sazerac in Ireland (€ 11) is pretty damn good. Non-drinkers are considerately catered for with a choice of four cocktails, each priced at €6. I particularly enjoy the CCM, a cucumber syrup, lime and mint drink spiked with a dash of chilli bitters. Our total bill, which included peppery Parmesan Italian Fries (€3.95) two large sparkling waters and a glass of the house Sauvignon Blanc (€6.80) was €119.15.
Angelina’s is a crowd pleaser. There are large booths in the centre of the room, perfect for groups of family and friends, and the menu caters for plenty of different tastes. Though their spaces may lack the bespoke quirks and unique features of a smaller business, Press Up are really good at creating places that people want to be in.
Angelina’s
55 Percy Place, Dublin 4
01-6602262
www.angelinas.ie
Words: Aoife McElwain
Photos: Mark Duggan
