Roll up to Rosso

A favourite of Louth locals, Rosso has a good, reasonably priced fixed menu and an adventurous a la carte

DUNDALK. NOT THEfirst destination that springs to mind for great gastronomy, but at Rosso, you'll find a restaurant with a new chef and a recently acquired Michelin Bib Gourmand – a gong awarded to restaurants that provide "good cooking at moderate prices". The Bib is becoming more sought-after than the coveted stars these days, as it's a good indicator that diners will receive good, fiscally responsible fare, while proprietors relish its potential to attract a loyal tribe of customers. Award-winning chef Conor Mee was in the kitchen the last time we ate here; he now has his own restaurant in Carrickmacross which we hope to visit soon. Meanwhile, Danielle Barry is holding court at Rosso. She's a young chef who is racing up the league tables, having won awards as a junior chef as recently as 2008. We settled into plush chairs with a view of a smaller front room, where fellow diners seemed to be enjoying good repartee with friendly staff. In order to get a good sense of Barry's cooking, we opted for both menus – the set three-course menu for me, at €25.50; the a la carte for my trusty companion. To start, roast sea scallops with chorizo sausage, sweetcorn and basil purée, with a chorizo foam from the a la carte (€9.50). I had risotto of smoked haddock with poached egg and chives. The chives were missing, but, wow, this was one of the best starters I have had in a long time: technical perfection from poached egg to risotto, it was a dish of perfectly balanced flavours. Velvety and comforting, it was devoured with gusto, and it made me very happy indeed. Impressive scallops, too, although temperature-wise, they could have been hotter.

Next, I had braised lamb and caramelised onion pie made somewhat heavy by puy lentils and root vegetables. Very filling. My friend had the better main course: Gressingham duck with wilted Asian greens, cashew nuts, very, very good wontons and a Thai-scented broth, which added flavour without being overpowering. No offence to Gressingham, but surely a duck from up around these parts could have been found wanting.

To drink, we needed something versatile, so we chose the friendly Grüner Veltliner 2007 (€32), a great food wine. The wine list alone is worth another visit as it has a number of well-priced, hand-picked curiosities. Nothing run-of-the-mill.

For dessert I chose warm rice pudding with marmalade and praline ice-cream, an odd choice, I know, I know – I went from a rice starter, to a heavy pie, to a heavy rice dessert. However, our combined appetites gave us a good picture of the work going on in the kitchen. The rice pudding and the praline ice cream were good, but I thought the marmalade was a tad too bitter a foil for the sweetness of the other ingredients. Once again my companion fared better, and found the chocolate fondant perfectly hot and gooey inside with a slight crispness to its dark exterior.

Rosso is doing what many more restaurants should be doing: providing interesting food on a well-priced set menu, yet keeping its culinary adventurousness going with a regularly updated a la carte menu. Rosso has earned its Bib Gourmand, and Louthians are lucky to have it.

Dinner for two (one set menu and one a la carte) with a bottle of wine, water and coffees came to €107.10.

• Rosso, 5 Roden Place, Dundalk, Co Louth, tel: 042-9356502; rossorestaurant.com