There is always a number that a restaurant needs to survive. And I get that. Sometimes it is spelt out, on an a la carte menu, as a minimum order of three courses per person, including one main course. That main course bit feels just a little bit prescriptive. Perhaps you want a selection of small plates and a main to share, because, yes, some people do like sharing.
You’re silently screaming, (well maybe it’s just me), “what is that number?”, because I’d happily pay it. Could we please just meet in the middle? And allow me to make that choice, maybe bringing the balance up with a slightly more expensive bottle of wine, instead of an enforced food ordering protocol? We’d both be happier. The restaurant would have a higher margin on a wine order, and me, well, I’d get to eat how I like to. It is a night out, after all.
At Yves, the weekend pop-up in Brother Hubbard in Ranelagh in Dublin, Garrett Fitzgerald (the co-owner) has clearly read the room and worked his way through a few “maybe” scenarios. By day, it’s what we all know and love about Brother Hubbard, with excellent breakfast, brunch and lunch. In the evening, from Thursday to Saturday, two French chefs, Thibaud Boulant and David Gorgeart, who worked together at the two-Michelin-star restaurant at Le K2 Palace in Courchevel, serve a reasonably priced a la carte menu of small and larger sharing plates. There is also a €37.50 feasting menu. That’s not the price of a main course, that’s for five courses with bread and sides.
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There’s a wine and cocktail menu too, but if you want to pick up a bottle in Redmond’s next door, corkage is just €10. If you prefer, you can bring a bottle from your cellar, because we’ve all got cellars these days, perhaps that Burgundy that is just ready for drinking.
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Larger parties, it would appear, are at tables just inside the door (very wise, I’ve been on that table), with tables for two and four seated towards the back of the room, near the semi-open kitchen. It’s all very comfortable with a mix of high stools and banquettes.
Snacks are called morsels here, reflected by an affordable price. Harking back to my holiday in Nice last year, I order the panisse (€5), six beautiful rectangles of soft, warm chickpea loveliness with dill aioli. Do not miss this, it is such a wonderful way to start a meal. And there are gildas, very reasonably priced at €5 for two, and although they seem to be everywhere these days, it doesn’t take away from the fact that they are a most beautiful hit of heat, earth and salinity from the sea in one glorious bite. You have to order these too.
Gravadlax (€17.50), which has been marinated in beetroot and just a touch of caper oil is quite mild. It’s a generous portion, and quite remarkably, it is not at fridge temperature, so there’s a bit of nuance bolstered by strips of lemon zest and a splash of gin.
A hot dish of vegetarian rillette (€14.50) is delicious; the baked leeks have collapsed into Cashel Blue and Cais na Tire cheese. Think about that for a minute; it’s a dish I could eat on repeat. Homemade bread is on hand to mop up every delicious drop and there’s also a dish of parsnip remoulade.
For our shared main course, we go for pot au feu, (€23.50), an intrinsically French dish, particularly in winter. It is perhaps the French equivalent of Irish stew (which I rate very highly). This is a generous dish, filled with beef, carrots and crunchy cabbage. It is good, in that wonderful rustic way I love so much, but perhaps it is not quite up to the standard of L’Atmosphere, a restaurant in Waterford which is now closed and I still miss.
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For dessert, we share a pain d’epice (€8.50), which is considerably more complex than I would have expected with warm sponge, orange jelly, meringue, caramelised orange and a jug of custard.
Not only is Yves a bit of a bargain, it is also a really lovely place to eat. The dishes are tasty, cooked with care and the produce used is top quality. It’s an interesting menu that will suit just about every taste, with notably good vegetarian options. It is exactly what you want in a neighbourhood restaurant.
Dinner for two with a January discount of 20 per cent and corkage was €69.20.
The Verdict:
Incredible value for delicious food and I love the BYOB policy
Music
Barely discernible
Food provenance
Sustainable seafood, free-range chicken and meat from Quigleys Butchers, The Wooded Pig charcuterie
Vegetarian options
Panisses, leeks in Cashel Blue, salads, and socca (chickpea flatbread). Can be adapted for vegans
Wheelchair access
Fully accessible with an accessible toilet
