Unfailing politeness would pay dividends at the Clarence, which is reinventing itself and has a new credit-crunch menu.
TWO THINGS GOT up my nose about the Tea Room. One was an attitude problem on the part of one of the staff, the other was the pungent aroma of my crab starter.
Dealing with the public is, doubtless, never an unalloyed joy. I take my hat off to the vast majority of people who manage to do it cheerfully.
As things stand in the restaurant business, customers are desperately needed. They need to be encouraged, nurtured. And they should never feel that they are under some kind of obligation.
When the three of us asked for some more of the Tea Room’s tasty vegetable crisps which had appeared as we scanned the menu, the reply was: “I’ll ask the chef.” The correct answer, for the times in which we live, and in a restaurant that was virtually empty, is “certainly”. But can it be that the chef is in charge of the dispensing of nibbles? If so, it might explain my starter and my main course.
Coming back to the service. There is the matter of knowing what to do when a customer’s credit card doesn’t work at the first attempt. You don’t barge in and interrupt a conversation by saying: “Your card doesn’t work.” You try it again and, lo and behold, as happened on this occasion, it succeeds.
So much for the basics of service (and our other waiter, I should stress, was both charming and utterly professional).
What of the menu? Well, when you offer a special deal, in this instance the Market Menu at €24 for two courses at dinner, it’s unfortunate if the crab mayonnaise with asparagus mousse smells as if it has been hanging round for too long. There is a huge difference between the sweet aroma of fresh crab and the intense fishiness with which this dish was scenting the evening air. Had it not been served at a temperature approaching tepid, it might have smelt marginally less unattractive.
On the other hand, the starters from the à la carte menu were fine. There was a vast serving of miniature duck spring rolls, each packed with rather luscious confit, served with two kinds of oriental dipping sauce, and Dublin Bay prawns in filo pastry (yes, I know, rarely a great idea) with apple and mango remoulade, no less (which cost €9 and €12 each respectively).
Tepidity continued to be the leitmotifof the Market Menu. My "roasted breast of duck" was flabby and distinctly cool.
However, the spring roll eater’s experience was much more positive. Corn-fed chicken breast and “home-made” black pasta (€19) was very pleasant and decent value. Rump of lamb with a rather apologetic ras-al-hanout spice mix would have been fine had the meat not put up such a struggle against being cut. It was €22 and close to being too tough for comfort.
The Tea Room’s à la carte menu is not extravagantly priced. Starters cost around €10, mains around €20 and desserts average €10. There seems to be some attempt at realism which, as usual these days, does not extend to the wine list.
Quote of the evening: “Yes”, in response to the question “Are these French beans local?” What really took the biscuit? Having to ask for new glasses as we moved from white to red wine. The price for three people, with two bottles of wine, was €159.95.
The Smart Money
Prices on the à la carte menu are quite reasonable. That corn-fed chicken and black pasta, with a glass of wine, would come to €25 before service. tdoorley@irishtimes.com. Read Megabites, Tom Doorley's new blog on all things foodie, at www.irishtimes.com/blogs/megabites
Wine Choice
This short and slightly patchy list kicks off at €26.50 for a South African red and climbs steeply. Our Esperanza Verdejo (€29) was crisp and fresh and our L’Hortus Côteaux du Languedoc (€34) as dependable as ever. Ravenswood Zinfandel (€29) is a fruity mouthful, Meyer-Fonné Pinot Blanc (€32) is a ripe white, Torres Cordillera (€46.50) is sumptuous and intense; Domaine Emilian Gillet Viré-Clessé 2003 is a brawny, but lovely, white Burgundy, and Sandrone Nebbiolo d’Alba (€80) is better than many a Barolo.