SINCE Caviston's Food Emporium opened for lunch last July, locals have got used to seeing the daily lunchtime queue of people waiting patiently to dine at one of this small restaurant's seven tables. On the warm, sunny days of Indian summer, another three or four more tables have been set beneath the canopy on the footpath and these have been the most coveted of all.
Serving a seafood only menu, it's no exaggeration to say that Caviston's has quickly made a reputation as the gastronomic sensation of the Dun Laoghaire/Sandycove area. And with good reason. Proprietor Stephen Caviston has always been mad about fish. All kinds of fish. Shoppers at his fish counter have always been as likely to come away with a Mediterranean style recipe as with a bag full of crab claws or fresh tuna.
And long before it was fashionable, Stephen was advising his customers to gently steam their prawns with olive oil, garlic parsley and a dash of white wine and then to serve them whole at the table to let their guests mess about. Through his enthusiasm, even the less adventurous have been nudged towards the delights of scallops and squid.
After fantasising aloud to his customers for years, Stephen has finally put his money where his mouth is and started serving the dishes which he has recommended for so long. With chef Noel Cusack, formerly of Kafe Klara and Lockes he has created a menu which celebrates fresh fish in all its variety and caught off Ireland's shores from Castletownbere to Burtonport.
The day we dined there, we couldn't resist having two starters each. The choice was just too tantalising. The Sauted Squid in Olive Oil, Parsley and Garlic (£2.95) was just as squid should be slightly crispy and browned from the pan juices on the outside, and deliciously chewy on the inside and reeking of garlic. The Baked Oysters with a Coriander and Pine Nut Topping (£3.95) were three little gems on a dish, tender yet nicely toasted.
My friend, an Italian and a fabulous cook himself, raved about the Fresh Crab Claws cracked in their shells and tossed in garlic butter (£3.95), which had been chargrilled for precisely the correct time and were thus juicy and tender instead of that mush that happens when crab claws are overcooked. He was also impressed (as was I) by the huge plate of Fresh Whole Prawns a la Plancha (£3.95), again chargrilled and saucy and drenched in olive oil, herbs and garlic.
My main course of chargrilled Tuna With Apple And Ginger Sauce was divine, the tuna tender within and crispy without. Tuna can be dry (especially if overcooked) and is an oily fish. The applesauce accompaniment - increasingly popular with tuna - counteracted this very subtly, bringing out the sweetness of the fish.
But the star main course was my companion's Fillet of Monkfish with Olive Oil with Roasted Red Pepper (£7.95) which was cooked as perfectly as ever he had experienced: crispy and spicy on the outside and succulent on the inside. All the main dishes come with delicious fresh green salad and simple boiled potatoes.
Our wine was a Saint Veran 1994 (£15), a buttery yet crisp white wine which was perfect for lunch.
I am loathe to mention the desserts because they were both disappointing. The Home made Rhubarb Tart (£1.95) had a soggy, doughy crust and the Fresh Fruit Tartlet (£1.95) had a few nice raspberries perched on a bland creme anglais base within an inferior pastry case. The meal, without coffee and without service (which is discretional), came to £49, not cheap but not bad either considering the quality of the food and the fact that we had four starters between us.