The idea of the gastro pub always interested me and I really enjoy going to them. However gastro pubs in Ireland are a rare breed. Some are called gastro pubs but are essentially pubs serving reasonably edible food. The Exchequer on the other hand, is for me, a genuine gastro pub that serves delectable drinks and above all, knows its food.
Last Tuesday evening, I made my way into town, to sample their latest summer menu. I was joined by Aoife from I Can Has Cook?, Malachy from An Erudite Sybarite, Paul from The Dubliner and David from Kitchen 72. We were all relative strangers to each other; however, we soon got to know each other better through chatting about food and wine.
The evening started off very pleasantly with some cocktails expertly blended by our friendly mixologist Darren Geraghty. Darren seems to spend his entire life dreaming up dreamy cocktail ideas and I was taken with his passion and enthusiasm. He produced four of their newest cocktails – Cucumber and Mint Daquiri, Irish Legend, Pear Punch and Farmhouse Gin Punch. I only sampled one, as it was only Tuesday:-) However, the Pear Punch, definitely left an impression. Zingy and delicious, it’s a cocktail that I will be back for.
Having been seated by owner Peter Rock, we settled in for a night of serious eating. The arrival of our aperitif in a large China tea pot with cups and saucers for each, did bring a few childish smiles to our faces. Hendrick’s High Tea is almost a postmodern take on the gin and tonic. The cold tea is a fusion of gin, cucumber juice and black pepper. It tastes so light and refreshing and certainly piqued my appetite.
The starter was a sharing affair, on a large wooden platter. It comprised of foie gras and duck liver parfait with spiced apple chutney, beignet of goats cheese with beetroot and raspberry purée, and calamari with a citrus salad. I sampled all but the foie gras, as you know by now; I am one of those pesky-tarians! I have to admit I am a little of bored of goats cheese starters, however the beetroot and raspberry puree did bring a tasty tart dimension and I did pluck for seconds. The goat cheese was served with a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand which perfectly balanced this tasty little dish. The calamari was exceptional. These crispy delicious tentacles’ were so sweet and tender and just as calamari should be. The citrus segments paired well with the crispy fish, and I would have happily eaten this dish all night.
For mains I went with the whole Irish baked sea bass with rocket salad, oven dried tomatoes, black olives and matchstick chips. What I loved about this dish is that it was so simple. The sea bass was Irish and dancing fresh and the salad was crisp and peppery. The matchstick chips were highly addictive. My only complaint is that I needed another person to help me polish it all off. This dish serves two but I bravely soldiered on and enjoyed every morsel of it. My main dish was accompanied by a Riesling from Eden Valley in South Australia which was fruity and light and a fantastic match for the fish.
Desert was shared among us all and included warm lemon polenta cake, the Exchequer jelly & ice cream, white chocolate cheesecake and chocolate tart with raspberry sorbet. There was so much to choose from; however the white chocolate mousse was the winner for me. Light, creamy and not too sweet.
Since opening in 2009, the Exchequer has become a popular haunt. Good service, a buzzy atmosphere, terrific drinks menu and food that impresses. It’s a great gastro pub that’s well worth a visit.
