This is modern Irish cooking; a new type of fine dining that is bang on the money in terms of what consumers are after, given the weight of those extra few euros in their pockets.
I absolutely love the room in Locks and would go as far as saying it is the best in the capital as a space.
Light comes pouring in from everywhere and if you’re lucky enough to get a window seat you’ll have a gorgeous view of the canal, swans, joggers and dog walkers. It feels like you’ve escaped the city into a countryside oasis, despite the fact that on 30 yards away on the other side of the canal lies one of the worst traffic spots in Dublin.
We started with a couple of oysters as a little “surprise” course. Big, plump, juicy and served with shallot vinaigrette they were the perfect little treat to start a lunch with.
As our starters arrived I started to understand the level this restaurant was pitching itself at. You can tell just by looking at a plate of food what they are aiming for and this is the very top-end – not in terms of price but in terms of the quality and precision of the cooking.
The fish cakes were incredibly fresh while my chicken terrine was a delight – but what really took my breath away was the crispy chicken skin, which was about 100 times tastier than normal thanks to it’s slow caramelisation. Real lip-licking stuff.