Out To Dinner: A Seafood Delight At Benners Gastro Pub

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Gastro Pub @ Benners Hotel

Castle Street

Tidy Benners 1AS much as the curmudgeon in me complains about the Hallmark-promoted racket that is Father’s Day, I confess that I really enjoyed it this year.

I resolved to take the afternoon off work and my better half declared we were going to a restaurant in the early evening for a meal. So I headed of to the pub watch the GAA, ‘work’ up an appetite and decide where to eat.

Now while I’ve eaten in the cafe part of Benners Hotel, I had yet to sample the food in the Gastropub, so I decided we’d go there at around 6.30pm that evening.

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There was nice crowd of people enjoying meals in all parts of the pub, but we went to the quietest part in the back, which is bright and welcoming space, with a smattering of diners, mostly couples in their 40s and 50s.

The staff were really nice and made our little girl welcome (having returned from a holiday in Portugal recently, we were again bowled over by how the staff in all types of restaurants there make children so welcome, something some places in Ireland could take note of.)

The menu is really impressive with a varied selection of starters, mains and speciality sandwiches.

Unwisely – considering what I ordered for mains – I chose the seafood chowder for starters, described as ‘Seafood & Shellfish Bound in a White Wine Sauce Velente, Topped with Soft Herbs, Served with Homemade Brown Bread’ (€5.95).

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I decided to forgo the steak, duck, pork belly and other delicious-sounding mains to go for the hot and cold seafood platter. This consisted of ‘Smoked Salmon & Crab Parcels, Moules Marinière, Basmati Rice, Grilled Market Fish of the Day, Prawns Piri Piri, Beer Battered  White Fish, Shrimp & Marie Rose Sauce’ (€25.95).

My wife ordered the Sian Style Asian Duck Spring Roll which was Confit Duck Leg & Asian Greens in a Wonton Pastry, Sesame & Soy Dressing (€8.95) followed by the Chicken Focaccia – ‘Grilled Marinated Chicken Breast with Smoked Bacon, St.Killian’s Brie, Guacamole, Baby Leaf Salad & French Fries’ (€14.50).

The little one had her usual plain penne pasta with parmesan cheese (“on the side”).

We were all happy with our choices. The spring rolls and focaccia were declared delicious and the pasta “lovely”. For my part, the chowder was thick, perfectly seasoned, plenty fish and very tasty.

It was also slightly filling – even without the bread – so when the mains arrived I gulped at the prospect ahead.

There’s a lot of fish on that platter and it was all good. The smoked salmon and crab was gorgeous as was the prawns piri piri. Even though I’m not a fan of batter, the fish it enveloped was excellent. I struggled to finish it, but in a extremely lightweight case of Man Vs Food, I was victorious.

There was no room for dessert, so we went home full and happy. A really good way to spend Father’s Day. I must do it again next year.

4/5

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