The Greedy Couple
The Greedy Couple
  • About Us
  • Where We Eat
  • Where We Shop
  • Where We've Been
  • Rantings
  • Quizzes
    • The Great Chefs 1
    • The Great Chefs 2
    • Food Quiz 1
    • Food Quiz 2
    • Food & Wine Quiz 1
    • Food & Wine Quiz 2
    • Wine Quiz 1
    • Wine Quiz 2
    • Wine Quiz 3
    • Wine Quiz 4
    • Wine Quiz (By Leslie Williams)
    • Wine A-Z Terminology Quiz
    • Irish Chefs & Restaurants Quiz 1
    • Irish Chefs & Restaurants Quiz 2
    • Food & Wine Crossword 1
    • Valentines Quiz
  • In The Media
  • San Sebastian Guide
  • Barcelona Guide
  • Contact Us

Food related musings

Forest Avenue, Dublin

14/6/2015

0 Comments

 
It was over a year since our last visit to Dublin's Forest Avenue. The previous visit started with so much promise, with some fun snacks and an excellent first starter, but was quickly let down by a string of poorly executed dishes and a rather dull dessert. But the restaurant showed potential and there was something quite likeable about it. So when we returned recently we hoped to see an improvement. We did.

The four course tasting menu started with two excellent servings. A well balanced tartare of beef skirt with walnut, lovage and pickles was pleasing and elegantly presented. The other starter was the best dish of the meal. Moist chicken with celeriac, wild garlic and cabbage was served in a warming and very moreish morel veloute. Morels are in season now, but the celeriac and black garlic gave the dish a slight autumnal/winter feel to it, which fit the terrible early summer weather that Dublin was experiencing that day, but this dish may not suit warmer weather.

The mains were a huge improvement on our last visit. A dish of tender lamb was served with asparagus, wild garlic, gnocchi, Caesar salad and a shallot. Everything was cooked well and very nice in its right, but the dish was a bit too busy - the shallot didn't feel like it was needed. The other main of turbot, olive, courgette and lobster creme fraiche was more concise. The turbot was perfectly cooked and its accompaniments worked extremely well with it.

The dessert, whilst not being too memorable, was a more sophisticated offering this time around too. Poached apricots, ricotta, honey financier and almond ice cream had a lovely freshness and lightness and just the right amount of sweetness to end a meal.

Chef John Wyer's cooking is accomplished and since opening Forest Avenue the food has developed considerably and Forest Avenue is now a very good restaurant. However there is still something missing, something that is hard to articulate. If asked to describe the style of food that Wyer is cooking in Forest Avenue it would be difficult. It seems to lack it's own identity, instead feeling like it is borrowing ideas here and there from other restaurants. There is a lot to like about this restaurant, but it doesn't feel original yet.

The service was also a big improvement and the Maître d in particular is a good addition to the front of house. Value wise €49 is a decent price when you consider the numerous appetizers that prelude the 4 courses. 

Forest Avenue is a fun restaurant, serving very good food, in a lively yet comfortable dining room. Maybe there is more improvement to come.


See Forest Avenue on our list of restaurant ratings
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Subjects

    All
    2014 Review
    Aimsir
    Albert Adria
    Amass
    Amuse
    Ananda
    Aniar
    Anthony Bourdain
    Arzak
    Barcelona
    Bodega 1900
    Brioche
    BROR
    Campagne
    Canteen @ The Market
    Casual Dining Dublin
    Chapter One
    Conor Dempsey
    Copenhagen
    Eipic
    El Celler De Can Roca
    ETTO
    Fera At Claridges
    Fergus Henderson
    Forest Avenue
    Formel B
    Hibiscus
    Indaco
    Kevin Thornton
    Kilkenny
    Lady Helen Restaurant
    L'Arpege
    Lasarte
    Le Chateaubriand
    Lecrivain
    Liath
    Lima Floral
    Loam
    Michelin
    Mount Juliet
    Mugaritz
    Mulberry Garden
    Noma
    No-Shows
    Osteria Francescana
    OX
    Patrick Guilbaud
    Pipero Al Rex
    Relae
    Relea
    Rene Redzepi
    Restaurant FortyOne
    Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
    Restaurant Manners
    Saison
    St. John Restaurant
    The Cliff House
    The Clove Club
    The Greedies 2014
    The Greedy Awards
    The Greenhouse
    The Hand & Flowers
    The Ledbury
    Thornton's Restaurant
    Tickets
    Tom Doyle
    Tom Kerridge
    Worlds 50 Best Restaurants

    Reviews & Thoughts

    Just some barely thought out musings

    Archives

    February 2022
    November 2021
    January 2021
    August 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2018
    May 2018
    May 2017
    September 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014

    RSS Feed

Tweets by @thegreedycouple