Menu of the Season: The Waterfront Restaurant

The Waterfront Restaurant, Lord Bagenal Hotel, Main Street, Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow

This menu from The Waterfront was one of the most memorable meals of our restaurant-going year. It all started with an amuse of air-dried Connemara lamb with lavender honey…

Starter
Fillet of Red MulletChickpea fries, Lemon & Basil Tartar Sauce €13.50
Pressed terrine of Confit Duck & Foie grasApricot Compote, Warm Brioche €13.50
Roast Breast of QuailWild Mushroom Risotto, Salsify Crisps €14.00
Graden Herb SaladPassion Fruit Jelly and Asparagus €13.50
Mosaic of Ham Hock & ChorizoWith Watermelon & Avocado Purée €13.50
Pan Fried ScallopsWith home-made Crubeen Pudding, Apple & Fennel Salad €16.00
Carpaccio of Hereford BeefHorseradish Ice Cream and Beetroot Pickle €15.00
Pan-Fried Sa TroutWith Sweet Potato and Lemongrass Soup €13.50

Main Course
Fillet of Hereford BeefRosti Potato, Carrot Puree & Foie Gras Cromesquis & Orange€32.00
Caramelized Black SoleWith Mussels, Fresh Linguini & Asparagus Puree, Wild Mushrooms €30.00
Roast Breast of Free Range ChickenMoroccan spiced pine nut Cous Cous, home made Date Chutney & Tagine Sauce €28.00
Pan Fried CodCrab & Ginger Tortellini, Roast Shellfish Sauce and Deep Fried Celery Leaf €28.00
Sweetcorn RavioliCauliflower Beignet, Braised Onion & Curry Froth & Caramel €24.00
Butter Roast Strip of VealSmoked Gubbeen & potato gratin, creamed peas & bacon, béarnaise sauce €30
Pan Roasted John DoryBasil Crushed Potatoes, Confit Plum tomatoes & Tapenade Beurre Blanc €29.50
Rump of LambBroad Beans & Mint, Colcannon Potato & Violet Mustard €28.00

Dessert
Bonbon Fuille De BrickFrangepan Mousseline, Caramel Ice Cream & Crème Anglaise
Dragon FruitsPistachio Avocado Mousse
Delice of Poached PearsCaramel Sauce, Kiwi Sorbet
Dark Chocolate FondantMilk Chocolate Sauce, Strawberry Sorbet & Sherry Syrup
Sensation Trio of Fruit MoussesCoconut Passion fruit Cráeme Brulee and Mint Ginger Sorbet
Rhubarb Crème BruleeVanilla Tuille
Cheese BoardSelection of Irish & French Cheese
Selection of SorbetPineapple, Mango & Mandarin

Lord Bagenal Hotel

John writes: A little note from the road. A night with the family at James Kehoe's svelte new hotel at the venerable Lord Bagenal Inn in Leighlinbridge, County Carlow. A glam new building, brilliant rooms and in The Waterfront restaurant, a great space for George Kehoe to show his stuff. Mr Kehoe has worked with some of the best talents in contemporary Irish cuisine – Aidan Byrne, Paul Flynn, Derry Clarke – and it shows: the cooking in the LB is top-notch, and even manages to pull off those molecular cooking elements – foams, savoury ice creams – that so many chefs get all wrong. The food is simple to read – carpaccio of Hereford beef, horseradish ice cream, beetroot pickle; strip of veal with smoked Gubbeen and potato gratin, peas and bacon, bearnaise sauce – but the impact of the combinations, right from a little taster of air-dried lamb with lavender honey - is simply stunning. This is some of the hottest cooking going on right now, and simply should not be missed.
Waterfront Restaurant 059 9721668.