As we continue to lay claim to the prime outdoor spaces, formerly the preserve of smokers – who have been shunted off, fuming, into faraway corners – there are other pandemic changes afoot. Not all of them good.
We won’t be turning down your room. Covid. No tablecloths. Covid. 90-minute time slots, no-choice, and fixed price menus. All kinds of Covid. And everything covered in plastic.
Battling with a wine list that has had the full-on lamination treatment, I’m trying to recall whether I should still be afraid of paper. It is a struggle to negotiate the list, which boings from page to page of (very fine) wine.
After considerable rummaging, I land on Les Argélieres, €33, a Pinot Noir from the Languedoc, a well-priced fruity red to go with both scallops and lamb, which we have selected as our main course options.
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We are sitting at a white linen-clad table in the charming, cobbled courtyard of Bresson in Monkstown. I'm not quite sure what to expect from this reasonably priced Pinot Noir, so I consult the sommelier, who suggests that maybe I look at the Burgundies. As you can imagine, I'm totally flattered. He actually thinks that I live in Monkstown.
I quietly indicate that I’m looking for something around “this” price. There’s a bottle of Les Argélieres open, he tells me, we must try it; and sipping and nodding, we decide that it’s a bottle worth springing for.
Dining in Bresson is a night out. It’s a three-course, €59.95 fixed price menu with classic French leanings; but with six choices per course and no supplements, the choice is considerable. There is also the nice addition of an amuse bouche, which is frothy pea soup, pinging with summer sweetness.
Our starters are French classics – sweetbreads in a vin jaune sauce, a large lobe which is indeed “crispy”, as described on the menu, with a Kiev level of breadcrumbs, rather than the more typical pan-fried approach, which personally, I would prefer.
And the Gortnamona goat’s cheese mousse is delicate in flavour and texture, accompanied by baby artichoke, and quartered red and yellow heirloom tomatoes that were just a little bit lacking in flavour. Maybe it’s a bit too early in the season.
For main course, the gratinated Kilkeel scallops are something of a signature dish in Bresson. Three large scallop shells are piped with a burnished pomme purée, which surrounds delicately cooked scallops with their roes intact. The scallops have been doused with the smoky flavours of brown shrimp, smoked haddock and Alsace bacon, and cloaked in a creamy leek and Gruyere sauce. It is, as it sounds, rich and full of flavour.
I was interested to learn that much of the butchering is done in house, so for our other main course, there are a few cuts of spring lamb on the plate – roast rump, rolled breast, and a coarse forcemeat of braised neck and preserved lemon which is stuffed in a courgette flower.
The rump is particularly good, dark and encrusted from a hot oven on the outside, and pink and succulent on the inner slices. It is not the most tender cut of lamb, but what you get is spectacular flavour. A side dish of lamb fat roasties are more than we can manage, so just a few do the honourable job of mopping up the juices.
For dessert, the tart tatin comes as an individual tart, with slices of apple fanning in a circle on a light crisp base. It is nicely cooked, and the flavour of the apple comes through, but it is just a little short on the blistering heat of molten caramel which makes this such a memorable dish.
Our other dessert, a semi-frozen lemon parfait on a white chocolate crumb with burnt meringue and verbena custard is both fragrant and tart, a refreshing end to the meal.
I have no idea why classic French food, which I absolutely adore, is so hard to find. At Bresson, it’s French food, cooked skilfully, without the scary bits. It’s a fixed price menu, but critically, there are plenty of choices and it really feels like good value.
It is a special occasion restaurant, which is unstuffy and incredibly relaxed, with notably good service. There is everything you need for a very enjoyable evening. Particularly if you have a friend, with a bit of budget, who owes you dinner, and you mention to the sommelier that you like Burgundy.
Dinner for two with a bottle of wine was €152.90.
Verdict: 8/10 The perfect neighbourhood restaurant for special occasions
Facilities: Floor to ceiling Irish marble, mid-century antique mirrors, and white cotton hand towels
Music: Classy Latin sounds, Astrud and Joao Gilberto
Food provenance: Huge attention to sourcing from top Irish producers
Vegetarian options: One option on starters and main course
Wheelchair access: Fully accessible, with accessible toilet
