shebeen chic

contrary to a couple of reports I have heard - 4 of us had a fab dinner in Sheebeen Chic on Sat. lovely staff (something the seem to be quite good at finding in that group) and a good buzzy atmosphere.

Two saucepans of plump mussels for 9 euro per saucepan. Mains - a solid irish stew - oddly served with mashed potatoes (rather undercutting the one pot tradition of the dish) but after initial confusion it was concluded this was a very good thing as mash swimming in good gravy/stew is always a good thing. My rib eye steak was ordered blue and came exactly that. I had expected a thin steak but it was a good inch thick and six inches long (23 euro) - given the thick steak, blue was a bit extreme - I like the contrast between caramalised outside and raw interior and it doesnt work quite as well with a thick steak. Tender beef with good flavours and fine crispy chips and tasty gravy - so despite a little more raw meat than i am used to this was some of the best steak and chips I have had in a long while.

Solid Confit de canard and falling off the bone pork hock for the two other mains. Next a bowl of ice cream - mint, chocolate, pistachio, vanilla. all good and all for me. we all had espressos and all were perfect. Ernie whalley (a coffee obsessive that roasts his own beans and has a professional coffee maker designed for a cafe in his house) reckons this is about as good a coffee available in the city at the moment. For wine we had an albarino (not so cheap at 27) and a good red from cotes de rousillion (I think - 4 excellent pints in the porterhouse did not help my concentration!). So a v. good meal for 40 euro per head including tip.

Good to see that jay bourke was eating there also with a six or seven friends and later I bumped into another friend who runs their ranelagh cafe bar deli branch who was out all glammed up for the night with her boyfriend. good sign to see staff choosing to eat there I thought.