Anyone tried new fish restaurant in Bewleys?

wrafter

I dropped into the new Bewley's on Grafton Street last week and spotted that they've got a fish restaurant upstairs - they're calling it Mackerel - here's a link: www.mackerel.ie - my girlfriend's in town this week and seafood is her thing - has anyone been in and tried out the fare?

FX Meister

The weekender magazine in the Indo had a review the weekend before last. Average food but terrible service altogether. The moron still left a tip though.

The Sweeper

Brought the MIL in here on Monday 26th for lunch.

First up, lunchtime service was attentive. We were seated by the window quickly, got a platter of bread (a few slices of brown, white, rye etc. on a wooden board with some butter). The waitress asked if we'd been there before so we said no. She then explained that the cards in front of us had starters and drinks and we could have any of the starters as a main course.

She then gave us a second A4 printed sheet with that day's main courses. She offered us drinks - we opted for house red, so she gave us a choice of French or Spanish, describing one simply as heavy and spicy and one as lighter and more fruity. We went for the lighter and more fruity Spanish option.

We were gabbing so took a while to select our food - waiting staff approached twice but were very patient and didn't make us feel rushed. Third time, we ordered. I asked for olives and anchovies as a starter and the MIL had the seafood chowder. We both went for red snapper as our main, with a green salad. The MIL enquired as to the nature of the salad - it took the waiter a moment, but he started by listing 'erm... baby spinach...' which was enough to convince the MIL it wasn't going to be iceburg lettuce with a slice of tomato.

Both starters arrived promptly - the olives and anchovies were €3 each to a total of €6, the MIL's soup was €6.50. It was all good - the anchovies were the fresh marinated kind - marinade a little vinegary, but good overall. And quite reasonable servings of both - small heaped dishes, enough to fill perhaps a ramekin.

Main courses arrived promptly after the starters were cleared. Two red snappers with green salad sides (and an extra glass of vino for me). The mains were - I THINK - about €27 each. (Could be €22, but I think it was €27.)

The fish was excellent - the large fillet of snapper was served on what had been heraded as artichokes with something else but what essentially was a more like a ratatouille of unidentifiables - but which tasted just right. It was zesty, sharp and sweet in places and really set the snapper off. Skin on, pan fried to crispy perfection, the fish was firm and meaty, not remotely dry or overdone. I found it more satisfying than many's the steak I've eaten.

The salad was baby leaves with halved cherry tomatoes and toasted pumpkin seeds. The dressing was light and pleasant - though the salad contained raw red onion. I happen to like this, but am well aware it wouldn't be to everyone's taste and was rather strong against the fish.

We followed lunch with coffees and cappucinos, both of which were lovely. The wait staff were also happy to let us linger - though the place was hardly full for a Monday lunchtime.

Overall:

Service: good - patient, attentive and willing to make a good effort if not quite as informed as they might have been.
Atmosphere: it's not a place for a private tête-à-tête. Open plan, hard wooden chairs, close-set tables, but still the absense of others on a Monday lunchtime made it pleasant. It's bright and airy and has the background noise of Grafton street, which I was busily finding nostalgic after my second glass of wine.
Food: The fish was fantastic. The starters were pleasant. The sides were fine but a little dull (and the red onion thing again).
Price: Two course lunch for two with coffee, including wine, water and service came to €97.00.
Bad points: raw onion in a green salad, plus €6 for a glass of house wine. It was good wine - a lot better than the jammy reds you often get as a drinkable house wine, but I still think if I'd known I'd have bought a bottle of something from the wine list instead!
Value for Money: I'm going to go out on a limb here and say good value for money. I could go out in London and get a similarly constructed lunch for two for the equivalent £65 and not be half as enamoured by a main course fish dish.

Would I go back? Yes, next time with the husband, with the intention of allowing the afternoon dissolve into great conversation and good wine.

Blub2k4

I liked Mackerel.

I was trained as a waiter in a fish restaurant in the North Sea many moons ago, so I'm hard to please when it comes to #1Fish and #2Service, I was happy with both in Mackerel.
It was a Friday or a Saturday when we went.
I had Seabass, which was excellent and the gf had Snapper, we both thoroughly enjoyed the meal and I did consider it value.

We'll be going again, if only to eat well cooked tasty fish at a reasonable price.