Our Latest Great Place To Eat - Butler & Barry
Thursday 01 February 2018
On the Promenade, located above the well-known Sealife Centre, with stunning ocean views, is Butler & Barry, one of the best gastro pubs around. Bursting with atmosphere, the décor here is cool and modern with classic bar room twists, but the ocean view is the real selling point, with very few places offering such stunning panoramas alongside such great food and drink.
Whether it’s a little (or big) sip, a small nibble, or a great big bite, there’s a little bit of something for everyone here. On my visit, starters included homemade chicken liver pate with dressed leaves, berry compote and crostini bread; steamed mussels in a garlic, leek and cider cream sauce; as well as nachos with beef, BBQ pulled pork or sans meats. They do vegan ‘chicken-style’ wings as well as goats cheese bonbons, but, that evening, my eyes were on a dish of pan-fried tiger prawns tossed in a garlic, tomato and parsley butter and served with dressed rocket leaves and a piece of tasty crostini bread. Perfectly cooked and bursting with flavour, I was off to a great start. Meanwhile, Brendan happily helped himself to a portion of hot & spicy crispy chicken wings, which came with a blue cheese dip.
For the mains, there was plenty on offer to tease the tastebuds, such as a pan-fried fillet of hake on a bed of sautéed garlic and rosemary potatoes with French beans & a lemon, chive and white wine cream sauce; or perhaps a braised Slaney Valley lamb shank with a red wine jus, braised veg and savoury mash. Their super food salad sounded great, being available both as a salad or in a wrap, and their linguine pesto chicken sounded delicious as well, but, in the end, I decided to try a spiced chicken and giant couscous salad, which was really good with its seasonal leaves, onions, beetroot, cherry tomatoes and a tasty lime yoghurt dressing, along with a delicious side of crispy sweet potato fries. Brendan fancied something a bit meatier, and he was spoiled for choice with dishes like BBQ pulled pork with beetroot slaw, rocket and garlic aioli in a toasted brioche bun with fries, as well as a 10oz ribeye steak with sautéed mushrooms, fries and either pepper sauce or garlic butter. However, his heart was set on a Hereford prime Irish beef burger which came on a brioche bun topped with shredded lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon and cheese and a side of fries.