Restaurant Review - Matt The Threshers Dublin
Monday 28 March 2011
We were impressed walking into the smart new D2 version of the Tipperary based Matt The Thresher’s eating and drinking emporium, in what was the former Pembroke Pub on Lower Pembroke Street. Billed as a Seafood Bar & Grill, MTTD2 is urban chic gastropub with spectacular chandeliers, which I seem to recall from the Pembroke, raised seating areas, and a mezzanine level with grand piano. Greeted by a smart young man in brasserie style long apron who showed us to a nice table by the window, he was enthusiastic of their “own great beef” and “fresh fish.” It seemed the world was our literal oyster! The menu impressed further, offering something for everyone, kicking off at 9 am with “Bacon Butties”, through lunch up to 5 pm, rolling into an evening menu to 9.30 pm. “Birdhill traditional lamb stew” featured along with beefburgers, fish pie, fish & chips, scampi, steak, and seafood platter, at €9.95/ €25.00, whilst 6 oysters, rock or native, were €8/€14.95. Tapas featured too at €3.95 each or 4 for €20 including a glass of wine, whilst 2/3 course menus were €19.95 and €25. The specials of the evening were panfried mackerel or plaice and they didn’t appear to feature the more expensive fish such as sole on the bone or turbot.We decided, being a seafood bar, to kick off with “succulent crab claws in hot garlic butter served with brown bread” (€12.95) and a Dublin Bay Prawn Cocktail (€9.95). I have always maintained that if you cook whopping great seafood simply, forget mucking around with it, you are on a winner. However, at MTTD2 it seemed that size was everything all right – small that is! Rena’s prawn cocktail in a big cocktail glass initially looked brilliant, nothing wrong with the presentation, save that illusion played a big part. The glass was topped up over the brim with that crispy shredded lettuce only good for stuffing mattresses, or feeding rabbits, and laid across the top of this was the ‘icing on the cake’- very small prawns in Marie Rose sauce. My “succulent” crab claws were a misnomer, being eight small and smaller thin dry crab claws laid out in two rows – miserable at €12.95 “Do we get any brown bread with these.” I asked our waiter. “I can get you some”, he replied. “Does it not come with them?” “Only if people ask”!
Bangers and Mash with onion gravy (€9.95) was sad! Two ordinary looking overdone breakfast sized sausages sat on a tian of mash potato with a little ramekin of onion gravy beside it. Nothing else. Where was the hearty rambunctious dish Bangers and Mash should be – big bangers and unbridled mash bursting out like a fat woman’s corset. “The onion gravy is horrible - sweet and cloying with an aftertaste.” said Rena. The first thing I noticed about my “Scampi and Chips – Dublin Bay prawns in a light beer batter, homemade chips and lemon mayo” (€19.95) was the size of the plate! Weightwatchers would love it - you think you are getting more than you are! An oval breakfast, or starter size plate, on a charger plate had possibly the smallest ‘scampi’ I have ever seen, sitting beside a section of lemon and a ramekin of thick thick gelatinous commercial style cheap ‘mayo’ – horrible. The ‘scampi’ batter was horrible too and it was like eating cardboard pieces. I abandoned it. The brown bread and few jumbo chips were the best part of the meal!
We looked at their wet fish display on the way out. With just some flat and smoked fish and a load of ice surrounded by ‘decorative’ empty shells it looked more like a chef’s service area rather than brimming with shellfish to whet the customer’s appetite. Likewise a half a dozen salads on display just looked dreary.
With just a glass of Gruner Vetliner (€6.50 each) our bill with optional service came to €72.00.
Our experience was all illusion and no substance.
Matt The Thresher,
31-32 Lower Pembroke Street,
Dublin. 2.
Tel: (01) 676-2980
THIS REVIEW WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT ON TEH 20TH MARCH 2011.