Lucinda O'Sullivan's Ireland

About The Restaurant

Located on Clanwilliam Terrace, is the fab Osteria Lucio, the latest venture of the popular restaurateur & chef Ross Lewis. Undoubtedly a star in the firmament of Ireland’s finest chefs, Lewis’ legendary Chapter One restaurant on Dublin’s Parnell Square being probably the most revered and popular restaurant in the country. Like many other Michelin starred chefs around the world, having conquered the culinary heights, he has recently added a new string to his bow, by way of a high-end more casual eatery. Never content to sit still, it’s a fresh satellite arena for a man who is always challenging himself and the foodie world with new ideas. So, the question here is, how do you simplify your thinking from elaborate Michelin style food to less-formal presentations?

Really good contemporary Italian food is what Lewis now wants to bring to Dublin, in a citified buzzy atmosphere and, which he is doing with his new Osteria Lucio at The Malting Tower on Grand Canal Quay. It’s the sort of modern Italian eatery you will find in New York or Sydney, London or Milan.

A somewhat novel part of this location is its cool, tented roofed tunnel which runs under the DART line, and creates a rather intimate feel – and yes you do hear it rumbling above as you are sipping your Pinot Grigio and nibbling your cicchetti. The layout and decor is great, with a big wood fired oven turning out a great selection of authentic, artisan pizzas. To the front, there is a casual area, where you can pop up on stools, have an antipasti plate, or just chill and have a few glasses of wine.

Paul and I ensconced ourselves comfortably at the end of a long banquette ‘in the tent’ where we could see all the comings and goings – it’s always an interesting place for people watching.

Antipasti gave a prominence to vegetables which is not only very now but which I personally love. Roasted beetroot salad was with blood orange, hazelnuts and Five Mile Town goat’s cheese, while Iona Farm carrots were with house made ricotta and gremolata. Salt baked celeriac was paired with crispy pancetta, walnut pesto, apple and grated egg yolk and fried sole was with aggrodolce, an Italian sweet sour sauce.

There was a trio of fresh pasta dishes including lamb ragu tagliatelle and seafood and shellfish chittara. I kicked off with a special of agnolotti; Piemontese style ravioli filled with roast meat, spinach and cheese, and rolled over into little parcels a bit like Chinese dumplings, pot stickers or Japanese gyoza. Absolutely delicious, they were scattered with a veal jus, spinach and finely grated Parmesan. Paul found them totally irresistible as his fork kept sneaking across the table from his own salumi misto of excellent Italian artisanal charcuterie and focaccia. He was eating from a very good value 2-course, Pre-Theatre menu with coffee, as it featured what he wanted to eat anyway. Pan seared fillet of Sea Bream for me was on a delicious, sweet & sour dice of vegetable caponata with pine nuts and two sprigs of broccolini, while Paul’s Tuscan slow braised, meltingly soft cubes of short rib of beef were in a little black cast-iron pan on soft polenta, topped with spinach and scattered with pine nuts. Both dishes were delicious, but if you have a hearty appetite you might want a side order of crispy aromatic baby potatoes. 

For dessert, the popular Italian stalwarts of tiramisu, semifreddo, gelato, affogato were all present, plus an Italian cheese selection. We shared a chocolate bonet, beautifully presented with blood orange segments and amaretto crumb. It’s another Piemontese specialty, which has the texture of crème caramel and so much lighter than a floury chocolate pud.

No doubt the latest arrow in Ross Lewis’s quiver has hit the bulleye.
 

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