I am immediately taken with the Italian sensibility – a menu that pinpoints the season so accurately, it could be used as forensic evidence. It is wonderfully simple, a list of ingredients, maybe three per dish, and mostly vegetables.
Dee Kelly and Mateo Griscti first opened Grálinn as a food truck in 2018, and ran a series of supper clubs in Elmhurst Cottage Farm and MVP in Dublin. They found their dream premises in Fethard-on-Sea in January 2020, and we all know what happened next. They finally got to turn the key in the door at the end of May. With €149 in their bank account, buying some white paint, plants and a few essential ingredients was their first priority. They opened two weeks later, on June 13th. As summer progressed, they had the money to invest in bakery equipment.
They have since moved all elements of the bakery to Lumi Bakery, which they opened in Duncannon, and the Fethard-on-Sea bakery space has been transformed into a dining area with a family table overlooking the semi-open kitchen. To the front is the coffee shop, with a counter, high stools and a handful of tables. They now open for dinner at the weekends, with a small menu of dishes that are designed to be shared.
Our first dish says everything you need to know about Grálinn. McNally’s Family Farm in north Co Dublin has been the source of much of their produce over the years, and they have continued that relationship. New season peas from the farm are piled on top of St Tola goat’s curd (€10), finished with olive oil, flakes of sea salt and ground black pepper. Some of the peas are smashed, which somehow emphasises their sweetness and points up the saltiness and delicate creaminess of the goat’s curd, loaded on to crispbread. It is such a lovely start to our meal.
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We are drinking Maretti Langhe Rosso, a Piemonte blend of Barbera and Nebbiolo, which is accessibly priced at €36 from a short drinks list with six well-chosen wines.
We follow with burrata, mortadella and chopped pistachio nuts (€15) that have been layered on to two slices of Lumi sourdough, bringing a mix of creaminess, texture and delicate pork flavour. Fearful that I’m going to reach capacity before we have a good taste of the menu, I decide to save one of these slices for breakfast the next day and have it packaged for takeaway.
Crab, prawn and dillisk (€16) is a generous plate of Dingle crab lightly dressed in mayo. Nothing masks the flavour, although I would drop the prawns, which are mixed through; there is plenty as there is.
Green beans with nduja cream (€12) look delightful, the terracotta cream acting as the perfect canvas for beans that have been lightly charred on the grill, tiny pickled peppers, daikon matchsticks and a light dusting of Parmesan. It is a beautifully composed dish, packing heat, spice, freshness and crunch. Our last savoury dish is beef cheek (€18) which has been slow-cooked to tender submission, served in a meaty jus. A dollop of sour cream brings relief to the richness of the dish, and coleslaw, which has a little coriander and pickled onion, keeps things fresh.
One dessert would have been enough, but there’s an additional one on the menu; so as well as a burnt Basque cheesecake (€8) – which is the lightest one I’ve ever had – we tuck into peach with crème Anglaise (€8). It is the final straw, but somehow it’s worth it to taste the peach, which has been lightly poached in a syrup made with McNally’s Mexican tarragon. The crème Anglaise, creamy, eggy and deliciously indulgent, is scented with a touch of vanilla, and chopped pistachios add crunch.
Grálinn is beautiful to its core. There is an intuitive lightness to the food, which is gloriously carefree, unburdened with ego, theatre or fussy technique. It relies on pristine ingredients, the wisdom of a chef to tread carefully, and the care of front-of-house staff who ensure that all your dishes arrive at the right time. If you are missing Gwen McGrath and Ken Doherty’s Assassination Custard, which closed recently, you may find that a trip to Grálinn will nourish your soul. And like me, you may just fall for the simplicity of the food.
Dinner for two with a bottle of wine was €123.
The Verdict I love the intuitive, delicate and delicious food at this restaurant.
Food provenance McNally’s Farm, St. Tola, Macroom Buffalo Cheese and La Rousse.
Vegetarian options Most of the dishes are vegetarian.
Wheelchair access No accessible room or toilet.
Music Santana, Francis Bebey and Domenique Dumont.
