Restaurant review columns are not normally the place for breaking news but something extraordinary is happening in West at the Twelve in Barna, and you need to know about it.
I’ve been to the Twelve for wine events a number of times as the list is legendary thanks to the driving creative focus and imagination of Fergus O’Halloran, Sommelier and General Manager of The Twelve.
I enjoyed the food in West restaurant on each occasion, it was always creative and tasty, but nothing prepared me for what I experienced on a visit in mid-November.
Chef Nathan Hindmarsh is there a year and he and his team (plus the finely tuned front-of-house staff), have created one of the most thrilling dining experiences in the country. I do not say this lightly.
Yes, I expected the Parmesan fritters to burst in my mouth and fill it with flavour, and I expected pristine fresh oysters – the addition of horseradish, buttermilk, dill and cucumber enlivening and focusing the briny flavours perfectly.
But what to make of the 3D Banksy art? You know the one — a masked protester throwing a bunch of flowers. This graffito was rendered in wasabi flavoured Squid Ink and the flowers were in fact a Nori cone of whipped cod roe (tarama) which we swiped across the painting to pick up some heat and iodine salty freshness from the lightly pungent squid ink. This could have been gimmicky, but it worked because the flavours were in harmony and it delighted all our senses.
A buttercup yellow candle had arrived almost unnoticed at our table with these snacks, and of course, it turned out to be made from Cuinneog butter into which we dipped the fluffiest Brioche I’ve ever tasted. Black malt and Kylemore Cheese scones were a good contrast, dense and rich but with a salty-sweet tang from Teresa Roche’s gorgeous nutty cheese, and a bonus umami kick from some sea truffle butter on the side.
Quick mention of my zingy cured scallop starter with kohlrabi, apple and radish, and for herself’s sublime Cheese and Onion (inspired by Tayto) tartlet with Gubbeen, chives, pickled onion and parsnip crisps.
Charred butternut squash with Boyne Valley Bán Cheese, chanterelles and hazelnuts was another delight, tangy and earthy – while Quail with Caribbean jerk seasoning was tender and sweet but with background pepper and allspice heat. A touch of sweetness came from date ketchup and extra savoury notes from maitake mushrooms topped with crumbled chicken skin.
Cod was of course immaculately cooked, its flesh glistening in the candlelight – enriched with a sauce influenced by Gubbeen Chorizo and fennel. Wild Venison loin was served rare with an intriguing spiced pear chutney that added heft and depth. To temper the sweetness chef had added salty pungent Young Buck Blue Cheese and it all gelled remarkably well.
The wine list at West is one of the best in the country with 450 wines listed and many available by the glass via Coravin. Prices start at €29 and there are several interesting choices under €35 – remarkable given how many lists these days have nothing under €40. You can also of course opt for Sassicaia 2003 (€390) or Château D’Yquem 2014 (€450), but we opted for Lucian Lardy Moulin à Vent for a mere €42, its textured black cherry fruits worked particularly well with the butternut squash, the jerk quail and th venison.
Dessert of pasnip Financier cake was a visual delight – oxalic acid in a Sorrel Sorbet cutting right through the savoury sweet parsnip and a Rosemary Chantilly adding tiny herbal spikes. Pineapple compote seemed to be the very essence of that beautiful fruit, and cutting it with coconut sorbet and Black’s Spiced Rum from Kinsale was a fine idea.
We finished with cocktails chosen from a list created by the entire team at West – my ‘Washing Machine’ mix of Micil Poitín, Dillisk and Blue Curaçao was a sort of Poitín Sour created by one of our servers Oisín, while the Engineer went for Fergus’s chocolaty rich Espresso Martini.
This was a truly stunning meal, an ‘experience’ to use their word – not one flavour jarred and I want to go back soon.
- Food: 9.5/10
- Wine: 9.5/10
- Service: 9.5/10
- Ambiance: 8.5/10
- Value: 8.5/10
- In a Sentence: A stunning meal, creative, focused and supremely tasty – in a word: extraordinary.