Restaurant Reviews

Claire Goodwillie is happy to travel to Clonmel to eat at Befani's.

Befanis is exactly what I have been wishing to appear in Kilkenny for years! A buzzy place where you can eat a big meal or nibble something tasty over a drink after work. It's big and if empty would have been a bit barn like but since it was full all evening and they were turning people away, this wasn't going to happen. Only downside would have been the staff who were perfectly pleasant but a bit unsure of themselves, having to check everything with Spanish 'Mr Befani' first, leaving him a bit rushed and very busy.

Now for the good bit. I went for two hot tapas as a starter which were both excellent. Your contact who originally pointed you in this direction and recommended the calamari was dead right. Really thin rings, lightly battered and perfectly cooked, not so easy as so often it arrives rubbery and too chewy. The fish fritters were a bit of a gamble as deep frying mashed potato can be disastrous but these were as light as a feather, fluffy with little flakes of fish. Aioli could have been more garlicky but probably better for work next day that it wasn't.

Des had the Frito Misto and it too was good although overall not as wow! as the tapas. The batter was light, the calamari and prawns were tender but the promised gremolata didn't seem to be in evidence and the lettuce had either seen better days or had become a bit warm in the kitchen. But all the same it was a lovely hot pile of seafood, crispy and piquant with freshly squeezed lemon.

Moving on to the mains, the Cassoulet was sublime! Duck legs, smoky sausage chunks, bits of bacon all combined together to infuse the beans with this rustic meaty tomatoey goodness which left me scraping the bottom of the bowl. This came with braised red cabbage and boiled potatoes (new and old) which I sampled in the name of research but couldn't actually fit in.
Des's Hake was perfect too, the salty, acidic salsa verde being an excellent companion for the white fish. It was in its own mild lemon sauce with the mussels arranged around the edge of the plate. Ten out of ten from my very fussy companion. That too came with the same vegetables and he also ate mine, not a scrap was left.

Had a little break to recover from the taste sensations before a Crema Catalana, big but shallow and therefore lots of crunchy top. Quite sweet and a softer texture which meant it wasn't a crème brulée. Also a Cherry and Custard tart which was served with homemade (or homemade tasting) black cherry ice cream. A sweet, crumbly, biscuity base and a thin layer of custard held several juicy black cherries. It sounds kind of stingy but it wasn't at all because everything was so well flavoured.

Herb teas to finish and rolled gently down the steps to the car. Will definitely be back, worth every bit of the 40 minute drive from Kilkenny and one of the most exciting places I've eaten in all year. If it was full on a Wednesday evening, booking definitely recommended.

Befani's, Clonmel, County Tipperary Tel: 052 77893.