‘Proper prawn cocktail made with Irish langoustines and iceberg lettuce’. Wow! That’s fighting talk, isn’t it? And proof of the seriousness that Denis Vaughan brings to his craft in this much-loved restaurant with rooms with rustic bar in pretty Liscannor.
Mr Vaughan does things proper. He is a servant to cheffing, unlike so many male cooks who think cheffing is a servant to their ego. And, whilst he is ambitious, his ambition is not to be famous – he isn’t – but just to do his best, and to bring his team with him every step of the way. So, book a room, have an aperitif in the cosy bar, then settle in for proper food, and in particular, some serious fish and shellfish cookery – Liscannor mackerel with smoked hen’s egg and truffle butter; a great fruits de mer for two people with lobster, king crab, shrimp, langoustines, crab claws, mussels, white clams, palourdes, crab meat and winkles (phew! and they add in cockles, whelks and spider crab when they have them); butter-poached lobster with asparagus, peas and samphire. Another great choice is prawn cocktail, then rib-eye steak: Saturday night special!
