On the scenic seafront of Warrenpoint, the former bar of the Balmoral Hotel has been transformed into the Anchor Bistro and, above it, Restaurant 23 is a smart contemporary fine dining restaurant.
Large end windows on two floors makethemost of the vew over Carlingford Lough, and there’s a great team at work here – the proprietor, Raymond McArdle, is one of Northern Ireland's most highly-regarded chefs and he heads up a talented kitchen team.
On the first floor, Raymond offers accomplished cooking in stylish surroundings and, although mainly an evening destination, it’s an accessible place and his enticing menus based on carefully sourced, quality ingredients are designed to please all tastes.
Set menus (incluidg Sunday lunch) offer very good value in generous dishes like slow cooked 24 hour Dromara beef, roast leg of Mourne lamb, and rare breed pork shoulder and crispy belly and there's a short vegetarian menu as well a fish of the day.
The evening à la carte allows Raymond to flex his culinary muscles, however, and you'll find the fine dining dishes that he is famous for here - starters like roast squab pigeon with candied oats and celeriac, for example, or ballotine of mi-cuit foie gras with raisin purée - while mains might include delicious caramelised Thornhill duck breast, with blood orange sauce.
Excellent attention to detail is seen in delicious freshly baked breads, tempting desserts and homemade petit fours with your after dinner coffee. The same care is reflected in a well chosen wine list, and the service brings an easy blend of Northern friendliness and professional skill.
Downstairs, however, the ground floor has been converted from a traditional bar to a welcoming and comfortable bar and casual dining venue, the Anchor Bistro, which offers freshly-prepared all-day meals on a no-reservations basis. The style is modern and allows for offering tasty lunchtime food as well as the sophisticated evening dishes which many first time diners will be anticipating at a Raymond McArdle venue.
