David Foley and Julie Randles’s Wild Geese restaurant is in the heart of Adare, in one of the prettiest cottages in the prettiest village in Ireland, and with consistently good modern Irish cooking and caring service, it’s an irresistible package.
David Foley is a member of Euro-Toques and a fine chef who sources ingredients with care. Seafood comes from west Cork and Kerry, and there are local meats, poultry and game in season. Everything comes from a network of suppliers built up over the years and the main suppliers are listed.
The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and menus are available for perusal on their website. Evening menus offered include an early bird and all evening set priced value menu; some dishes, such as beef, scallops, lamb and monkfish, may carry supplements. A separate vegetarian menu with three choices on each course is available.
All the niceties of a special meal are observed here at dinner time – delicious home-baked bread (mustard seed, perhaps) is delivered with an amuse-bouche, such as a china spoonful of herby goat cheese.
The cooking style is sophisticated and the results are delicious. Typically, starters may include a parcel of Kenmare smoked salmon stuffed with crabmeat served on a cucumber and dill salsa, while a recent example of a luxurious main course is pan-seared Castletownbere scallops with slow-cooked pork belly, Celeriac purée with a chorizo, lemon and scallion sauce. More homely dishes also feature though - and pan-seared sirloin of Irish beef with accompaniments such as a rosemary and garlic potato gratin with a mushroom and bacon tartlet is a favourite.
Like everything else, desserts (including ice creams) are freshly made on the premises. In summer one to look out for especially is a more-ish raspberry parfait layered with fresh strawberries and brandy snap biscuits...
Excellent service by friendly staff and a carefully selected, informative wine list add greatly to the dining experience - many wines are priced at under thirty euro and there are some tempting sweet wines, including Pedro Ximinez, to go with your dessert.
