Fab Fish at Rising Tide

Fab Fish at Rising Tide

 Friday last was a bad one weather-wise, so a restaurant where one could park outside the door had its attraction. The Rising Tide sprang to mind and, once the house painters (us) had signed off, we were on our way to the harbour side village of Glounthaune.

In fairness, the Rising Tide has much more going for it than its so convenient parking spot. Bet you I’m not the only one to enjoy co-owner Sandra Murphy’s hearty laugh!

Okay. Stop right there and get serious. Sandra had posted a few tweets detailing her fish specials. Hooked me, for one. No regrets at all.

 Baked Monkfish, Pan-fried Sea bass ad Pan-fried King Scallops were the three, also detailed on the Specials Board. Settled on the Baked Monkfish with sauté sweet potato and green bean salsa (€26.50). Haven’t sweet potatoes come from nowhere to centre stage in Irish restaurants in recent years? The dish was very well presented and accompanied by a colourful arrangement of perfectly cooked vegetables, including chunky carrots and herby garlic potatoes.

The overall dish was perfect, quite a combination with a serious eruption of flavours and terrific textures eg the spot-on mange tout. Completely delicious, totally delectable. And well worth the out of city trip on a night that tempted one to put the feet up to the fire, well close to it.

We were hardly six feet in the door when greeted warmly. Soon we were guided to a table in the comfortable restaurant area, the bar already (before 7.00pm) buzzing with its eating space close to full. Less than an hour later, the downstairs restaurant section was also close to being packed (comfortably so). Not bad for such a bad night!

 Service was chatty, informative yet efficient and never slack. Very impressed when the lights at our section were turned on from the bar as we studied the menu and then dimmed somewhat when that pleasurable task was completed.

Started off with a surprisingly colourful selection of breads and dips. My “official” starter was a well executed Mussels Marinara (steamed in a white wine and cream sauce), that creamy sauce requiring a spoon so as to avoid wasting even a smidgeon of its deliciousness.

The other starter was Breaded Ardsallagh Goat Cheese with a Melon Salad and served with a Cumberland sauce, just the correct mix of sharpness and sweetness. The promise of good things to come.