The Barn: Changes, yes, but still a Comfort Zone

The Barn: Changes, yes, but still a Comfort Zone

comfort

While your eggs won’t be cooked in the compost here, as they do in another barn (Blue Hill, Stone Barns NY), there is much to be said for tradition and traditional recipes. Take the burger at The Barn, between Mayfield and Glanmire, for instance.

Burgers joints have been popping up all over the Irish food place in recent years, all trying to out-do each other with outrageous combinations of ingredients. Mostly though, it has to do with size: double deckers, stacks. More about quantity than quality. More waste; less taste.

Burger

No double decker here. No song and dance about the Barn burger. And I was a few bites into it before I realised that this was one of the best burgers I’ve had in quite a while. 

The Prime Beef Burger on a Brioche Bun came with excellent cheese, delicious mushrooms and was served with chips, salad and Garlic Mayo. The beef was certainly prime and I have a preference for brioche buns (even one half is enough!). Superb. 

Now, having said all that, now that facilities have been further improved, just wonder would the Barn consider some innovation in the menu (including a mention of provenance), and wine, offering.

Melon and fruit starter

With our original venue failing to let the public know of a much later than publicised opening time and with us not wanting to wait around in the countryside for an hour, we were at a loose end until on the way back we spotted the Early Bird sign at The Barn.

And, yes they were doing that Early Bird menu, offering a 5-6.30 window, even though it was Saturday evening. So okay, we could have had a main course or more off the regular menu but had Early Bird on the brain and choose that, not quite realising we were committing ourselves to three courses (priced at €25.00). It worked out well enough though.

wings

Did you know The Barn has recently completed a long-running major renovation? The comfort element here, always high, has been enhanced. One of the other benefits it that you can now sit outside on sunny evenings and sip your aperitif. Indeed, dine out there too, depending on the thermometer, of course.

We were inside as we started. Nothing overly exciting on the short list but my BBQ Marinated Chicken Wings, with Garlic Mayo and Salad was well up to scratch, very enjoyable and the provided bowl and wipe (sometimes, incredibly, you have to ask for these) came in handy. 

Hake

No mess for CL as she enjoyed her Melon and Fruit Platter with Passion fruit reduction and fruit coulis, a nice light appetiser, a regular here and seldom seen anywhere else.

She continued with their Fish and Chips which consisted of Hake, lightly battered with their crispy batter, served with mushy peas, lemon tartare sauce and chips. The hake was top notch, the batter nice and thin (no big empty air bubbles) and the sauce outstanding. Happy out.

Apple pie

The choice of dessert was from the Daily List, not from their famous trolley. No superlatives here. I had been disappointed with their regular Jam and Cream Mille Feuilles a few months ago so gave that a skip in favour of Dessert of the Day: a large chunk of coffee and walnut cake with a dollop of cream. Not bad at all. Particularly loved the creamy coffee bits. 

cake

And CL noted that the Freshly Baked Apple Pie, little chunks of apple this time, was markedly better than the one (more of a paste) she had here a few months ago.  

A couple of anonymous wines (one red, one white) brought the bill for two to sixty two euro. But reasonably happy overall with the food, the service and the place itself.

al fresco