A Wee Review of Bistro Este...

What is a 'Wee Review'? Find out here...

I don’t know about you, but having a 'neighbourhood restaurant' is something that’s pretty vital when it comes to picking where to live. Somewhere that offers consistently excellent food, friendly service, decent value midweek and you still want to go with friends at the weekend. Thankfully I have quite a few to choose from in Ballyhackamore (upwards of 15 restaurants now in total) and at the moment I flit between Bistro Este and Il Pirata with regularity. 

David and Sarah Adams opened Bistro Este back in 2010 in another location just down the road and moved premises to a bigger site in Ballyhack only a few years later. David’s food is quite simply my kind of food. Big flavours from all over the place (from beetroot hummus to Goan fish curry), and each dish deserving to be on the menu.

Their Sunday menu has become a firm favourite in my house. This is the ONLY restaurant that I order soup (you’ve got to try their Jerusalem artichoke velouté or celeriac and blue cheese). They offer a range of meats for Sunday roast, and something David and his team are especially good at is slow cooked meats. From Venison haunch to feather blade of beef, he manages to achieve  incredible flavours on fall apart tender meat. All the roast dinners are served with goose fat roast potatoes, genuinely as good as homemade, and organic vegetables which you could eat a bowl of by yourself with a gravy that I would happily have a sip of. The kids menu offers real food and my boys love it too.

The drinks selection is also superb, with a proper wine and local beer list.

This is a restaurant that I feel lucky to have near me and I encourage you to go and give it a go. You won't be disappointed.

Don't miss:

Spicy Korean Chicken Wings.
Any of their soups.
Any slow cooked meat.
Mashed potato (trust me).
Raspberry and White Chocolate Crème brûlée.

Words by Phil Ervine.