O'Connells in Donnybrook

O'Connells in Donnybrook Review

When it comes to cooking, pedigree counts. Owner Tom O'Connell is a brother to Ireland's favorite celebrity chef, Darina Allen, famed for her "slow food" Ballymaloe Cookery School in Cork. Tom, now based in the heart of Donnybrook village, follows the family blueprint by showcasing locally produced meats and game that can be traced to their source (in many cases, an individual farm). Add to this a focus on fresh Irish produce and you have the makings of a feast that is deliriously, quintessentially Irish. Spiced beef is prepared according to an old Cork recipe, salmon fillet is "hot smoked" by the restaurant itself, while McCarthy's Black Pudding is handmade in Kanturk, County Cork. You can also try the roast Castletownbere cod with braised leek and lemon-butter sauce or the braised shoulder of lamb with buttered cabbage and braised leeks—or an wild mushroom risotto with soft herbs and parmesan cheese. Desserts continue the homegrown theme including a warm chocolate brownie with Gathabawn vanilla ice cream. The cheese board is a Who's Who of Irish farmhouse cheeses, including the Ferguson family's tangy Gubbeen.