Heaneys

One of a rising tide of restaurants that take the starchiness out of high-end dining, Heaneys delivers devastatingly clever, technically adept food in a relaxed, vibey setting. No standing to attention here – just a pacey procession of sublime taster-size dishes (although you can order two or three courses at lunch if you prefer). The interior is uncluttered and modern, with a white-tiled bar on the rear mezzanine and a light, airy, street-facing dining area sporting green banquettes and modernist wood furniture. Tommy Heaney cooks like a man who’s learned the tune so perfectly he can now confidently riff on it. Expect plenty of imagination and interest built on a solid classical grounding: an opening dish simply billed as ‘cheese and onion’ was a crisp filo case with a fluffy, intense, cream cheese, onion, Parmesan and black olive filling after which ‘no quiche will ever be the same again’. A plump Carlingford oyster wore a veil of green herb oil, with fermented chilli and a dainty cucumber disc, while finely diced trout dressed with dashi, pickled mushrooms, soy and a twist of yuzu struck a perfect balance: smoky, citrussy, fresh and bright. After that, the delights just kept on coming: an on-point, crispy-skinned helping of John Dory was paired with an airy buttermilk sauce, cod roe mousse, purple sprouting broccoli and chive oil, while melting, unctuous BBQ lamb and lamb neck harmonised beautifully with seasonal wild garlic purée, purple sprouting broccoli purée, crisped chard and fennel pollen. Sweet treats were also dazzling – a much-elevated take on a Jaffa Cake featured chocolate mousse and a lip-smacking blood orange layer in a chocolate casing, while dainty morsels of mirabelle pâté de fruits, blueberry macarons and salted white-chocolate caramel fudge made a perfect finale. Sunday lunch brings an upscale three-course take on the traditional roast with headliners ranging from BBQ Welsh lamb with confit shoulder and mint to confit pork belly with rillette and burnt apple, plus helpings of duck-fast roast potaoes and veg. A fairly substantial wine list covers Europe especially well, offering something for most tastes and pockets. Next door, the Uisce bar is a good spot for oysters, small plates and pre/post-prandial cocktails.