Bates Restaurant, Italian, Rathdrum

Bates Restaurant is in the middle of Rathdrum village, just off the old market square in a little laneway that runs down the side of the Cartoon Inn. Every building along its short length has been renovated, the stonework looks great, and the whole thing looks as though a single theme binds it all together. Bates is a long narrow building on your right.

Inside, it's warm and cosy and it has a kind of bucolic charm; you sense that the floor isn't quite level, the walls not quite square. Simple tables and chairs are arranged with enough space between them for a modicum of privacy and the dining area covers two rooms, one on a lower level than the other. It was very busy when we arrived, and most of the tables are occupied. Sunday lunch here is obviously very popular. We arrive en famile, myself, Deirdre and Abigail, who is currently studying Food Science, and are shown to a table in the lower part of the room.

The menu has clearly had a lot of thought put into it. The first thing you notice is that almost every ingredient has a provenance and many of the ingredients are organic. The second thing you notice is that there's a very European feel to the menu, almost Italian but not quite.

The Sunday lunch menu comes in two parts, first the main menu, and there is a dedicated vegetarian menu (see below) which would give any purely vegetarian restaurant a run for it’s money. We all three being in the mood for meat or fish we stuck with the main. The menu is priced at two courses for €19.50 or three for €24.50, which is always comforting in these more money conscious times – you know going in what it’s going to cost. The provenance of most of the ingredients used is also listed.

Starters include Bates seafood chowder, pan fried sardines, parma ham and buffalo mozzarella and Wexford deep fried squid. Main courses offer roast chicken breast with sautéed mixed mushrooms and jus, Irish pork belly, char-griled striploin steak and braised lamb shank. The seafood options were Clare Island organic salmon, pan fried sea bass filets with baby spinach and chives veloute, Castletownbere hake with clam sauce and Wexford plaice, filleted and served with lobster sauce and mixed leaves.

Needless to say, this gave us plenty to think about and the order was a shared starter of squid for the ladies, and the special of mussels in white wine cream for me. For the main course Abi chose the plaice, Deirdre the hake and I picked the lamb shank.

I We shared some very nice homemade bread and sipped our sparkling water while we waited, and all the while the last few tables filled up. There were a lot of family groups, and what we took to be Sunday regulars, what with their big welcome a speedy ordering.

Our starters arrived and were excellent, the squid was perfectly cooked, the home made aioli just right. The mussels were delicious, the white wine sauce packed full of flavour and we all mopped it up with the remains of our bread.

Main courses were even better. The lamb shank, locally sourced was falling off the bone and a dollop of creamy mash mixed beautifully with the gravy of cooking juices. Abigails plaice was art on a plate; three very delicate fan shaped fillets of plaice sat on a sea of dark pink lobster sauce, while Deirdre’s hake was a generous fillet, topped with Galway clams and a light tomato sauce. These were accompanied by small potatoes, golden roasted with rosemary and garlic, green beans tossed in alight tomato coating, sugar snaps with sesame seed and carrots roasted in honey. Everything was wonderful, all three dishes were perfectly executed and the little touches – the additions to the vegetables, for example - shows these guys really care and go beyond what’s merely good, striving for perfection. We finished with a shared dessert or warm chocolate pudding with homemade ice cream and some coffees.

We have long been fans of Bates and it is consistently one of Paolo’s favourite restaurants. If anything it is getting better, this was the best Sunday lunch we have eaten in at least a year, and the value for money is exceptional when you factor in the quality and choice. If you haven’t been here, it is definitely worth the trip.

Vegetarian menu. Although we didn’t eat off it I can tell you from experience the dishes on it are brill. I had actually forgotten how good it is, and fortuitously we have some friends coming over for a visit soon who are vegetarian, so now I know where I will be taking them. They may enjoy a starter of poached pear, gorgonzola and walnuts with a honey dressing or asparagus and parmesan topped with a fired hens egg. Maybe they will pick the wild mushroom risotto or the potato gnocchi with melted mozzarella.