Trax Brasserie Naas.

Trax Brasserie in Naas is A few weeks ago, just the beginning of December we reviewed Tenors in Donnybrook. Paolo had reviewed their other tenors in Naas and we recently heard that the same people are behind Trax, also in Naas. We went along on a cold January evening to see what it was like and weren’t disappointed.

Trax Brasserie occupies the space that used to be the Storehouse Restaurant, and historic 130 year old cut stone warehouse that was in the past used for livestock and more latterly a printing works. It is now a very appealing room that uses the original granite as its main design feature. Wide plank wooden floors, ironwork trusses and large wooden sliding doors, complement the setting. Table are large and well spaced, and the lighting gives it a cosy feel while the original lofty architecture at the same time provides space a little wow factor.

The idea here is to take good, local ingredients and keep it simple, which is as a Brasserie should be. I went along with my friend Peter Mansfield for a casual dinner. We were given a table along the back wall, and homemade bread arrived on a wooden board, along with our drinks, a couple of beers, non-alcoholic for the driver – that’s me – and a bottle of sparkling water for the table.

The menu is a good length, is priced at a very reasonable €20 for two courses or €24 for three, and offers around eight starters and ten main courses. The starters include grilled goats cheese, pork 2 ways; crispy teriyaki chicken wings asparagus ravioli and a classic jumbo shrimp cocktail. The main courses list all the main brassiere favourites including a choice of sirloin or filet steak, seared scallops with roast shallot puree, fish and leek pie, braised lamb shank or a warm salad of duck confit and new potatoes.

We decided on starters of jumbo shrimp cocktail for Peter and the asparagus ravioli for me, while for the main courses I picked the pan fried jumbo prawns and Peter had the pot roast chicken. We worked our way through the selection of breads and chatted about friends while we waited and noticed a large party come in to take a table of fourteen or so for a family celebration.

Our starters arrived and Peters shrimp cocktail was exactly as it should be, crisp lettuce topped with plenty of shrimp and a homemade Marie Rose sauce. It’s not something that is on every menu, but when done well, this classic is hard to beat and I had to taste a bit. It was very good and my ravioli was full of flavour. We were off to a good start.

The main courses didn’t disappoint either – the pot roast chicken was tasty and juicy, and the champ mash that accompanied it was delicious. It came in a little stainless steel saucepan on the side, and we ended up finishing it all. The pan fried prawns were just garlicky enough without being overpowering and the shoestring fires were crispy on the outside, but still fluffy and soft inside. We finished with a roast plum bakewell and a fresh fruit tart and homemade ice cream.

While we lingered over coffees the large party across the room were getting their main courses and I was pleased to see that the staff pulled it off perfectly, no mean feat when serving that many people at the same time.

Trax is a very good spot for a casual dinner, or indeed, a Party. The food is honest and tasty, and the setting is very pleasing indeed. This is a good addition to Naas, and no doubt will do well. Give it a go; we think you will like it.