Review
Ouzos Blackrock is every bit as good as we have come to expect, the space is very pleasing and service is friendly and courteous. This is one of those places that becomes a regular haunt - great food, fair prices and a good atmosphere. We think you will like it too.
Ouzos Blackrock is on the Main Street, in what was the Mad Hatter pub at one time, so it is a large premises, with a bar and casual dining area on the ground floor, while the main restaurant area is upstairs. The décor is contemporary, with very nice polished floors, exposed brickwork and cream paintwork.
The bar has a polished concrete worktop, with pieces of polished glass, giving it the appearance of marble. The staircase is made of worked metal balustrades and dark wood steps, and the stairwell rises three stories overhead to the top of the building. The upstairs has the same theme and there is a fine collection of local art adorning the walls.
Owner Padraic Hanly had the bright spark idea some years ago that the best way to supply a seafood restaurant was to buy a small trawler, so he did, and a lot of the fish on the menu will be caught off the Dublin and Wicklow coasts, while their prawns are sourced from Kilmore Quay in Wexford. The menu is essentially steak and seafood, and lobster is a speciality.
The A la carte is a large card with about ten starters, including a steamed pot of mussels, pan fried crab claws, deep fried calamari or home-made seafood chowder and starters are all priced at less than €10. Main courses offer Ouzos fish and chips; baked Atlantic cod or you can choose your own lobster fro the tank. For those who prefer their food land based, there is a choice of steaks, a Moroccan lamb tagine or a game pie.
We both decided to have prawns for our starters. Ouzos buy theirs from Kilmore Quay – big, juicy prawns with the tail left on, full of flavour and fresh as can be. Deirdre had hers in a classic prawn cocktail, while mine were sautéed in garlic and butter. Two great dishes.
For main course Deirdre went with the healthy option of lobster and crabs claw salad and I had the special of the day, pan fried bream with chargrilled asparagus on a potato rosti. Deirdre’s salad featured pieces of lobster and crab claws fried in citrus butter, served with mixed leaves, buffalo mozzarello and cherry tomatoes. She ohh-ed and ahh-ed her way through it, happy with the choice. My fish was perfectly cooked, the asparagus was delicious and the rosti balanced the dish.
After all this we had to skip dessert, and finished with two coffees. Our drinks for the evening consisted of sparkling water, it being a weeknight and one of us driving, but they have a good wine list, chosen carefully from several suppliers and reasonably priced.
Ouzos Blackrock is every bit as good as we have come to expect, the space is very pleasing and service is friendly and courteous. This is one of those places that becomes a regular haunt - great food, fair prices and a good atmosphere. We think you will like it too.
