Review
Casa Tapas at Moores Grangecon has been the dream of Margaret and Dominic for the past couple of years and has now turned into a reality as they recently opened in the rear of family run pub Moore’s of Grangecon, County Wicklow. Dominic is formerly from Las Radas in Naas and more recently of Rathsallagh Country House and is behind the scenes in the kitchen while Margaret is front of house ensuring everyone is being well taken care of.
Moores is a traditional pub, set in this quaint west Wicklow town and offers accommodation, as well as the food and drinks. The tapas bar is a relatively new addition, and adds a new amenity not just to Moores but to the twon as well.
We entered through the courtyard at the rear and it is a magical setting with tall tables and tea lights, which lead directly into a cosy, rustic setting with a burning stove set into the original exposed brick fireplace. The restaurant is full of character and charm with many original features and a there’s a lot of artefacts on shelves dotted around. Subtle lighting and background music of Spanish guitar transports you into holiday mode. The restaurant was full early on a Friday evening, and seems to be going down a bomb with locals.
They recommend you choose 2-3 dishes per person but this is totally dependent on appetite. Prices started at €6.50 and didn’t go beyond €8, other than a cheese board for two at €10. There was a diverse selection of international dishes to choose from including forest ham wrapped dates, Portobello mushroom with chorizo, salmon gravlax or chilli cheese nachos to mention a few. The menus is constantly changing and specials are displayed daily on blackboards.
The wine list is short and well chosen with a choice of four reds, the same of whites, a rose and a sparkling. Some are available by the glass at €5.50, while bottles are between €19.95 for a Chilean Evolution Sauvignon Blanc or Cabernet Sauvignon to €27 for the Kapuka Sauv. Blanc from the Marlborough region of New Zealand.
As designated driver I went with a glass of Via Nova Pinot Grigio and Fred had a pint of Guinness from the bar. There is also a very nice cocktail list where you can enjoy a Long Island for €7 or really get in the mood with their Sangria, a carafe at €18 or the half carafe at €9.
We ordered some of the traditional dishes such as patatas bravas, Spanish meatballs, calamari and tiger king prawns. The calamari was delicate and crispy as I like it as opposed to greasy as sometimes can be the case, while the prawns were spicy and the patas bravas were crispy and fluffy in the right ways.
We also chose sweet & spicy BBQ pulled pork, Thai cucumber cups and seafood paella. Pulled pork is ubiquitous at present, but it’s still lovely when done correctly. The Thai cups were a special and we liked them a lot. As you can see, they are mixing it up somewhat, with international flavours popping up.
All the dishes were prepared at time of order and came to the table in a staggered manner as they become ready, which allowed us time to enjoy the combination of flavours over the course of the evening. They were were beautifully presented in authentic terra cotta dishes and the quality of the food was superb.
We enjoyed our evening at Casa Tapas very much: great atmosphere, nice setting and lovely food. It is definitely somewhere I will return to and would not hesitate to recommend.
