Bridgestone Guide 2012

The trio of ely restaurants are all different yet they are united by  team of people who are determined to do their very best. 

They are a restless bunch, the ely crew. Their monthly newsletter show various members of staff travelling, training, learning, sussing out, hunting down, pushing themselves, striving to get better and striving to be their best. That animus comes right from the top, from Erik and Michelle, and it is surely the ely signature: get better, be your best. It’s why we love their three destinations – the wine bar at Ely Place, the brasserie at IFSC, the gastro pub at Grand Canal Square.

Executive chef Ryan Stringer devises and cooks wonderfully smart, clean food, with ingredients that are sourced as carefully as they source their benchmark wines: Burren beef carpaccio with shaved horseradish; duck liver parfait with Waldorf salad; Fermanagh chicken with apple wood smoked bacon; Craggy farm lamb with aubergine and white pudding caviar; fillet of beef with duck egg béarnaise.

Typical of their attitude is their kids menu, a beyond-good example of how to feed young people well – organic meatballs and tomato sauce, croque banbin; muffin pizza; catch of the day with garden peas. ely looks after everyone, with style and sympathy.