Just Ask Restaurant of the Month for December - Osta Café & Winebar, Sligo

 The “Just Ask!” Restaurant of the Month winner for December is Osta Café & Winebar, Sligo

The Garavogue river sweeps past this bright and airy café in the centre of Sligo town, and the floor to ceiling glass frontage - and outdoor seating - makes it a delightful spot for coffee (organic and fairly traded) or a more substantial meal. A small bar area is a good spot to sip wine from a well chosen list in the early evening - and later sometimes, if there are events eg the culturally-focused Osta Sessions.

Osta is run by Brid Torrades, who has long been a leading campaigner for better food, and is well-known for her ardent support of local organic food and small producers - and, thanks to her insistence on using nothing but the very best ingredients, the food here has immediacy and real depth of flavour.

Definitely a place to head to for a morning or mid-day treat, the menus - both Brunch and the main Seasonal Menu - begin with a great collection of breakfast and brunch dishes, made with impeccably sourced ingredients.

Covering all tastes, they range from Porridge made with Organic Kilbeggan oats (cooked with milk or water) and served with a selection of spices, compotes, sugars and seeds, to the full Traditional Breakfast (large or small, €8.50 / €5.85). No ordinary breakfast plate, they are made with locally produced sausages, bacon, black and white pudding (breakfast meats from Sheerins & Clarkes Butchers), poached Ballisodare Eggs, potato cake and grilled tomato (from organic vegetable growers when in season), to lighter choices like French toast with crispy bacon, toasted almond flakes and Highbank Orchard Syrup; Eggs Benedict – soft poached eggs with slow cooked ham on buttered sourdough toast and hollandaise sauce; or ‘the famous pancakes’, with a mini-menu to themselves.

Vegetarian Breakfasts are offered too - and, later on, choices include delicious soups, a lovely range of hot and cold sandwiches and wraps (with gluten free options available), also some gorgeous salads - including Shines Wild Irish Tuna, perhaps, and Clarkes organic smoked salmon, or Zing cheese produced nearby in Co Mayo.

Daily specials are chalked up on a blackboard and the drinks list is outstanding, with homemade kombucha, homemade lemonade and freshly squeezed juices included, as well locally roasted coffees (specially blended for Osta by family run business, Bean West, of Westport) hot chocolates and speciality teas on the hot drinks menu.

Baking is a key focus, also Irish cheeses and charcuterie; speciality breads come from Le Fournil French bakery on Tobergal Lane, but almost everything is baked in-house, including a variety of breads and pastries, and also a spectacular array of home-made cakes that it would be hard to resist.

Aside from its delightful location, accessibly priced quality food with a genuine local flavour is what makes Osta stand out - and Brid’s enthusiam for seeking out and championing the best local produce remains undimmed. The stated speciality is “delicious, probiotic, healthy drinks and food, locally roasted coffees and home baking”, but the real secret to Osta’s success lies in the Supplier List and Brid’s ongoing search for new local producers to champion - which includes an open invitation on her warmly informative website.

For additional information on Just Ask and previous Just Ask winners, or to find out how to get involved, visit www.bordbia.ie.

Suppliers

We wish to thank all our suppliers for their support in delivering such excellent quality produce:?? Rod Alston of Eden Plants (the pioneer organic farmer) and Volmar Klohn of Crimlin Farm and Aidan Gillen who make the trek to Sligo Town to deliver us seasonal vegetables. Ann & Thomas O’ Donovan of Ballysadare Eggs and Mary Luthers of Bluebell Farm who supply us with free range and organic eggs; Le Fournil on Tobergal Lane who supplies freshly baked French breads Tuesday to Saturday; Keith Clarke who brings local Knocknaree Honey; Clarkes butchers who supplies our ham which we roast. Dozios of Mayo who make delicious Ella and Zing cheeses. Ronan Byrne, the Friendly Farmer, who supplies our pasture fed chicken, Shines wild Irish Tuna, Clarkes of Ballina for their organic smoked salmon and Sean Flynn who supplies us with our delicious smoked mackerel, and naturally smoked haddock.

Our Sligo Breakfast - taste the difference - all produce locally sourced (tomatoes in season from Crimlin Farm and Eden Plants!) and breakfast meats from Sheerins & Clarkes Butchers and includes our delicious homemade potato cakes! Our now famous coffee is prepared by our trained Baristas using an ethically sourced, Fairtrade and organic mix of Mexican and Peruvian Arabica which is freshly roasted and blended in Dublin by Java Republic. Teas and infusions are from Solaris Herbs, Galway and Suki Teas among others
We are always delighted to find new producers to supply our Cafe and also our retail area.

SAMPLE AUTUMN MENU:

Ósta Cafe &Wine Bar
Garavogue Weir | off Stephen St | Sligo
071 9144639
www.osta.ie

Osta To Go - is now open next door with delicious & ready to go salads, sandwiches, lunch boxes and speciality drinks.
Our growing retail section has many artisan and local goodies to offer too - call in and have a look!
www.osta.ie

Menu

Cold Drinks & Juices
Homemade smoothie on orange juice €4.00
Homemade smoothie on apple juice €3.70
Homemade Tutti - Frutti smoothie €4.50
Choose from, Banana, Strawberry, Blueberry or raspberry
Kid’s smoothie by Innocent €2.60
Freshly squeezed orange juice €3.95
Homemade kombucha €3.25
Homemade lemonade €2.50
Lorina bottled lemonade €2.70
Vit Hit Juice €2.80
500ml bottled water (still or sparkling) €2.00
Seasonal cordials also available
*****

Coffees
Locally roasted and specially blended for Osta
Espresso €2.00 €2.50
Espresso con panna €2.60 €3.10 d
Machiatto €2.25 €2.80 d
Flat white €2.80 d
Americano €2.10 €2.20 €2.65
White coffee €2.30 €2.40 €2.80 d
Latte €2.55 €2.85 €3.10 d
Cappuccino €2.60 €2.90 €3.20 d
Moccha €3.00 €3.20 €3.60 d
Extra shot of espresso €0.70
Add flavoured syrup €0.70
Decaf options and milk alternatives also available
*****

Hot Chocolate & Other Hot Drinks
Our delicious Hot Chocolate is made with fresh milk and 40% cocoa with natural vanilla. Must try!
Small Large Allergens
Real hot chocolate € 2.80 € 3.30 d
Real hot chocolate spiced € 2.90 € 3.40 d
Peppermint hot chocolate € 3.50 € 3.90 d
Hot chocolate of the month € 3.50 € 4.00 d
Add fresh cream and/or marshmallows and chocolate sauce €0.70 d
Chai latte €2.50 €3.30 d
Kids hot chocolate €2.10 d
not quite so big or rich, sprinkled with marshmallows
Babyccino €1.75 d
small cup of frothed warm milk sprinkled with chocolate
****

Breakfast Dishes
Porridge €3.45 g,n,d (n,s)
Organic Kilbeggan oats made with milk or water served with a
selection of spices, compotes, sugars and seeds
30k Breakfast - Large €8.50 / Small €5.85 g,e
Locally produced sausages, bacon, black and white pudding with poached Ballisodare egg, potato cake and grilled tomato (from our
organic vegetable growers when in season)

Vegetarian Breakfasts
Home baked beans on buttered sourdough toast with poached egg €6.85 d,e,g
Cheesy Omelette - 3 Fresh local eggs with mature cheddar cheese and spring onion €6.95 d,e,
Osta’s Pancakes
Enjoy our famous pancakes. Full portion of 4 pancakes
with any toppings of your choice. Gluten Free Pancakes also available.
With lemon, butter and sugar €6.25 g,d,e
With greek style yoghurt and cinnamon infused mixed berries €6.95 g,d,e
With greek style yoghurt, Knocknarea
honey and toasted almond flakes €6.75 g,d,e,n
With crispy bacon and Highbank Orchard Syrup €7.95 g,d,e
Add Extra topping €0.70
Add 5th pancake €0.60
Gluten Free pancakes available €1.00
****

Freshly Baked
At Osta we bake a huge selection of delicious scones, biscuits and cakes daily.
Please see our counter display to see what’s available today!
***Please ask about Gluten Free options***
Fresh scone with butter and jam € 2.75 g,e,d
****

Other Sweet Offerings
Greek yoghurt with cinnamon infused berries €4.20 d
Greek yoghurt with local honey and almonds €3.90 d,n
Add granola €0.75 d,n,g
****

Hot & Cold Sandwiches & Wraps
Gluten free bread available
Warm Balsamic roasted beetroot with walnuts and Zing soft cheese leaves in a multigrain wrap. €7.50 d,n,g
BLT – Bacon, lettuce and tomatoes in a soft wrap with mustard mayonnaise. €6.95 g,mu,e
Slow cooked ham and Ella cheese open sandwich with mustard mayo, mixed leaves and home pickles on toasted sourdough €7.90 g,mu,e
Caramelized onion hummus and roasted seasonal vegetables in a multigrain wrap €6.50 g,s
Croque Monsieur - Classic warm French sandwich of home cooked ham and Emmental cheese €5.95 g,mu,d
Tortilla wrap with Chicken, Emmental Cheese and Tomato Relish €5.95 d,g
****

Salads
Beetroot, bean, carrot and apple salad
with toasted seeds
As a Side Salad
€ 6.95
€ 2.95
s,mu,su
(vegan)
Warm Zing cheese, with honey roasted
vegetables and walnuts, on tossed leaves
€ 7.95 d,n
Shines Wild Irish Tuna salad, with organic Bluebell Farm egg, tossed leaves in a herb vinaigrette
€ 8.95 f,e,mu, su
Clarkes organic smoked salmon salad, with beetroot pickle, tossed leaves € 9.95 f,mu,su
Add homemade brown or sourdough bread with butter or organic rapeseed oil
€ 1.85 (g)(d)

Please See The Blackboard For Today’s Specials!
Our soups are usually gluten free and vegetarian. Please let us
know if you require a vegan, gluten free or dairy free dish.

Allergens : Please note that we bake with nuts and ground almonds in our kitchen and therefore can’t guarantee the absence of nuts in our dishes.
Allergen List:
Gluten: g
Milk/dairy: d
Egg: e
Nuts: n
Sesame: s
Mustard: mu
Peanuts: p
Crustaceans: cr
Molluscs: mo
Soya: soy
Celery: ce
Fish: f
Lupin: l
Sulphur Dioxide: sd
Vegetarian Breakfasts
Home baked beans on buttered sourdough toast with poached egg
€ 6.85
d,e,g
 

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