Overlooking the picturesque fishing village of Duncannon, Aldridge Lodge is a modern stone-fronted dormer house with lovely views of the beach and mountains. It was our Newcomer of the Year in 2006 and, since then, Euro-Toques chef Billy Whitty and his partner Joanne Harding have earned such a well-deserved reputation for excellent food and warm hospitality that many regular guests make a point of heading straight here when visiting the South-East.
The restaurant is bright and airy, with patio doors out onto a deck area, tables smartly set up with lobster themed mats and comfortable high backed leather chairs.
Like fellow members of Euro-Toques, Billy is committed to sourcing the best produce as locally as possible – and no wonder in his case as, alongside the many other trusted suppliers listed, you will find Billy’s father, Tommy who supplies the Duncannon crab and lobster. Billy and Joanne also produce their own vegetables as much as possible, in their garden and polytunne 0- food doesn’t get much more local than that, and they offer their own homemade breads for sale too.
Fine modern Irish cooking is Billy’s niche and he is a gifted chef, who continues to develop his style and expertise - and he also gives outstanding value.
Given the restaurant’s location, there's an understandable emphasis on seafood, notably Tommy’s crab and lobster in season, which only have to come up the road from Duncannon harbour, and also Kilmore Quay and Dunmore East where a wide variety of catches (including scallops, brill and turbot) is landed all year.
Billy’s culinary skill is obvious and he is an exceptionally expert seafood chef; his ability to combine flavours and textures is a constant source of delight, his timing is perfect – and it’s highly unlikely that you would need to adjust the seasoning of any dish.
While the seafood dishes are always especially impressive (and Billy is a former GCG Seafood Chef of the Year), the choice is wide and you are likely to find several poultry dishes (including quail and duck as well as free-range chicken), spring lamb or local beef, Wicklow venison in autumn/winter and some appealing vegetarian dishes. All the smaller items - soups, breads and side vegetables - are lovely too, including the garnishes, which enhance the flavour combinations and add eye appeal without being fussy.
To finish, you could have a selection of Irish farmhouse cheeses (served with home-made crackers) or one half a dozen desserts including a special of the evening. The simplest option is to try a tasting plate of desserts for one or two, which rounds off a meal here nicely.
The wine list, like everything else at Aldridge Lodge, offers good value, and service is caring and efficient. And, while they don’t have draught beer or a licence for spirits, there are some other interesting drinks, such as the Aldridge style G&T (the main ingredient is white port), or the delicious Nohoval Tawny as an after dinner drink.
It really is a super destination and proves that a restaurant doesn’t have to be huge, or in a city, to entice diners with outstanding food.
Accommodation:
Three well-appointed bedrooms (one with full bath and shower, the others with shower only) are quiet and comfortable, and there's a comfy residents lounge area on the landing too.
An excellent breakfast includes an exemplary Full Irish (in two sizes) and some brunchy dishes that are lifted by special details as well as quality ingredients - the beans offered on toast with poached egg are homemade, for example, and so is the brown sauce served with a Crowe's Farm bacon sandwich - and, of course, there’s fresh fish. It would be hard to beat a magnificent plate of plaice that comes with a poached egg (choice of hen or duck), tomatoes and a Portobello mushroom. Some terrific 'starters' too, including pear poached in red wine - a great way to start the day.
And, for special occasions, a ‘Prosecco Breakfast’ (including 2 glasses of Prosecco per person) is offered to groups of 8 or more up to 12 noon, by reservation.
This could be a hard place to leave.
