How come this place isn't better known, everyone asks after dining at Bridgefoot House restaurant. Well as they say, timing is everything, and Chef/proprietor Alan Barrins had the misfortune to open his doors just as we were going into the Covid19 pandemic. That kept Bridgefoot below the radar for a while, but it hasn't stayed there long - the word is well and truly out, and it just goes on getting better.
Alan Barrins has worked in some very classy places – as executive chef at Corrigans in Mayfair, head chef at Charlottes Bistro in London, in Abu Dhabi and in Sydney – and he is now bringing all this experience together in the menu at his own restaurant, where accomplished and creative cooking based on excellent ingredients is attracting a growing following.
The dining room is welcoming in a casual way - one area has a view of the open kitchen which adds interest - and the table settings are understated, with paper napkins and no flowers. In the evening, this somewhat café-like setting could seem a bit at odds with the accomplished cooking offered - but the food is the focal point here and it does the talking. And Bridgefoot House is a genuine neighbourhood restaurant that is open for longer hours and with more options than is usual at this level of expertise (brunch, lunch, dinner, a Sunday menu), offering real value and a treat for the tastebuds with innovative menus designed to showcase top quality seasonal ingredients.
Menus offered include an early bird dinner and a Sunday brunch menu as well as an evening à la carte that offers a wide choice, of perhaps nine starters and ten mains, most of which anyone be delighted to have on their plate. Some interesting sharing options for 2 to 4 people, such as cote de boeuf with bone marrow and a roast suckling pig shoulder with crispy pig’s head, may be included. Local seasonal ingredients are the foundation of the menus and some excellent producers - Lissadell Rock Oysters, Benbulben Farm eggs, Mount Temple Beef and Andarl Farm pork, for exampe - are name-checked on dishes and the quality is obvious on the plate, so it would be interesting to see regular suppliers fully listed as well.
Everything is made in-house, beginning with the homemade breads on a rustic wooden board with salted butter that come out first - probably focaccia (try to remember to keep some back, to mop the sauces later...) and a very nice brown soda bread with none of the sweetness that has become popular of late.
The fish cookery is exceptional, typically including a star starter of Loin of Yellowfin Tuna, Ponzu Dressing, Katsuobushi and Togarashi, an outstanding dish that leaves the most delicious flavour in the mouth. Charred outside, but uncooked and soft inside, the barely seared slices are topped with deliciously smoky bonito flakes and matchstick potato chips scattered with spicy togarashi, and served in a beautifully balanced ponzu sauce with black and white sesame seeds. A remarkable dish that lingers in the memory. By contrast, a starter of Slow Cooked Beef Shin Boulangère with Crispy Hens Egg and Gherkin Ketchup offers a totally different experience with its rich and unctuous serving of beef and the crisp-textured egg.
Main courses such as perfectly cooked Roasted Halibut with Thai Coconut Sauce, Fennel and Puffed Wild Rice. or Mount Temple Salt Marsh Lamb Shoulder with Spinach & Anchovy, Baby Gem and Wild Garlic are sure to please - the spinach and anchovy, in particular, being an inspired combination which contrasts perfectly with the lamb.
Desserts may include a classic Dark Chocolate Mousse, Raspberry and Chocolate Wafer - a rich but not heavy mousse with the raspberry providing a perfect foil and the broken homemade chocolate wafer making a very more-ish decoration.
Service matches the food - staff are very friendly and helpful, with good menu knowledge and spot on advice as to what sides would be needed.
When it comes to drinks, the wine list isn’t extensive but there's a quality offering a little off the usual. A dozen or so wines are available by the glass, plus dessert wines and ports, and there are also a few cocktails and beers, with the Sligo brewery 'Lough Gill', on tap also a lager and IPA.bottled beers.
Bridgefoot House is a great assset to Sligo town - and the region - and, most importantly for a neighbourhood restaurant in challenging times, it offers very good value, especially considering the high quality ingredients and superb cooking.
