The opening of La Casa brought a joyful new arrival to Claremorris in late 2023 - and, having hit the ground running, it soon became the go-to place for the area's lovers of Mediterranean food and hospitality.
And that should be no surprise, as - having run several establishments, including the famed Salamanca in central Dublin for 13 years - Claremorris native Caroline Boyle and her husband, chef Aleksandr Dimitrov, have decades of combined experience in the restaurant industry between them. Caroline wanted to move back home to Claremorris and, after a year of planning and redecorating a former café in the town centre to transform it into an atmospheric restaurant and wine bar, they opened La Casa on bustling Dalton Street just in time for Christmas.
Behind a dark green frontage sporting an Estrella Galicia sign and with Bienvenidos (Welcome) painted on the window above the door, it's warm, welcoming, fresh and very Spanish. Both owners have a particular interest in tapas and enjoy bringing fresh, local produce together with quality products from Spain to create a wide choice of innovative and very tasty dishes. The menu (in Spanish with translations) offers an excellent range of dishes divided into cold and hot tapas, meat, fish, vegetarian, plus specials such as a Burrata salad and perhaps a burger.
A typical meal here might start with jamon serrano (excellent quality and generous), fried almonds and triangles of good Manchego cheese scattered with fresh thyme as a platter, then patatas bravas with hot sauce and aioli, chorizo and prawns in a sherry and bravas tomato sauce, pan con tomate, and seafood paella made with Spanish short grain rice. It would be nice to know more about the provenance (only Pedro Ximenez and beef 100 per cent Irish are mentioned specifically) but there's no mistaking the quality.
The drinks list is a particular source of pride, featuring carefully sourced Spanish wines as well as Cava and Sangria, wines from other regions and beers including Estrella Damm from Barcelona as well as Heineken on draught, and a range of bottled beers.
The excellent service provided by friendly and well trained Spanish, Italian and Irish staff in neat black shirts enhances the experience - they clearly rate the food here, which is lovely to see.
A great atmosphere, authentic Spanish tapas in typical portions with a wide range of wines, beer, cocktails and coffee - and good value - make this a great choice for casual dining in a town with good transport links and close to Ireland West Airport.
