Long-established restaurateur Sinead Byrne and her son Ross run the restaurant in the stunning Visual Centre for Contemporary Art & the George Bernard Shaw Theatre in the heart of Carlow Town and both the restaurant and the venue that provides its stylish contemporary setting are a great asset to the town.
The restaurant can be accessed directly from outside or from within the building, where it is tucked away to the left of the reception area (go down a few steps and then the restaurant entrance is on the left hand side); once discovered, the atmosphere is friendly and casual, and welcoming local staff set arriving guests at their ease.
The setting is magnificent, with a full wall to wall, floor to ceiling window allowing full views of Carlow Cathedral and Carlow College and an outside eating space. Softly contemporary hanging ball lighting and a fresh flower arrangement dominate the centre of the restaurant, which has a light marble floor and banquette seating as well as tall tables for singles or twos.
Local artists’ paintings are displayed for sale, and the room is cleverly broken up with floor to ceiling wine displays at one side, and a semi open kitchen commanding attention on another - and dark wall cladding, covered in glass, allows the staff to write up the specials and clean them off later.
The kitchen team continue the long established Lennons philosophy of using the best local and regional artisan produce (suppliers detailed include many in Carlow and the South-East) – and the appealingly simple food, cooked to order, is always pleasing.
Menus offered include pre-theatre supper and dinner menus, also post show plates and tapas, but many people will come here independently of other activities in the centre to enjoy one of their ‘morning treats’ from the bakery, for lunch, or for a leisurely Sunday brunch when the speciality is Poached eggs various way - Benedict (with
back bacon) Florentine (with creamed spinach), Royale (with Meyler’s oak smoked salmon), all served with double cooked chips.
Lunch menus offer a wide range of the wholesome, informal dishes that the Lennons built their reputation on, with tasty salads a particular strength and a good choice of open sandwiches wraps and ciabattas along with specials – which could include an exceptionally good chicken and ham vol-au-vent.
Simple things like side dishes (lovely homemade wedges, for example) and soup tell you a lot about what’s going on in a kitchen; here, soup of the day might be a deeply flavoured homemade vegetable soup and it’s served with freshly baked bread, with gluten free bread offered as an option – and longterm fans are always pleased to see the Lennons’ favourites listed – including a ploughman’s board of honey roast ham and Coolattin cheddar (made nearby in County Wicklow), for example, which is served with pickled onions, apricot chutney and crusty bread.
Finish with a popular dessert - fruit crumble with cream, perhaps, or chocolate brownie with chocolate sauce and cream – and a speciality tea or coffee, and reflect on your good fortune.
With good cooking, good value and good service from the friendly, knowledgeable staff, Carlow is fortunate to have this restaurant – and it is in a wonderful venue.
**Also at: Lennons Coffee on Potato Market in the centre of Carlow Town. Serves hand-roasted coffee by Pat Grant of Greenbean Coffee Roasters in Dundalk, deli sandwiches and cakes made daily in the VISUAL Arts Centre, and breakfast including Porridge with toasted seeds & honey and Superfood granola, Killowen natural yoghurt & mixed berry compote.
