Behind a discreetly smart black and white frontage in a traditional canalside terrace at Sallins, you'll find husband and wife team Josef Zammit and Nicola Curran's terrific little restaurant and wine bar. The scenic location, overlooking the boats moored on the Grand Canal, would alone be reason enough to come here - but it's not just the setting that has people flocking to this charming spot, but the exceptional 'fine dining without the fuss' experience - and the outstanding value for money that they offer.
Already well known to Kildare diners, Josef Zammit brought a following to Sallins so this was an eagerly anticipated opening and it got off to a flying start from day one, in February 2016. Designed with a view to offering affordable quality to the lucky locals very much in mind, the compact premises somehow manages to offer something for all ages and occasions in a small space, and to do it with style.
Downstairs, in a simple yet atmospheric room with bare brick walls and high stools set around rustic wooden tables, a blackboard menu offers 'tapas' - a cheese or charcuterie board, perhaps, and bites like ham croquettes or lamb kofta - along with half a dozen wines by the glass.
Up the narrow stairs, you'll find a much larger room. Low-ceilinged and with cottagey windows overlooking the canal, it sports smartly presented bare topped tables, comfortable chairs and banquettes and - like the ground floor wine bar - impressive artwork, very well displayed. Some tables also have a view into the busy kitchen, where you can observe the team working away like a well oiled machine, preparing, cooking, tasting, plating...
Menus are confidently short and, although they don't give much away in terms of provenance, they're very seasonal and suppliers will change depending on local availability - in spring, for example, you may be told (on inquiry) that they are using their contacts in France to supply early vegetables from the Rungis Market near Paris, until the local produce comes on stream.
A tasting menu is offered - five courses, with the option of matching wines - or a two/three course dinner menu with just three choices on each course. Descriptions are brief but there is great finesse and depth of flavour in the cooking. Given the emphasis on informality and keen pricing, first time diners may be surprised to be offered not only some of the delicious housebaked sourdough bread and butter, but also a complimentary amuse bouche - perhaps a cutely presented house special of salt cod brandade topped with a featherlight wisp of crispy skin.
To give a sense of the style: 'Small' dishes on a late spring menu may include hearty Boudin Noir, Pork Belly, Spring Onions, Barley; pretty, fresh-flavoured Salmon, Watercress, Horseradish; and Asparagus Soup, Confit Egg, Iberico Ham. Of these the soup, in particular (a complex dish in which soup is a relatively minor part), may come as a surprise; it pays to listen attentively to the well versed serving staff, who explain each dish in detail.
Mains ('Big') follow the same pattern - Cod, Burnt Lettuce, Courgette, Feta; Beef Brisket, Button Onions, Broad Beans, Wild Garlic; Miso Duck, Carrot Jam, Crispy Lentils. While you may not be quite sure what to expect, you can be certain that it will be out of the ordinary, well balanced, beautiful to look at (yet without gratuitous decoration), and extremely flavoursome. Side dishes, which will probably be limited to two or three - Chantenay Carrots Béarnaise and Almondine Potatoes, for example - are given the same careful consideration, although no vegetarian dishes are offered so they would need to be requested when booking.
'Naughty and nice' desserts may include a 'nice' rhubarb option which includes miniature homemade marshmallows and is made with maple syrup and coconut amongst other substitute ingredients; while it is free from pretty much everything and will be welcomed by guests on restricted diets, the 'naughty' option - a decadent chocolate marquise bombe, perhaps, with all sorts of irresistible supporting acts - or a classic crème brulée, would make a more sumptuous finale.
The drinks list includes well chosen and reasonably priced wines, with half a dozen or more available by the glass, and a number of craft beers - and the excellent coffee, by PS Coffee Roasters nearby in Naas, is accompanied by a complimentary dark chocolate truffle which rounds off the experience very nicely.
But perhaps the best part is the bill which, for food and service of this calibre, will be extremely reasonable - ensuring that you leave contented, and determined to return as soon as possible.
The kitchen and front of house teams at Two Cooks are exceptionally professional and well trained, which makes for a relaxing meal, while the varied menu structure and keen pricing makes it an attractive destination for families as well as adult outings.
A lot of thought has gone into offering something different and Two Cooks has certainly achieved its aim of being a good neighbourhood restaurant - but this canalside gem is also well worth a detour.
