An Port Mor

Frankie Mallon is a wonderfully instinctive cook. Most chefs wouldn’t see the affinity between halibut and oxtail, but Mr Mallon not only sees the affinity between these two disparate things, he cooks both in such a sympathetic way that he makes them seem the most obvious bedfellows. And then, when he finishes the dish with a wild Irish prawn and a smattering of parsley and garlic oil, he ratches the flavour equation up to 11: wow! This is modern Irish cooking.
Finding these favour affinities and transforming them into flavour epiphanies is what they do in An Port Mor: crab with Gruyere cheese in a tart; john dory with chanterelles; Clew Bay scallops with pork chop; foie gras with crevettes. Frankie Mallon’s culinary radar is unconventional, yet it is always straight ahead: he knows how to put deliciousness on the plate. And if his food is instinctive, it is also distinctive: no one else cooks like this superb chef, a cook who is both master of the art, and student of the art.
Mr Mallon has also built a great team around his kitchen crew over the years, so An Port Mor is, for many food lovers, the first choice in a town with a stunningly fine eating pedigree. You need to be on top of your game to cut it in Westport, and Frankie Mallon is always on top of his game.