Kelly's Cafe at the Drinagh Roundabout on the edge of town, part of a Meadows and Byrne store is an immaculate space - huge, it has to be said - with the signature Kelly's attention to detail in the gleaming fit out: polished white tiles, marble counter tops, marine blue lampshades, lots of timber, blue leather banquettes and a great pizza oven.
Large boards announce the menu, supplemented on the counter tops by daily specials. Earthen bowls are filled with pristine and colourful salads and staff are instantly friendly. I haven't ordered lunch yet but I'm already drawn to the dessert display! I smile at the inclusion of 'A soft flour blaa' on the breakfast menu - a recognition of the Waterford bread's elevated status that it has supplanted the Bap, here in it's home town? There's so much to choose from: quiche; Duncannon smoked haddock; chicken and broccoli crumble; beef and Guinness pie; but it's a special of monkfish with dauphinoise and ratatouille that tempts me. Food is brought to the table and it's a great lunch, the monkfish perfectly cooked, the texture firm but not rubbery. The dauphinoise is deliciously garlicky, the ratatouille piquant and sweet. There's a crisp salad on the side and a slick of balsamic on the wooden serving board to offset the creaminess of the potato. This is how it should be done, with care, with thought, with attention to detail.
This is a big space and now that the clock has gone past 1pm there's a long queue snaking its way around the curved counter, but there's not one hint of stress from the staff, everybody gets served with a smile and there's still time for more than one member of staff to come around checking if everything is ok. Empty plates are cleared away and I finally get to choose something sweet, a really good sweet pastry lemon tartlet with some slightly scorched meringue on top. It's pretty as a picture and so totally satisfying that I don't want it to end. Coffee is very good: in fact Bill Kelly is here himself bringing coffees to tables. Value is very strong: my monkfish lunch is just €11.00. Café food is very rarely like this but Kelly's Café have applied a simple maxim - one that might be described as an Avoca rule, or a Ballymaloe rule, but could just as equally be called a Kelly's rule: if you're going to do something, do it right and, at Kelly's Cafe, they do it right.
Drinagh, Wexford, IrelandOpen 9:30 am - 5:30 pm
Phone (053) 916 8800
Email cafe@kellys.ie
Website http://www.kellys.ie/hotel-overview.html
Photographs: Eamon Barrett
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