Evening Herald, 28th October 2011

I've found the king of clubs.
The friendly, unstuffy residence is truly a treasure

If I were to devise my own one-word epitaph it would probably be 'unclubbable' (okay, any pedants out there don't write in, I know 'unclubbable' is not a real word). In my lifetime I have joined many clubs, always with the purpose of taking part in the activity in which they specialise. Rugby clubs, football clubs, cricket clubs, tennis clubs, golf clubs, croquet clubs, yacht clubs and more feature in my sporting CV.
Yet in none of them have I ever been tempted to socialise. Game/shower/pint/home has always been the routine. When 'exclusive club' (as it was then styled) The Residence opened its doors on to Stephen's Green, I received a request from the management to compile a suitable wine list.
In return, they offered me a free membership. This seemed very fair until the thought occurred: "What the hell would I be doing with a membership of somewhere I'd never be likely to set foot in?"
I only recently realised that the dining room at The Residence (now styled Restaurant 41) was actually open to members of the public, that's how club-clued up I am, although I did hear that Graham Neville was cheffing there.

I'd first met Graham (at the time Kevin Thornton's acolyte) back in 2005 when he was competing in the Irish heat of the Bocuse D'Or, best regarded as the unofficial culinary Olympics for young chefs. I was a member of the judging panel and it seemed to us that Graham's take on (from memory) Poulet de Bresse was light years more sophisticated than any of his competitors.

We were ushered into one of the dining rooms, the one overlooking The Green, the room I'd recommend you dine in if you can get a table. Sibs was quick off the mark, beating me to my first choice starter and dessert. No matter, there were plenty of tempting options.

The pleasant, efficient waiter brought an amuse gueule, a tortellino of chicken bathed in a truffle crème. She pronounced it delicious. Her prawns with black sole, smoked peas and aged parmesan was a triumph, every last nuance of flavour shone through, exquisite ingredients simply and sympathetically treated, probably one of the best dishes I have tasted this year. Not that I was in any way dismayed by my own warm foie gras, poached quince and walnut crumble.

Intrigue
Sibs claimed another winner with the roast breast of honey-glazed duck with figs, celeriac and an Armagnac sauce. While anyone can fan a breast of duck, pan sear it and surround it with pretty things it takes talent and a regard for righteous ingredients to do it this well. Likewise, my loin of Wicklow venison, which came pink and very tender, the 'smoked heather sauce' making an intriguing counterpoint to the richness of the meat.

The Residence's sommelier, Jean-Baptiste's wine list showed evidence of care and attention, with a dozen wines and not the usual suspects, available by the glass. Deferring to Sibella's request for white I picked an Albarinho from Rias Baixas which had enough silky fullness to cope with the foie gras and just about enough balls to stand up to the venison. I augmented this with a single glass of a respectable Cote du Rhone.
A substantial pre-dessert arrived, making us glad we'd done the 'one pud, two spoons' routine when it came to the real thing, a poached poire Williams with an almond sponge, Valrhona chocolate and a delicate almond-milk ice-cream, a confection that had us disputing the last mouthful.
The Residence does seem to be rather a jolly place, free from that archaic stuffiness that blights most of those other private clubs around the Green. I might not be 'clubbable' but I'd go back there again like a shot. We spent €159 ex-service, which many may deem expensive. But the sense of style, the ambience, the civility and courtesy of the staff and, above all, Graham Neville's sensational cooking, made it worth every cent and more.

Paolo Tullio - Irish Independent
"Striking Gold on the Green"
I took that as my cue to finally visit it. It's housed in one of the prettier houses on St Stephen's Green, a three-bay, ivy-covered gem with all manner of original features intact. The entrance hall is quite spacious, and here you'll find a concierge sitting at a desk to welcome you, reminding you that this was set up as a club. Like many of the houses surrounding the Green, it's bigger inside than you might expect -- a kind of Tardis effect.
A very elegant staircase leads you up to the dining room. If you look around you as ascend, you'll see the very beautiful stucco work on the ceilings -- Italianate and dating from the 1700s. Most of the first floor, which was presumably the piano nobile, is comprised of dining rooms. Read more...

Tom Doorley - The Irish Times
The dining room, overlooking the Green, is one of the most attractive in Dublin, and according to my lunch companion, who would be a sound judge of such things, the staff are even better dressed than the members. "That's the kind of thing I usually notice only in London or New York," she added.
Actually, the customers (let's face it, that's what they are) look pretty smart, too. There is much money here and private education. All very under-40.
The food is elegant and disciplined, something that is reflected in the economical descriptions on the menu. "Warm white asparagus, soft boiled egg" was actually more than that. True, we got the distinctive, minerally character of white asparagus, but also a few spears of the very different green one, and a subtle morel sauce.
Blue-fin tuna with Vietnamese vegetables was gloriously simple, the vegetables just a few julienne strips, the fish rare (but should, I think, have been virtually raw) and the delicate broth warm and spicy.
John Dory, smoked pea puree, wet garlic and potato gnocchi was simply splendid: the fish impeccably cooked, the puree just sweet enough and mildly smoky, the gnocchi tiny and delicate, the garlic full of that distinctive taste and texture that goes with the start of the season. Wild sea bass was suitably meaty, cooked perfectly à point, its fleshiness complemented by sweet braised onion and the whole lot infused with the subtle herbiness of Noilly Prat vermouth in the sauce.

Georgina Campbell Guide 2010
Heading up the kitchen is one of Dublin's most talented younger chefs, Graham Neville, who trained in France and America and spent seven years working with Michelin-starred chef Kevin Thornton - and it shows. His food is perfectly crafted, replete with seasonal flavours that sing off the plate.
Menus are based on carefully sourced seasonal ingredients and offer many treats. In autumn, for example, you might begin with a luxurious starter such as warm foie gras, caramelised onion and plums then follow with seared king scallops, Irish rose veal, celeriac and coral Madeira sauce, before cleansing your palette with an exquisite mini mint crème brulée, or trying the chef's signature praline soufflé.
The amuse bouche, mid-courses and petits fours are all real highlights, and the whole experience is enhanced by the care taken with sourcing ingredients - it is good to see a kitchen of this calibre opting for Irish rose veal in preference to the traditional white continental meat, for example.
Seamlessly smooth service is provided by Restaurant Manager Jamie Belton and his team, and Sommelier Julie Dupouy guides guests through a pleasingly concise and carefully chosen wine list, which favours France but also offers choice from the new world; a wide range is also offered by the glass, including the speciality wines suggested for each dessert and the farmhouse cheese selection.

Taste of Ireland 2010
Chef Graham Neville- this young unassuming man has a delicate hand for fish dishes, obviously loves his ingredients and on this evening created a meal that ranks up there with anything I have eaten in Ireland