Ivans Oyster Bar and Grill Howth, Co. Dublin

REVIEWS

PAULO TULLIO | Irish Independent

"The main courses were a triumph of simplicity. It may seem counter-intuitive, but cooking simply is, in many ways, harder than cooking with a multiplicity of ingredients. When you've reduced a dish to its bare essentials, you have nowhere to hide if things go wrong. It takes great skill and some courage to produce a dish as simple and as perfect as what was placed before us. Stephen's black sole was presented on the bone and deftly filleted at the table. It was cooked to perfection, moist and firm, and served with nothing more than beurre noisette -- butter with hazelnut flour. My skate wing came with beurre noir, or black butter, not actually black, but browned in a pan with a dash of lemon and capers. We had a couple of side orders to go with these dishes, a rocket salad and green beans, but we needn't have bothered. There was an immensely generous amount of fish on both of our plates and we finished what we had with some difficulty.

It's been a long time since I had seafood as good as this. Not just really fresh, but so well cooked. It was encouraging that my chef dining companion felt the same way as I did, both about the quality of the cooking and the simplicity of the presentation. Later, after coffee, all three of us reviewers and our companions ended up at a table together comparing notes. Whatever was ordered was a success -- not a complaint between us." Read full review >

Ivans of Howth - Fresh Seafood Daily

TOM DOORLEY | The Irish Times (Magazine)

"The dining room is very cool, very modern, and the oyster bar next door is the last word in gastro-chic. It offers a good selection of deli products, wines, and what appeared to be particularly yummy patisserie. Howth is indeed blessed by this jewel in the Beshoff family crown.

The menu and the wine list are both short and to the point, and the cooking avoids the excesses of cheffiness that so often buries good seafood under a blanket of vain intervention. My Dublin abode is 40 minutes away on the Dart and I expect to be paying regular visits.

An amuse bouche of seafood soup was chunky and packed with flavour, clearly based on an exceptional fish stock, which is a rare commodity in this country. And then came an equally exceptional starter in the form of an omelette, at the heart of which was rich crab meat and lobster, with a touch of tomato, topped with nicely bitter and well-dressed frisée leaves. A bowl of soup followed by this would make a glorious lunch after a brisk walk on the pier. " Read Full Review (Irish Times Password Required) >

U MAGAZINE

"Bringing together the very freshest of seafood with the highest quality organic meats and poultry, yummy appetisers include Pata Negra ham and crab cakes and avocado or for the main event try the grilled king scallops with parsnip puree"

FOOD & WINE MAGAZINE

"Diners can choose from native or rock oysters at the bar, or dine in the restaurant proper with its harbour views and sea-focused menu. Treats like bouillabaisse and grilled lobster are joined by some carnivore favourites (such as the peerless Pata Negra ham), and dishes like gravadlax of sea trout with pickled fennel and oysters beignet."