While Niall Sabongi's been shouting all over town about getting Dubliners to eat more seafood (and doing a good job of it), another restaurant has been waiting in the wings ready to unleash lobster and crab claws onto South William Street.
Sole has opened in the site formerly occupied by Zaragoza, which was a fusion restaurant serving dishes like Louisiana Chicken Wings, Mayo Lamb Kofti, and Chicken Satay - their website says they're moving to a new location later in the year. Executive Head Chef at Sole is Fire's Richie Wilson, who's been the main man for steak and seafood in the Mansion House for the past four years.
While they have seafood in common, this is not a Niall Sabongi style shack. It's more Corrigan's of Mayfair. Serious money has gone into the design and fit out, and it's luxe all the way from the jaw-dropping seafood tank to the toilets, all of which you'll be paying for on the menu. This is not a Tuesday night, spur of the moment catch up kind of place (unless you're on the big bucks). At €47 for Sole Meunière, €32.50 for pan-fried Halibut and €110 for a 'Captain's Seafood Platter', this is into Glover's Alley territory.
There's a lot of talk about provenance on their menu so we were surprised that there was no Dublin-based supplier mentioned on their list, especially as so much great seafood comes in from Howth every morning. Hopefully this was an oversight and they do have suppliers in the city.
This might be one to save for a special occasion, pay day, or if you're really looking to impress your lunch or dinner guest. One thing's for sure, there'll be a restaurant critic in here before you can say 'Killary Fjord mussels', so expect a newspaper review soon. Until then (or until we come into more money) we might hop on over to one of the Klaws for 15% off the bill.
Sole
18 South William Street
Ph: 01 5442300
