Bistro Le Monde, Dun Laoghaire

Photo: Bistro Le Monde

Cookie FM Rating – 3.5/5

There are many restaurants in Dublin I have yet to try, and many that I have added to my own Eat List but sometimes it’s fun when others bring you to a restaurant they’ve discovered and have enjoyed. I can be fussy though, and when my Dad told me he’d booked Bistro Le Monde, I did ask how often had he been before. “At least five times, it’s one of our favourites!” Well then, I was sold! The restaurant faces onto the train station in Dun Laoghaire, just off the main promenade, next door to Milano’s. With a bright, clean layout, brick wall accents, a lit-up wall of famous buildings, an exposed wood-fire and even an aquarium, it’s very much a welcoming venue. We were offered both the Early Bird and À La Carte menus, of which I opted for the latter.

For my starter I opted for the Arancini di Riso, as it caught my eye immediately and I’m a big fan of deep fried…well anything! Our starters all arrived swiftly after ordering, and admittedly the presentation impressive. My plate looked like a piece of culinary art (albeit slightly messy); five pieces of arancini, decorated with splatters of butternut squash velouté and tomato sauce, sunflower seeds, micro herbs and edible flowers, as well as cubes of butternut squash and three Parmesan crisps. The flavour of the arancini was tasty, with the combination of rice, cheese & butternut squash it gave a moist filling on the inside, while still crisp on the outside and golden in colour. Though the menu stated Cashel blue cheese, I couldn’t distinguish this flavour and it tasted more like mozzarella to me – which in my opinion, is the correct cheese to use for arancini. The accompanied velouté and tomato sauce were great for the little balls of deep-fried goodness, and well complimented by the Parmesan crisps. As a starter though, I feel five pieces is a bit much, and I’m thankful I shared it with my family. The others ordered the Le Monde Salad and King Prawns starters, which also looked appetising.

Next was my main course, and I opted for a rather simplistic order: a Pepperoni Pizza. The reason for this was, that when trying an Italian restaurant, a good pizza can say a lot about the restaurant. With their long list of varieties, my favourite is a classic really, though I regret ruining it with added chicken (I know!). The pizza had a thin base with a thin crust, plenty of cheese and a decent amount of pepperoni. It tasted very good and stayed hot in temperature for the majority of my meal. It did need added pepper, and fresh herbs would have been a nice addition to the pizza. The others all ordered the Sicilian Chicken, which is the dish my Dad had raved about – however I did try it but wasn’t a fan, though its presentation was impressive.

Overall it was an enjoyable meal, and I would be open to trying more from the menu. The service and atmosphere of the restaurant is friendly, caters well to families with children and groups of friends. Their wine menu was extensive, and also gave the option to order half bottles of wine, which I did, choosing the Ladera Verde Sauvignon Blanc.

TRIED & TESTED

À La Carte Menu

Starters

Arancini di Riso (rice balls made with butternut squash and Cashel blue cheese, served with sage and butternut squash velouté, parmesan net, crispy sage leaves, micro herbs)

Mains

Pepperoni Pizza (mozzarella, tomato sauce, pepperoni, peppers)

Drinks

Ladera Verde Sauvignon Blanc (Chile)