history
WINE EPERGNE, UPPER RATHMINES ROAD, DUBLIN 6
1990 — 1992
REVIEW BY SANDY O’BYRNE
THE IRISH TIMES, SATURDAY AUGUST 4TH, 1990
Sandy O’ Byrne dines at a new restaurant in Rathmines and finds it quite special
AMBITION, AMBIENCE AND ARTICHOKES
The combination of a wine merchant and a chef seems a very good one for a restaurant but when the wine merchant is Findlaters and the chef is Kevin Thornton, it might even be called inspired. And it is. From the seaweed wrapped sushe canapes to the finest of almond tuile which arrived with coffee, the food at the new Wine Epergne was different, new and quite special.
Kevin, who took over the Epergne a short time ago is a highly talented chef whose trans-European experience includes time spent at Paul Bocuse’s famous three star restaurant in Lyon. He has a passion for what he is doing, an ambition tinged with idealism.
The menu is entirely modern. The food was excellent, but what really impressed was the work content of the dishes and their sauces. The wine list is naturally strong. Artichokes are not seen very much on restaurant menus, probably because they are awkward to eat, yet they have a marvellous taste. Kevin’s answer to the problem was very clever and made an excellent first course. The artichoke bottoms had been sliced, topped with ratatouille and encased in pastry. The little “tourte” was then placed on a pool of saffron sauce which had just the right amount of the heady spice. Our other appetiser was a warm timbale of chicken liver with a consomme-like reduction flavoured with shitake mushrooms. It was a strong, rich flavour which made a great impact at the start. We tasted both soups, a light chilled cream of celery and cucumber, and a wonderful consomme with basil.
My own main dish really showed off the amount of work in the food. It was a breast of guinea fowl rolled into a cylinder around a farce, presumably of the bird’s leg, studded with pistachio. This was cooked, then sliced into tiny, marbled medallions. The plate was garnished with a mousse of courgette, a stuffed courgette flower with the drumstick of the fowl. The sauce was another wonder of rose petal and vanilla. My guest’s turbot had an intriguing sauce of wild horseradish and girolles mushrooms which was perfect with the textured fish.
I did not know how I was going to eat any more at this stage, until the final course arrived. It consisted of raspberries and strawberries and mango, layered with creme patisserir and the finest of tulipe paste of raspberry jus. A touch of fork and it shattered. My guest opted for a platter of Irish cheeses which were very good indeed.
Some other quotes from food writers :
“The is one of the most exciting new restaurants I have seen, the chef is obviously out to make his reputation which should mean very good things over the next few months.” — Helen Lucy Burke on the Wine Epergne, 1992
THORNTON’S, 1 PORTOBELLO ROAD, DUBLIN 8
1995 — 2002
Review by Georgina Campbell, February 6th 1996
Quiet perfectionism is the keynote of this uncluttered two-storey canalside restaurant. Just open since May 1995 Kevin Thornton has already won some notable accolades: a Michelin star (reaffirmed for 1997), Egon Ronay/Jameson Chef of the Year and the Gilbey’s Gold Medal Award.
Only the best of ingredients will do for this exacting chef and no creative effort is spared, making each dish a unique and disciplined expression of culinary art that highlights the flavour and beauty of the food without unnecessary flamboyance. Well-trained staff provide professional service to match: Dublin is richer for this little gem.
Review by Food and Wine Magazine, May 2002
Seriously good cooking in a seriously good restaurant overlooking the canal. Kevin Thornton is undisputedly top of the premier league of Ireland’s proprietor chefs. Highly professional staff provide impeccable service to complement Kevin’s superb cooking: a peep into the kitchen from the small reception bar downstairs reveals a disciplined team performing brilliantly and order prevails equaly in the elegantly under-stated upstairs dining areas (candle-lit at night). No guest could fail to be impressed: perfection reigns throughout: menus are spinkled with luxurious signature dishes (e.g. sauteed foie gras with scallops and cep sauce served with warm brioche) or, alternatively, there’s an eight-course ’surprise menu’. Simply superb. The lunch menu here is terrific value too so consider taking Friday afternoon off to make the most of the only day it is offered.
Some other quotes from food writers :
“Kevin Thornton is not only a culinary genius, he is also a chef whose deftness and confidence have really hit their stride, and he’s always there in the kitchen.” — Tom Doorley on Thornton’s Restaurant, 1 Portobello Road, Dublin 8 – 1996
