Citron is
located on the 1st floor of the 5 star Fitzwilliam Hotel on St
Stephen’s Green. The minute we stepped in we were greeted by the smiley door
man who was kind enough to walk us to the lift and give us directions to the
restaurant.
On this
occasion we had a Menupages voucher which, for the price of €59.99 included a champagne
cocktail, an amuse bouche, a starter and a main course for 2 people.
Citron’s
dining room is on the mezzanine level with some tables overlooking the reception
desk and a part of the hotel’s lobby. The interior is a mix of modern and funky
design with a beige colour scheme and a lime zest coloured floral wall paper.
To start we were
brought a kir royal and the cutest little amuse-bouche I’ve ever seen: a chip
and dip beautifully presented on a mini washing line above a rectangle of fake
grass. How could I resist? The crisps were thin and golden served along
with a mini basket filled with a flavourful garlic and chive mayo. We also had
this light amuse bouche full of Mediterranean flavours: parmesan foam, sundried
tomato jelly, Serrano ham and ciabatta bread all nested delicately in a round
shaped dish. I enjoyed the contrast between the crispiness of the bread and the
light textures of the jelly and foam (although Mr. FFID wasn’t a huge fan of
the jelly).
My starter
was a colourful pea risotto with chilli, dices of chorizo and squid (usually €10.50).
The risotto was creamy, cooked to perfection and so delectable that I left a clean
plate. You wouldn’t normal see me so enthusiast over a rice dish. The lovely
Mr. FFID heartedly dug into his starter of duck leg confit (usually €10.50) and
the first sound that came out of his mouth was ‘Oh wow’. Nicely surprised
Monsieur? It was indeed a tasty duck confit accompanied by some fondant potato,
a flavourful onion gravy and beautiful cabbage purée.
For main, my
‘Nose to Tail’ plate (normal price €28) had pork three ways: Iberico pork
cheek, suckling pig belly and tail beignet all served with caramelised apple.
The pig belly had a nice crispy crackling top, the cheek was melt in the mouth
and the beignet reminded me of a Spanish croqueta.
Mr. FFID
ordered the ‘study of beef’ (normal price €29.50) which is undoubtedly the
ultimate dish for meat lovers. He was
treated to beef cheek, a perfectly cooked medium rare sirloin, dry aged fillet
and an oxtail croquette. All of these came with a creamy mash, deliciously
crispy onion baji and a bed of spinach.
This
indulgent meal couldn’t be concluded without a little bit of sweetness which we
happily shared: the Monte Carlo (not included in the voucher, €7.90). It was a
very decent dessert of rich chocolate and hazenult mousse, sorbet, tangerine
cake and blood orange jelly. The consistency of the sorbet wasn’t quite right but
everything else worked out superb.
Now would I
go back to Citron? Certainly, and I would have paid the full price very
happily. We were well looked after by pleasant and courteous staff even as
voucher users, the Spanish waitress was lovely, explaining each dish to us,
always with the smile. Also as a French person I appreciated being offered
bread several times during the meal, even after the starter. The food was
delectable and greatly exceeded our expectations: a true delight for the taste
buds and also a feast for the eyes. C’était délicieux Citron!
Citron at Fitzwilliam Hotel
St Stephen's Green
Dublin 2
014185525
http://www.fitzwilliamhoteldublin.com/citron-restaurant.html
This is an independent review, I paid for my meal.
This is an independent review, I paid for my meal.
