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Brú Restaurant Review
© March 2006 issue
Brú, Haymarket, North Bank, Drogheda
041 9872784 www.bru.ie
It was a Friday lunchtime when we braved the Drogheda traffic and arrived at Brú.
The toddler thought it strange that after his usual cup of milk, he was put in
the car seat rather than his little cot for his nap. But he was delighted at
this change of routine, clapping his hands in approval.He still fell asleep
within 200m driving. Thankfully there is plenty of car parking right beside Brú.
We walked the short distance along the river walk, the Boyne at low tide, and
past the glass-fronted restaurant.
We were early, only half past noon and about ten people were already there,
spread out around the glass walled amphitheatre of the restaurant. Wooden
flooring strips highlighted this feature nicely. We were greeted by a pleasant
lady, a table for two and a half she suggested viewing the now alert toddler. We
sat down at a table on the river side, the sun streaming in and soon warming us
up from the artic winds. Blinds were pulled down which stopped the glare but let
in the heat. Lunch Menus were presented on a small page. We could also see
children’s menus which we looked at later. We requested a high chair. The
waiting staff wore red polo shirts and long black aprons. Ah, red and black
again, Madame hoped there would not be anarchists on duty.
The decorative style was definitely contemporary with a hint of Japanese homage.
Bonsai
trees grew in small, round, wood-lined portholes in the internal walls. The
background music was also lively and so contemporary that I know that few people
other than the staff had an idea what it was. The colour scheme was all
autumnal, dark browns, burnt orange, crimsons. The restaurant is slightly
elevated above street level so diners can look down on the passing cars on the
street side. On the river side, we saw a couple of passing swans.
Our waitress came back to take our order. The main courses were all €7.95.
Madame guessed that I would go for the Brú cheeseburger with mature white
cheddar, crispy leaves and French fries. No, tasty as it sounded. Her second
guess was Beef and Red wine stew, rich red wine and onion sauce with root
vegetables and potatoes. Yes, not a bad choice on a chilly day. I had guessed
that she would go for the Thai green chicken curry, with a light sweet coconut
cream sauce on basmati rice. But I was wrong. She ordered Penne pasta, tomato
and garlic sauce with red chilli’s, black olives, topped with parmesan. Good, so
I ordered the Thai chicken curry instead. Drinks of orange juice and milk were
requested. The toddler liked the sound of that.
When another waitress brought the drinks, we again asked for a high chair and
this time it arrived immediately along with a drawing board for the toddler. At
last he could enjoy his own seat at the table. So could we, as the red and black
thoughts faded.
Our meals arrived surprisingly fast. They were both served on large white bowls
and were simply but tastefully presented. The portion sizes were sensible. The
Thai chicken curry sauce surrounded the rice with the chicken in the middle
garnished by some herbs. The penne pasta was similarly well presented. The first
surprise was the sweetness of the coconut sauce. It was very nice. I could see
that this meal was going to be eaten with relish. The pasta also seemed to be
disappearing fast so I had to remind Madame for a taste. The olive and chilli
sauce made a stark contrast to the creamy coconut sauce. Something for another
day. Beside us, a table of lady shoppers had ordered the Beef sandwich, beef
sirloin on pitta bread with red onion and balsamic dressing. It looked equally
delicious. One to try next time.
Speaking of ladies, by now, after one o’clock, the restaurant was almost full
and at least
85% of the diners were ladies. It seems, like shopping, to be a lifelong
tendency as all age groups were represented, although the 25 - 45 age bracket
predominated. Looking around at these people enjoying life, there could be no
doubt about which gender is the more intelligent of the species.
Our plates were cleared and dessert was preferred. The choice was limited to
dessert of the day, either pear and almond tart with ice-cream or sticky toffee
pudding, both at €4.95. Madame felt it her duty to try one and picked the almond
tart. I opted for a Latte. I looked at the children’s menu. Directly across the
river from us was the sight that usually inspires dread in any parent: the
golden arches.
The Brú children’s menu was priced at €4.95 each and the choice included
Margarita pizza, ham and mushroom pizza, macaroni and cheese penne pasta, kids’
chicken wings, chicken or fish goujons with chips, kids’ fillet of beef served
with mash and hidden vegetables. Each of these choices came with a glass of
milk, apple or orange juice as well. Decent food for children, nice and
nutritious, but it probably wouldn’t win the battle for young hearts and minds
over the clearly visible fast food rival.
The Latte came in a large triangular glass with a handle. The almond tart didn’t
come and didn’t come. When the Latte was almost finished, I left back the
children’s menu and lo and behold, the tart had arrived. The service manager had
delivered it personally saying that the first attempt had been burnt and offered
his apologies. A nice touch, even if it were untrue, but it would have been even
better to let us know why there was a delay. The restaurant was very busy by now
so we can cut the anarchists a little slack, especially as the home made ice
cream was very nice and the tart was delicious. In fairness, all the staff
seemed to be working busily.
It was reported that the salads were very good, that the toilets were very
clean, hygienic and well stocked and that there were excellent baby changing
facilities. I’m sorry I missed all that this time but no doubt we’ll be back
some weekend, if only to taunt the children. §
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The
Meath Coaster
