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Irish Independent

Lucinda O'Sullivan's restaurant review: Prepare for pure culinary mastery in the early bird menus at these popular restaurants

Value menus are more in demand than ever, writes our critic, as she discovers some of the best offers on the table Today at 21:30 There was a time when, probably having downed four vodkas in the pub with a crowd of friends, it'd be 9pm before we'd even think of descending on a restaurant; a time when the early bird was only for elderly Americans. Everything changed when the recession hit and early birds suddenly became a necessity, keeping the restaurant industry and ourselves afloat. This all reared its head again after the lockdowns, with restaurants finding themselves empty by 10pm. The 'long Covid' for the industry, not helped by the VAT situation, is that many restaurants are closed in the early part of the week and once again there's a prevalence of value menus. Call them what you like, pre-theatre or whatever, but they're basically early birds and offering value that's not to be sniffed at. We were blown away recently by a 'Neighbourhood' menu in Volpe Nera in Blackrock, priced at just €38pp, that was not only a highly skilled, detailed and complex presentation of dishes, but would rival some of the most expensive restaurants around. I remember pastry chef Louise Bannon, who spent seven years in René Redzepi's Noma in Copenhagen, telling me that on a Saturday night every chef had to present a new dish to the team which was analysed, discussed and perhaps developed for the customers. Well, at Volpe Nera, Barry Sun has challenged his chefs to develop their own ideas and boy does this bring out the competitiveness and talent.