I’ve always liked the café at the National Library in Kildare Street. It’s something of a secret spot in a beautiful building. The staff were friendly and efficient, knowing plenty of their customers by name. But there was a muffin-in-cellophane brand of sustenance on offer to the readers, tourists and tired buggy-pushers of Dublin.
Now Michael O’Malley and Bronwyn Bailey (whose CVs include Gruel and the Winding Stair) have arrived to “showcase” Irish food in the National Library. And I’m here on day one to see what that means. At first glance the place has had a makeover that has blanded it down. The walls have been painted a yellowy-beige and the large artworks replaced with blow-ups of old display ads for theatre productions. But it’s still a lovely space and you get a close-up view of the Leinster House plinth as you walk into the building.
The chalkboard menu is much more enticing. And the first thing you notice is a granny flouncy china collection of mismatched plates. (Ah, the shorthand code for home-made.) It’s not even noon and they’re still unpacking food from plastic boxes so I’m happy to take a seat on the comfy new-old leather couch with a bracingly-strong cup of coffee and keep my two-year-old happy with a fruit flan (€3.95).
My ham hock terrine with relish and bread (€9.50) is great when it comes. There are proper chunks of ham ranging in colour from pale pink to liverish purple in a herbed jelly and surrounded with just-blanched bright green cabbage leaves. It’s a little fridge-chilly but on day one that’s understandable. A tiny pot of spicy fruit relish is the perfect partner and there’s some excellent just-sliced bread too.
Other cultural institutions could take note of what’s happening here. It’s a small start with a few dishes on a chalkboard. But here’s an Irish food culture we can be proud of, set in an iconic building. Maybe after losing the run of ourselves for a while, we are finding it again.
Lunch with coffee and a fruit tart came to €15.95.
Café Joly, The National Library, 2/3 Kildare St, Dublin 2. Tel: 01-6030213
