Max de Laloubie has re-created a little corner of Paris next to Dublin Castle, writes Tom Doorley
If there seems something peculiarly French about the cafe beside the Dame Street entrance to Dublin Castle, it's not just because it's called Chez Max. The tables on the pavement, and just about everything you see inside, say Paris. This is no coincidence: the furniture and fittings did, indeed, come from Paris, supplied by a friend of the patron, Max de Laloubie, whose first venture was the Pulp juice bar, formerly Nectar, in the Epicurean Food Hall.
De Laloubie is a reformed estate agent. He fell in love with Ireland about 10 years ago, just about the time he fell out of love with property, or at least the business of selling it. He remarks, with a Gallic shrug, that being an estate agent doesn't really command respect. I have no doubt that estate agents, like journalists, rank somewhere below firefighters, surgeons, civil-rights campaigners, Bob Geldof and Nelson Mandela. I'm not sure, however, that restaurateurs are held in much greater esteem than lawyers, spin doctors, property developers and Simon Cowell.
I suspect that de Laloubie has been driven to his present calling by an enthusiasm for simple French food mixed with a combination of bonhomie and an ability to run a busy eating house with steely concentration.
What he has set out to do, he says, is to create a brasserie. This is where our understanding of the concept perhaps differs from the French version. "Brasserie" is a word that has been abused in these parts, often attaching to places with considerable pretensions. A brasserie was originally a place to eat simple grub in the shadow of a brewery, with access to copious quantities of beer.
What Chez Max offers is a very short menu of a few salads, a few tartines - or open sandwiches - and a handful of hot dishes, along with the usual coffee, croissants and what have you. It's a great idea, reflecting how most of us eat these days: simply, fairly lightly and, if at all possible, reasonably cheaply. And at Chez Max you don't have to do this through the medium of pannini - toasted sangers by another name.
We had a tartine consisting of two big slices of good white bread spread with a little bechamel and topped with thinly sliced new potatoes, melted Reblochon and a few slivers of crisp bacon. Accompanied by a small, well-dressed salad, it cost €6.90, which is not a lot for a perfectly adequate lunch. We also tried a very flavoursome beef stew with carrots - dark, rich and in a generous bowl - with new potatoes (for €8). Add to that a couple of small bottles of Evian, a bottle of simple red wine and two bracing double espressos and it all came to a pleasant lunch, enough to linger over and have a chat. And a bill of €40.40, which, for central Dublin, isn't bad. I dare say it would be somewhat less in a Parisian side street, but that's another story.
Chez Max has been in operation for a little over a month, and its formula is evolving. Although it still buys in most of its desserts, from L'Artisan, its chocolate cake is the work of its chef, Francis Docaigne. It has also acquired a wine licence, and is in the process of commissioning a small garden at the back.
Chez Max may not serve stunning grub, but it's good, chunky stuff, and prices are very fair. With care you can come out well fed and with a modest bill. It's just the kind of place we need, and I suspect it will get even better given time. But I bet there's more money in being an estate agent.
Chez Max, 1 Palace Street, Dublin 2.
WINE CHOICE When I visited, Chez Max was still largely dependent on a well-known off-licence chain, to whose prices it applied a hefty mark-up. It has started to source more appropriate stuff, however, starting with its particularly juicy and easy-drinking Côtes du Ventoux (€22), which is better than many a similarly priced house wine. The idea is to offer a small range of good-value French wines - of which lots are available from small, independent merchants. There is no reason why Chez Max and similar establishments can't offer very sound house wines for €17.95 without going out of business. Roll on cafe society.