guestspy

The Irish government, with the foresight and moral fibre it’s become world famous for, is busy increasing taxes on consumption to fix our economy. They plainly miss good ol Charlie Haughey and want a throw back to the days of belt ‘tightening’.

One Pico are working against this trend, as are a number of other restaurants in Dublin. They want to let our belts out a few notches by stuffing us with cheap, gourmet lunches. I applaud their grasp of economics, the political classes should take a leaf out of their book.

I was in there for a birthday a little while ago, and decided to drop in while doing a photoshoot on the other side of the Liffey in the Belevedere hotel near O’Connell Street. It worked out to be a 13min brisk walk to just off molesworth street.

The return journey was a less brisk 20mins, an indicator of value for money in dining. Let me tell you why…

Arrived at the restaurant: the prices have gone down, but the service levels haven’t: they recognised a repeat customer from the birthday a week before and we got a friendly greeting and the last table free in the restaurant: An illustration of the concept of what our (not so wise) friends the economists call ‘Price Elasticity of Demand’, basically drop your prices, sell more and (hopefully) make money.

Straight into the meal: A fishcake with a posh name and some posh dressing for a starter, not huge but adequate portion and delicious. A winner.

Then, I had to do it: Confit du Canard on potatoes and a turnipy / squash thing. Apparently (according to a heavily worked looking chef) these things are cooked all night at a low temperature and then crisped quickly in one of those high temp ovens, thrown on the mash, covered in the sauce and served to me to make me late back to my client near Parnell Square.

Here’s the thing: I’ve seen these things in tins in France, eaten them and they were no where near as good as this, and they cost what my meal in One Pico did. How are they doing it? I don’t care as long as it is economically sustainable.

Not like our housing boom, where we were all going to do great having banks and builders sell substandard houses to us for inflated prices – and then we would live like kings on the benefits of trickle down economics. I can only assume One Pico were serving this food up to the great and the good before I could afford to eat there, and they made all their decisions after lunch. Mmm – it is around the corner from the Dail.

Onto desert: with my liver struggling to process the delicious crispy fat, I can barely remember something about little round donuts and in-house ice cream. I remember I thought it was good, and included in the 3 course price. I wouldn’t have been able for it if it wasn’t included in the price.

There are the little extras: sparkling water, a good espresso ristretto that add a small amount onto the bill, but even in the upsell they’re not gouging, and they’re not pushy.

The service is top class: unfussy, friendly and extremely professional. Surroundings are extremely agreeable. Long may it continue, finally some value for money in a restaurant in the middle of Dublin.

Take note politicos: In the 80’s good old Chas was urging belt tightening, robbing us blind, buying Kinsealy and cutting the health service. This decade we had the Mahon Tribunal to enrich the lawyers, while in the same sector the banks and builders were running the biggest ponzi scheme in Irish history. The mortgages taken out to pay these inflated prices will put a dampener on consumer spending for decades to come.

The common folk need to tighten the belts and share the pain? They already have plenty…Lucky for us that the silver lining may be that the little money we have can get us a decent meal in Dublin. And you never know: wasn’t it the MRSA that finished Charlie off? The universe may have a plan for these chumps yet.

Here’s the inside of One Pico, apologies for the poor quality, it was covert, as is the Guestspy approach to reviewing. They never see us coming

If you have an opinion on this restaurant or others like it (proper value/ proper food): Guestspy is always looking for reviewers: PLEASE COMMENT and if you’ve got what it takes I’ll make you an editor.

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