FXB Temple Bar

Crow Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
www.fxbrestaurants.com

I was going through one of those moments where my job spec seemed to prioritise looking out of the window, when Suzanne rang me and suggested we go for dinner in town. I scouted around the early bird menus on offer in town, and decided on FXB’s. I had been there with Bruce a few years ago, and liked very much what was on offer. The quality of food reminded me of Hy’s in Winnipeg, with an ambience different to many of the restaurants you’d find around Temple Bar. Plus, something on the menu really attracted me - more of which (or indeed, less), to follow. Suzanne and I met at the Morgan, and a quick scoop later, we wandered across Fleet Street and up to FXB’s.

We hadn’t reserved a table, and on passing by the window, it appeared that the restaurant was full. We walked in and up a few steps, at which we saw that while the front of the dining room was packed, the rear was completely empty. We were shown to a corner table, and told we needed to vacate by 20:30. As we had arrived at approximately 18:20, we were unconcerned about this time limit – being fairly sure it would not take us over two hours to eat an early dinner. To give them their due, FXB state this policy on their menu.

There was a nice buzz in the restaurant, even at this half-empty stage, as we consulted the menus. The early bird offers two courses for €19.95 or three courses for €23.95; Suzanne decided on the former, while I chose the more substantial selection. From the wine menu, we chose a St. Clair Sauvignon Blanc – a crisp New Zealand wine, with citrus hints and very drinkable. I must say, I haven’t as yet come across a Kiwi wine that I didn’t like. They’re obviously doing something right down Marlborough way.

The starter section allowed us pick from a soup or a chowder, a Caesar salad, bruschetta (Suzanne) and pâté (me). The bruschetta consisted of two well-proportioned lengthways-sliced ciabatta, covered with diced tomatoes, and complemented by garlic, parmesan, and fresh basil. The duck liver pâté was presented as one large slice atop two toasted brioches, nestled against a goodly helping of spiced peach and apricot chutney. Both starters more than passed muster, and between these and the wine, our taste buds were well enlivened by the time the main courses came.

We had both chosen steak. No surprise there – aside from the wild mushroom and truffle risotto, it was the only thing that stood out on this part of the menu. FXB’s always makes me think of the Dublin butcher’s shop of the same name: I imagine there must be some connection, and the likelihood of savouring steak from a locally-renowned victualler certainly inspired some good scenarios in my head. Presently, two plates arrived, each with a 10oz dry-aged rib-eye steak – wide, not too thin, cooked medium-well, and accompanied by mashed potatoes for me and chips for Suzanne. A little pot of pepper sauce accompanied each order. When combined with the meat, it made for an exquisite pairing and lifted the admittedly pedestrian choice of steak into another realm. We had also ordered shared sides of sautéed mushrooms and sautéed onions, for which there was a charge outside the set menu price; however, the choice was deemed justified, as perfect dishes of vegetables were quickly devoured.

By the time we had finished the main courses, the restaurant was packed. The early bird menu had finished, and people seemed to be ordering steak and seafood all round – much of it ordered from a large blackboard with daily specials, and all of which looked divine on the other tables.

Anyway, now for the science bit. There is surely a law of physics that says that when a guy sits in a restaurant with a girl, who professes an overarching lack of hunger, she will still manage to eat more than he does. This usually happens when the lady opts out of the brunch buffet or the “all-you-can-eat” sushi, but then eats so much of what you’ve ordered that you generally end up uncomfortable, being eagle-eyed by the waiting staff who know you’re screwing them and probably have a junior in the back reviewing the CCTV footage in real time (Brendan, back me up here). In other variations, it involves girls pretending to be on a diet and eating green salad or some such vegan hippy stuff as an entire meal, only to go cavewoman when the dessert arrives. To this point, and my rant: I ordered a lemon and lime crème brûlée. This was, in truth, what had first attracted me to the menu when I checked it out online in the afternoon; again, Vernon’s influence at work here. Several minutes later, the ramekin arrived to the table, and ever the gentleman, I offered Suzanne a taste before I destroyed it. She cracked through the glaze, and I knew the murmurings meant she liked it. But then … she dived in again. And again. Suzanne! No! Bad Girl! At this point, I was on the verge of rolling a newspaper and slapping her on the nose. Suzie, you snaffled half my bleedin’ crème brûlée! Ladies, please learn: men like desserts too. Sweet things after meals aren’t just to satisfy oestrogen-driven cravings – we X-chromosomers get turned on by them too. (Suzie, you know I’m just employing author’s licence – but that’s what you get for telling me you can’t write, when that’s what you spend half your day doing!).

I wolfed down the rest of it, keeping an eye out for swooping vultures or passing females. Of the dessert itself, my expectations were more than fully met. I would go back to FXB’s just for that little thing. I would order it for each course, and ask for second helpings. And a doggy bag to take home.

Suzanne asked for a coffee, while I polished off the remnants of the wine. We were coming towards 20:30, our appointed eviction time – though by now we had both become so ensconced in our corner, that we would happily have stayed a while longer for drinks. The bill arrived, and I did what I rarely do – I checked it. Irony of ironies – there was a separate charge for a second crème brûlée! I’m thinking: did they mean to halve the price, taking pity on me on seeing how little of it I had managed to salvage for myself? A quick check with the waiter saw us delivered of a new bill. Just over 90 quid, all in – a deal. After a quick chat with one of our waiters – detained solely because he was from Vancouver and I can't let a Hiberno-Canadian connection go – we moved off into the street and escaped Temple Bar ASAP, to the lovelier environs of Spy at the Powerscourt Townhouse.

Go try the early bird menu at FXB's. Judging by the rest of the clientele, we weren’t the only ones really enjoying ourselves that night. I know I will certainly be back – perhaps later of an evening, to try the rest of the menu too. And next time: a dessert each. If nothing else, it'll stop me moaning for weeks afterwards.

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The Damage (EUR)
Early Bird Menus

• 19.95 Bruschetta
• 10oz Rib-eye Steak

• 23.95 Duck Liver Pâté
• 10oz Rib-eye Steak
• Lemon and Lime Crème Brûlée
  

Sides

• 2.95 Sautéed Mushrooms
• 2.95 Sautéed Onions
  

Drinks

• 30.00 75cl St. Clair Sauvignon Blanc
• 2.45 1 Coffee
  

Service 12.00
Total 94.25
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The Score
4.0 Food and Drink
4.5 Service
4.0 Décor
4.0 Ambience
4.5 Value
4.0 Overall Rating