I sometimes question how I feel about formal restaurants . It’s what happens when you visit rather more of them than a normal person would – not expecting sympathy here – and there is a danger of developing a jaded palate, an occupational hazard. They are restaurants you would typically visit once a year for a special occasion. The important thing for a critic is not to get bored because it is yet another tasting menu. Each restaurant has to be judged with fresh eyes. The danger is dismissing something simply because you’ve seen it before.
But then I walk into Mamó on a Sunday afternoon in Howth , escaping the traffic where tempers are at south of France levels – yes, people lepping out of cars and fighting over parking spaces – and enter the bright upstairs diningroom where every table is clad in a crisp, white linen tablecloth. It feels fresh and assured rather than formal, in the way that French and Italian bistros do. And there is no tasting menu, nor restrictions on ordering.
There is one non-negotiable on the menu of three nibbles, four starters, four mains and two desserts, and that is the cod chip (€9 for three). Perfect with a glass of champagne if you’re celebrating – champagne with fish and chips is a thing – but we instead go with a glass of Telmo Rodriguez ‘Gaba do Xil’ Godello (€14) and Château de Bousval ‘Gouttes d’O’ (€16.50), a Belgian Chardonnay, from an inspired list compiled by a true wine lover.
The cod chip has been on the menu since Jess D’Arcy and her husband, chef Killian Durkin, opened Mamó in 2019 , which I think qualifies it for legendary status. Confit potato is pressed, cut into fingers and deep-fried until crisp and golden, then seasoned with salt and vinegar and topped with lightly whipped taramasalata. It is the best fish and chips you’ll eat, steaming hot and crisp, with a sharpness from the vinegar.
Translucent slices of IPA-cured langoustine carpaccio (€19) sit beneath a Niçoise salad: frisée, haricot beans, crisp croutons and a breaded quail’s egg, cut in half so the runny yolk spills out. Capers and fresh anchovy add punch. There are quite a lot of flavours involved here, but it all works together, mopped up by a slice of very good sourdough slathered in whipped brown butter.
Summer tomato tart (€15.50) sounds simple, but once you bite into it, all you want to do is sit back and eat it slowly, relishing every bite of the Coolea sablé. It’s the crumbliest, cheesiest pastry imaginable, forming the base of the tart. Tomatoes are cut into ribbons and wound into flowers; ricotta, tiny basil leaves and finely sliced strips of chive bulb add creaminess and freshness, and black garlic brings a deeper note. I want to eat this so much again, it pains me to write about it.
Lobster linguine (€19), on as a starter special, works as a small main course for me. The house-made pasta, with generous pieces of lobster, is tossed in a light, buttery lobster bisque and dusted with Espelette pepper. It is delicious, although tiny bits of preserved lemon are a bit strident and surplus to requirements.
Hake is the market fish (€37), served off the bone and finished under the grill. It comes with a courgette flower stuffed with Morteau sausage, sitting on a very good courgette purée, and a side dish of gnocchi, girolles, tiny courgettes and pearl onions in a beautiful light broth.
Something fresh is required to clear the palate after all of this fish and the “pavlova” with passion fruit and lime (€14) sounds like ju…