Tuscany Bistro Granary – restaurant review

Tuscany Bistro Granary exterior. Photo: Cian Reinhardt

Tuscany Bistro Granary, restaurant review
By ilovelimerick correspondent Cian Reinhardt.

Displaying the beautiful stonework and architecture of the Granary Building in Limerick city, Tuscany Bistro Granary not only offers fine dining but the perfect setting for family, business and social dining in the city. Ilovelimerick.com took a trip to the Italian bistro to experience Tuscany dining.

Boasting a beautiful courtyard with heated seating and rain cover when needed, as well as an open, but cosy dining area in the arches of the Granary building. When you first enter the building in the evening you will be in awe at the setting, fairy-lights and rustic hanging bulbs decorate the walls in the softly lit dining area as you are welcomed by the friendly staff at the door.

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The delicious Seafood Risotto. Photo: Cian Reinhardt

The menu is made up of traditional Italian cuisine incorporating locally sourced ingredients where possible – bruschetta, soup, pasta, pizza and risotto along with side dishes make this menu suitable for lunchtime visits or an evening meal.

We were given some time to examine the menu, and the waiting staff were happy to help with describing any dishes we had questions about and were also happy to give recommendations. For starter we ordered the scallops, chilli Lime Prawns, St Tolas Goat’s Cheese bruschetta and the fishcake along with a bottle of fruity South-African wine, for our main course we chose the Pennette Alla Diavola and the Seafood Risotto.

The starters arrived, perfectly cooked, pan-seared scallops on a bed of crumbed black pudding with honey mustard and pomegranate. I was unsure of how this combination would work; the sweetness of the honey mustard and pomegranate contrasting the black pudding made a perfect balance and none overpowering the taste of the fresh scallops.

The Goat’s Cheese Bruschetta; a toasted slice of bruschetta with basil pesto made in the restaurant with a soft goats cheese and roast red peppers. Resembling the green, white and red of the Italian flag, with one bite you feel you are there or in heaven.

The golden bread-crumbed fishcake was a nice blend of herbs and chunky fish which had a smokiness to it; served with a roasted vegetable salsa, the fishcake had a little spiciness to it and the cooling of the salsa made this a dish that did not disappoint.

The chocolate fondant with some homemade vanilla ice cream. Photo: Cian Reinhardt

Arriving in a small crockpot, the prawns in a sweet chilli lime sauce were divine, accompanied with a side salad and bread. You may find yourself asking the waiting staff for more bread, this is a dish worth savouring, down to the last drop of the sauce.

Between the starters and the main course we took a look at the restaurant, the courtyard is a beautiful setting on a calm evening, the nice music in the restaurant and the waterfall in the courtyard make the perfect tranquil setting to enjoy your evening.

Our main courses arrived, the Pennette Alla Diavola with chicken, described on the menu as ‘for lovers of olives only!’ it was exactly that. Fresh olives make this a tasty dish, with moist chicken and a creamy caper and olive tapenade make a balance of fruity tasting dish; as the staff told us, if we like olives we will love this dish, and they were right.

The Seafood Risotto, like all the dishes before was bursting with both colour and flavour. Roast red pepper, prawns and chorizo gave this dish a beautiful red colour; the dish was cooked to perfection, a creamy texture with the chunks of prawn and chorizo. The juices from the chorizo give this dish that little bit extra that leave you wanting more.

At Tuscany Bistro Granary, they show pride in every dish, from the cooking to the presentation, you can see they care about everything that comes out of the kitchen. This was no different for the dessert; a Tiramisu which has a deliciously moist sponge and creamy texture went down a treat.

Our Eton Mess was a portion fitting for two, with a meringue which was not overly sweet and fresh fruit making it a perfect after dinner treat. A peanut Butter Cheesecake was on the special board this evening and did not disappoint, a subtle taste at first with an aftertaste delivering the kick.

Last but not least, the chocolate fondant arrived with some homemade vanilla ice cream. A warm sponge broke open to reveal a thick chocolate sauce, this dessert is a calling for all chocolate lovers, when mixed with the vanilla ice cream and passion fruit sauce decorating the plate; that’s amore!

After our meal, we spent some time speaking to the barista, Richard while we sipped on some coffee, an espresso and a cappuccino, which he made perfectly. The 3FE espresso provides a beautiful coffee, with tastes of fruit, chocolate and a smokiness, this was the perfect way to cap off the meal.

Eating at Tuscany Bistro Granary you can expect to spend anything between 15 to 60 Euros for your evening meal but they also offer a value menu which costs 22.95 Euro for a three-course meal or 18 Euros for two courses and provide a nice selection of food. Offering a children’s menu, this is not a restaurant just for business or social outings, but the perfect place for a family dinner and the accommodating staff make you feel very welcome. If you do book a table I would recommend asking for an extra fork as you will be reaching over to try everybody else’s food, it is that good. I am already planning my next visit – Bravi Tuscany Bistro Granary!

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