Tea Room temptation

Antony Ely has set himself a task. As executive chef of Dublin's Clarence hotel, he aims to make the food served in its 85-seat Tea Room as famous as the 50-bedroom hotel's owners.

Ely knows he has a contest on his hands. The owners are rock band U2, who have achieved icon status in Ireland. But there are two things on his side.

First, his culinary background. Ely spent more than five years as Philip Howard's sous chef at London's two-Michelin-starred the Square before taking over at the Clarence in April. "It was time for a change," says Ely, who was enticed to the Dublin restaurant by the building's 19th century architecture.

Further, he has the support of an 18-strong brigade, backed by 20 front of house staff, with whom he has devised a menu using "the highest quality seasonal Irish produce enhanced with a Continental theme".

The daily-changing lunch menu offers six starters and six mains, with an average of 30 customers a day spending around IR£20 (£15.40) per head, including drink. The evening menu has a choice of 10 starters, nine main courses and seven desserts and is changed seasonally. There is also a IR£50 (£38.50) a head tasting menu featuring seven courses composed of ingredients such as oysters, lamb, chicken, foie gras and red mullet, the last served with sauce vierge and pesto noodles. Evening covers average 65 on a weekday, with diners choosing between two courses for IR£31 (£23.90), or three for IR£39 (£30). Average spend is around IR£50 (£38.50) with wine.

The most popular starter is the deep-fried potato and bacon cakes with buttered Savoy cabbage and caper sauce. The recipe is a reworking of a classic Irish dish which Ely was prompted to play around with by U2 band member the Edge. While the traditional version was simply boiled ham with potatoes and cabbage, the Tea Room's offering is a more sophisticated approach, with the ingredients rolled into balls, coated in Japanese breadcrumbs and then deep-fried.

While Ely is keen to make a name for himself, he has taken inspiration for some of the main course dishes from his time with Howard. Ely points to the sautéd John Dory with new potatoes, deep-fried mussels, peas and leeks as being a "Square number".

Desserts have been kept simple and, where appropriate, made with crème fraîche for a healthier option. The current best seller is a cappuccino crème brûlée with honeycomb and mini cinnamon doughnuts.

A native Londoner, Ely is happy in Dublin and has found similarities between the two cities. "It's just as busy [as London]. And culinarywise, there's both nice and poor places."

The Tea Room at the Clarence, 6-8 Wellington Quay, Dublin 2. Tel: (00353) 1 407 0800