Eire Cafe - Only Irish by name

Eire Cafe - 98 Springbank Road, Clapham

One sunny afternoon, we found ourselves on the southern side of the city, and a little out of range of food places we were familiar with. I recalled reading a while back that Cirelli Coffee beans were stocked by a cafe in the Clapham area. Quick search on Google revealed it was Eire Cafe, on Springbank Road, not too far from where we were. As we drove up, I initially had some apprehension, as it's located in a small block of shops right on the main road. One quick look at the menu and we decided to take up a seat outside.

We were greeted with a very friendly hello and accompanied to our table with the menus. We were quickly able to decide on what we wanted, owing to the fact the menu is concise. I decided on the spicy lamb meatballs and Trudy decided on the lemon pepper calamari salad. We wanted a sausage roll for our son, but they were sold out - the ever reliable toasted cheese sandwich it is then. Inside the decor is cool, with lots of exposed brick and a hanging garden. And on to the food! 

Spicy lamb and feta meatballs with grilled bread

I was pretty happy when I saw my dish come out. A big pile of big meatballs (4 to be exact), and some thick crusty house baked bread. The meatballs were firm and juicy, with a good balance of seasoning. The feta part appeared to be crumbled on top. If it was part of the meatball mix, I certainly couldn't taste it. The accompanying tomato sauce had a great flavour, and would be at home on pasta in any Italian restaurant. The bread was delicious, soft and fresh and allowed me to mop every bit of that sauce up. I could only have asked for more feta. 

Lemon pepper calamari salad with mustard dressing

I was lucky enough to have a try a few pieces of the calamari and some salad, and I was close to food envy. The calamari was cooked brilliantly, soft on the inside with a great crunch on the outside. The lemon & pepper was a great combination of flavours with the calalmari, and the mustard dressing pulled the whole salad together. The serving size was surprising, the salad had at least twelve relatively large pieces of calamari. Even towards the end of the dish, as the calamari cooled down, the calamari never turned chewy and rubbery.

Eire Cafe has been open for just under a year, and has had some good reviews during this time. The head chef was born in Ireland, and has a love for modern European food. The menu is small and concentrated, which I value on a day when I am not too sure what I feel like. The menu has a definite Mediterranean feel, combining elements of Spanish, Greek and Italian, reflecting the chef's love and experience in modern European food. Eire supports local produce where ever possible with all breads, desserts stocks and sauces being made on site.

Menu

Eire Cafe is a definite place to visit if you're down the southern end of town and looking for a lunch that delivers on flavour and quality. 

Nathan gives Eire Cafe 17/20 chops on The Chopping Board. 

Service - 4/5

Ambience - 4/5

Food - 9/10