Cosy Roundwood pub makes for a charming local pit stop
IF you’ve visited Roundwood, you’ll probably have stopped off at the Roundwood Stores, the little shop, bakery and cafe that has established itself as the beating heart of the local community since opening in 2021.
Simon Pratt and his partner, Monique McQuaid, live locally and wanted somewhere handy to pick up a loaf of sourdough and decent coffee, and perhaps a few organic vegetables, so they created it themselves. Pratt’s parents, Donald and Hilary, founded Avoca, and Simon was involved on the food side until some time after the family sold to Aramark. Roundwood Stores reminds me of the original Avoca, which had a sense of generosity woven into the fabric of the business.
Now, with business partners Tara O’Neill and Teresa Byrne, both of whom have Avoca DNA, and some private-equity money, Simon and Monique have bought the pub next door and turned it into the kind of unpretentious, dogs-welcome place offering pints and good grub you find all over the Cotswolds, but of which there are sadly very few in Ireland.
The Coach House dates from 1820, and Pratt’s longtime creative collaborator, Ros Walshe, has helped with the decor — all comfy upholstered chairs, Lloyd Loom-style wicker, old wooden tables and kilims, with stoves burning in every room.
To the front is the pub and behind is the dining room, which is more structured but not so much so that you’d call it in any way formal.
In between is a little retail area, with some cute vintage bits and pieces and the kind of tchotchkes that might tempt to you to indulge in some gentle browsing without feeling any pressure to shop per se.
We have booked, which is just as well as there are no free tables other than in the pub, but as people are nicely spread out, it doesn’t feel either crowded or noisy. A flask of water flavoured with mint and cucumber, and dishes of nuts and delicious citrus-bathed olives arrive as soon as we are seated. It feels instantly hospitable.
We visit in early January when the boats have yet to return from their first forays of the new year, so the menu is short and there’s no fish other than mussels. By the time you read this, normal service will have resumed, with a grill menu added at night.
In the kitchen, sharing head chef duties, are Luke Matthews and Ciaran Kelly. Matthews was one of the original founders of Mews in Baltimore in 2015; he also worked at Tom Kerridge’s Hand and Flowers in Marlow and at Airfield in Dublin. Kelly is another Avoca alumnus, with gastropub experience under his belt.
The menu cleverly treads the fine line between being interesting enough for the chefs and the customers who care about the food, and being accessible enough for the folk who don’t want anything fancy.
The kitchen is serious about provenance and seasonality, and producers such as Winetavern Farm, Dermot Carey, An Tairseach, Glendalough Organics and Sheelagh O’Malley’s delightfully named Top of the Hill Farm are name-checked with pride.
Chunky pork terrine made with brawn comes with an impeccable remoulade, some pickled red onions and a good hunk of sourdough, while the Young Buck cheese in a bitter leaf salad of chicory and radicchio with pears poached in red wine is frozen and then grated so that it dusts every leaf rather than coming in the chunks you’d expect. A little honey in the dressing brings it all together nicely.
The burger is local wagyu topped with mature cheddar, caramelised shallots and cucumber relish, and the potato-topped venison pie hearty if less gamey than we’d like. A salad of beetroot with whipped Ardsallagh and salsa verde is simple and good.
The vegetables stand out, 90pc of them organic, even at this most challenging time of the year for growers. Chips are hand-cut, leaves are crisp and flavoursome and the celeriac — salt-baked and puréed, topped with a hazelnut crumb with blood orange and zest — is main course-worthy. A shared chocolate mousse, more of a ganache really, is brought to life with flaky salt and a smidgeon of olive oil. Lunch for three, with a 500ml carafe of light red, teas and coffees costs €144.50 before service.
The Coach House is barely a few weeks old but there is already a lovely ease to both the hospitality and the decor. When the upstairs rooms for guests open later this year, it’ll become more of a destination, an escape from the city.
The challenge then will be to keep things chilled, to avoid it becoming a scene, but for now make plans for a walk, followed by a pint and something to eat, and all will be well.