Rouge Restaurant: A taste of France in Galway City.

 

I’m still dreaming about the wonderful meal my boyfriend and I had in Rouge last night. From the get go the staff were welcoming, and were extremely knowledgeable regarding the food and wine menus. They were very attentive to our every need. Also a shout out has to go out to the wonderful jazz piano player who serenaded us with wonderful music from the moment we sat down and really provided a great atmosphere to the restaurant.

The food, where can I begin! Less is more is the trick with this restaurant. We chose the €19 value menu, which provided two courses, very reasonable altogether. It wasn’t a fussy menu at all, in fact some would say it was quite limited but I really enjoyed this, because what they do offer they excel in to a level that can’t be beaten. The starter was a traditional amuse bouche which consisted of a little bowl of soup (sweet potato and mushroom) along with a canapé, a brioche filled with garlic butter and chives and a mini quiche with smokey bacon and Gruyere cheese. Wow, it was amazing, a real explosion of flavours in your mouth. We were both in awe at the end of the course, which looks small but is quite filling considering there is also traditional french bread and olives on the table from the get go. Do not skip this course, it set the tone for the night in its excellence.

Onto the main, we both had the steak with pepper sauce. I got the dauphonois potatoes, and my boyfriend had the roasted carrots and parsnips. Again this course was an absolute hit! I would recommend those that do not like their steak rare to ensure you request well done. We both requested medium but it was medium rare so it was quite red in the middle but was still delicious. I also requested extra pepper sauce which they waitress brought out within seconds of my request! Amazing service!

For wine, we had a bottle of the house whites, it was €26 and quite tasty and complimented our dish well. Overall the bill came to €64 and I can honestly say it was the best €64 I have ever spent! I would return in a heartbeat to this place and would recommend it most definitely. You have to experience the wonders of Rouge, one of the best restaurants that I have ever been!