We had one of the best dining experiences of the year so far in a French bistro in Wexford Town.

Having done the shops, we headed initially for lunch to La Dolce Vita, Roberto Pons' popular Italian cafe, where you can also sit outside. Brendan had a delicious insalata di pollo piccante (€10.90), a big cloud of dressed, mixed leaves, with onions, sun-dried tomatoes, spiced chicken and fresh tomato. I indulged in penne alla puttanesca (€9.95) -- a sauce of tomatoes, capers, black olives, anchovies and chilli -- attributed to the prostitutes of Naples who could toss it up before the next client arrived. "Don't hold back on the chilli," I had said -- being a hot thing myself once -- and he didn't. I should have added anchovies and capers to that instruction, as they were scarce, but it was delicious. With a half bottle of La Dolce Vita own-label cabernet (€11.90), it made a tasty lunch with service at €36.

Our next port of call, for dinner, was Jacques Bistro, part of Greenacres wine shop, deli and art gallery. Boy, has this place expanded. I wrote about James O'Connor's Greenacres, originally a fruit and vegetable shop, years ago in its old location, when they were just dipping their toes into the art world with a few paintings in an upstairs room. Now, there is 7,000sq ft of ultra-modern art gallery along with a deli, a wine shop, and an enoteca on the ground floor. The atmosphere is confident-casual, and the walls are lined with some of the 2,500 wine bottles in stock. Jacques Carrera is the chef, and he has previously worked in Bruno's and Pearl Brasserie, and his menu offers a helluva lot more than your bog-standard bistro.

Starters (€6.95-€10.50) really appealed. Warm green asparagus and artichoke salad came with smoked duck and Hollandaise sauce, while baked Dublin Bay prawn was paired with Bayonne ham, tomato coulis and garlic butter. Sea bass with herb risotto had an orange and saffron sauce, while foie gras terrine with Armagnac was served with roasted plum and port jelly. I opted for a tartiflette Savoyarde (€8.95), a really scrumptious, comforting, carbohydrate-laden dish of potato with reblochon cheese and saucisson -- a favourite with skiers after a day on the piste, but shure I'd had a hard day shopping. Brendan loved his six superbly presented Ballyhack rock oysters (€9).

Again, the main course selection (€18.50-€24.95) was cracking. Braised suckling pig was served with apple and Calvados, while a grilled veal cutlet was served a la Provencal with ratatouille and rosemary jus. Magret de canard had a red berry sauce, while fillet of Hereford beef came with aligot --mashed potato with cheese -- and a shallot sauce; and supreme of guinea fowl had a lemon and tarragon sauce. You can see our dilemma. I opted for a blackboard special of sole on the bone (€26), which was perfectly cooked with a little bite, bathed in a lemon butter and chives, with a piping of really heavenly silky mash, a bundle of bacon-wrapped beans and cherry tomatoes. Brendan had scallops and Dublin Bay prawns (€26), again rich and delicious, in an intense prawn sauce on more of that sinful butter-laden mash. This is pure, classic, old-school French cooking: lots of sauces, and just indulgent.

The wine list is extensive, but you can also choose a bottle from the retail section and pay a corkage charge, which we did, with a cracking bottle of Cape Mentelle Margaret River Shiraz 2004, which was €26.99, plus an additional €5 for corkage.

To finish, we shared a lemon tart (€6.95), suitably tart, topped with creme Anglaise and little red berries, and we finished off the day with a glass each of Pineau de Charente (€8) bringing our bill with optional service to €136.89.

My trip to Wexford may not have done my waistline or pocket any good, but it sure as hell did my heart good!

L

Jacques Bistro,

Greenacres,

Selskar Street,

Wexford,

County Wexford.

Tel: 053 91 22 975  or  053 91 23 004

www.lucindaosullivan.com

- Lucinda O'Sullivan

Sunday Independent