Trinity Theatre is a great culture hub but did you know it also serves up delicious lunches and snacks too? Eileen Leahy was invited along to sample its epicurean offerings…
Last Wednesday, Trinity Theatre hosted a special lunch in order to showcase its delicious and diverse menu – and to also announce it is renaming its café area as the Clocktower Bistro.
Local foodies, networkers and journalists were in attendance to sample a special four-course taster menu served up in order to reflect the wholesome and tasty options that will be available to diners when the Clocktower Bistro opens in the next few weeks.
First up on the special showcase menu was a Julienne Bruno burella salad which was served with an autumn vegetable caponata. For those not familiar with burella, it’s a dairy-free vegan version of a burrata – firm on the outside and deliciously creamy on the inside.
‘The burella and caponata combo was the perfect palate pleaser’
Caponata meanwhile is a hearty Sicilian dish packed full of chopped and fried aubergine, peppers and tomatoes, which is further enhanced with the addition of capers, celery and pine nuts and seasoned with olive oil. This Italian classic given a healthy vegan twist was the perfect palate pleaser and would be an ideal lunch if you wanted something lighter or didn’t have time to linger a while.
Next up at our special lunch was a flavour-laden cream of vegetable soup which was served with nuggets of artisan bread and vegan butter. In short it was the epicurean equivalent of having a big old hug: it was comforting and reassuring – and perfect for the inclement wet weather we’d escaped on arrival at Trinity.
The venue, which celebrated its 40th anniversary over the summer, has always been popular for lunchtime meet-ups and cake and coffee, but Sean says he hopes the new Clocktower menu will attract even more hungry foodie guests.
“I am really excited about the pending launch of the Clocktower Bistro – it’s named after our heritage attraction which will open before the end of the year. The project is all about sustainability. The food is locally and responsibly sourced. The new furniture in the restaurant is all re-purposed from local charity stores and even the hand wash is carbon neutral.
“We really hope that we’ve created a friendly, welcoming vibe for casual but elevated lunchtime dining and of course, the public are welcome to just pop in for coffee and cake or to buy a ticket to a show!” he added.
But back to the food…after we’d scraped the soup bowls clean, our charming waitress Mimi announced the next course: a ruby vegetable curry. Generous in portion size and served with a tranche of warm naan bread and a bowl of crispy sauté potatoes – which were incredibly moreish – the dish was declared a taste triumph and proof that a good curry doesn’t have to include meat.
‘‘The venue, which celebrated its 40th anniversary over the summer, has always been popular for lunchtime meet-ups’
For dessert, an ‘English-style’ rice pudding was presented to each diner and came with a sliver of spiced seasonal plum compote which cut through the creaminess of the old-school rice pudding perfectly.
Feeling sated but satisfied, it was time to leave Trinity and head back out into the rain but that was no hardship after such an enjoyable – and healthy – lunch in such a welcoming environment.
So set your watches and keep an eye out for the official Clocktower Bistro launch!
