Soup and Guinness bread were good. (2/5 green stars)
Visited the Salthouse for a light lunch a few months ago and thought the food was good but their coffee was not great. Their parsnip soup and the Guinness bread that came with it were both tasty, and decent value at €5 (the soup was very substantial). Service was not very attentive; the server couldn't answer a basic question about their coffee and they were very hard to get hold of when it came to paying. I'm probably being a bit harsh about the service, but when you decorate with chandeliers you fancy upholstery you are also setting expectations about service. I prefer restaurants that are more down to earth and rustic, but having said that, the Salthouse is nicely decorated and the huge images on the walls are nicely done.
I'm also giving them 2/5 "green stars" for social and environmental impact, based on these reasons:
* Having reviewed a hundred places for social and environmental impact, Salthouse gets the prize for sheer lack of information. No website or info available online (on their Facebook page, etc.) and no statements on their menu about their ingredients (sources, sustainability, certifications, etc.).
* I do get it that you just want to run a restaurant and not bother with all the rest of it, but sharing info with customers is important these days - even just on the menu is fine.
* I did find their coffee supplier (GreenBean Roasters) and, fittingly enough, found that they also provided almost no information on their social or environmental impact! (i.e., no mention of direct or fair trade relationships, or whether organic or shade-grown, etc.)
* Not many plant-based options on their menu (vegetarian/vegan).
* For ingredients like salmon or prawns, no info on sourcing.
* It's entirely possible that they have wonderful relationships with local organic farmers, sustainable seafood suppliers, etc. There's just no information available. Will update if I come across more info.
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