Vee Bistro
Vee Bistro is a port wine coloured building located right in the centre of Tramore and they are open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Catherine & Derek O’Sullivan are very welcoming hosts, creating a relaxed atmosphere with great attention to detail. The walls are draped with tribal art and abstract canvases, so even on your own there is always something interesting to look at.
Inside it is a bright and inviting restaurant with pale timber flooring and a selection of seating, from some round tables and chairs to long seating areas with rectangular tables running the length of the restaurant.
Vee Bistro is all about casual dining in a relaxed atmosphere, serving homemade, good quality food. There is an a la carte menu with a wide selection of starters and mains. Starters range from €6-8.50 with treats like grilled tiger prawns in chilli and garlic butter served with basmati rice; duck liver and brandy pate served with garlic & rosemary foccacia or baked flat cap mushrooms stuffed with sun dried tomatoes, ricotta & Parma ham. I enjoyed a salad of spiced beef with seasonal baby leaves, egg noodles and coriander vinaigrette while himself chose fresh mussels steamed in white wine with juniper berries & fennel, finished with chopped coriander which was a nice twist on the classic.
Mains started at €16 and went up to €28 for a 10 oz fillet steak, pan seared and served with roast garlic mash and crushed peppercorn sauce. Also on the menu were mouth-watering dishes like pan roasted medallions of monkfish in tomato & olive ragout served on grilled polenta; confit of duck leg served on a Toulouse sausage cassoulet finished with apricot jus. I went with the fish of the day, which was pan seared sea bass served with a large selection of seasonal vegetables and homemade chips while my husband went with the recommendation of the waiter which was the medallions of monkfish and both were washed down with a glass of house white. Both dishes were light and fresh, and packed with flavour.
On lovely summer days there is a great outdoor area, as well as live music every Saturday evening till late. The Vee Bistro is usually busy which adds to the atmosphere with the hustle and bustle you expect from a good bistro, and all at very good value for money prices.
