Belturbet is really such a charming place, offering so many different cuisines to the diner. Last Friday we paid a visit for the first time to the new Italian restaurant Mico’s, and I can assure everyone that it will not be our last.
The dining area is decorated in a calm and understated manner. Beside it there’s a bar where patrons can either sip a drink before their meal, or do as we did, partake of a post-prandial there.
For starters we both had a wonderful Insalata alla Greca, with plentiful feta, black olives, delicious tomatoes and lettuce. For main course I opted for Pollo Valdostana, a magnificently prepared dish. It comprises boneless chicken wrapped in parma ham, stuffed with ricotta cheese and served with a fragrant creamy sauce including basil and thyme. As the name suggests it hails originally from the Val d’Aosta, that part of Italy where a French dialect is still spoken, so it marries the best of two great culinary traditions: French and Italian regional fare. Mico’s provides a nice touch by giving diners a choice of accompaniments, including a selection of pastas in tomato sauce. Rosie opted for a beefsteak served with garlic sauce which she pronounced to be excellent. Rosie had a bottle of the house red, while I, in spite of my oenological pretensions, decided to have a bottle of Nastro Azzurro beer; it went very well with the food.
For dessert I chose a huge ice-crean pancake with various varieties of ice-cream filling. Rosie said she was full and so didn’t have a sweet – instead she eyed mine enviously. She did take a coffee laced with Tia Maria and topped with frothy cream, which she claimed was perfection itself. I rounded off my meal with my favourite coffee, un macchiato – an espresso with a little hot milk.
The portions at Mico’s are generous – so it should be a hit wth the Cavan crowd. I surprised myself by clearing every plate of food set in front of me.
The service was first-class; genuinely helpful, prompt but never officious.
All in all our experience at Mico’s can be summed up in one word – Ottimo!
Mico’s Restaurant, The Lawn, Belturbet, Co. Cavan, telephone 049-9522443
