I booked the Cape on the strength of Paolo's review last year - although I have lived in Bray for many years, neither we, nor our friends, had never visited this little restaurant at (as we Bray people would call it) the top of the Arcade.

First impressions? A lovely downstairs lobby filled with french gastronomic trinkets - sables, candy sugar etc. Up a slightly battered staircase (could do with some sound-proofing - my kitten heels clattered on the treads) and into a compact room with a bar and about 7 tables, two with views of the carpark & surrounding mountains. There were only two other people dining in the room & I thought for a minute that we had entered the twilight zone but
the very friendly server assured us that all hell would break loose in 30 mins - how right she was!

The tables are set with nice crystal wine glasses, linen napkins (often a practice sacrificed for economy). Bread was brought promptly - some very fresh baguette accompanied by chilled cubes of real butter. I once worked in a very pricey (and now defunct) restaurant where one was instructed to use dairyspread in small ramekins instead of butter & to re-use it after
each meal. A disgraceful practice & one which I abhor.

The menu in the Cape is compact but not too small - starters vary between £3-£6. I had the rare beef & rocket salad. 6 beautiful pieces of just-seared tender fillet in a peppered crust served with some perfectly dressed rocket topped with parmesan shavings. My other half had the oak-smoked salmon which was piled high (no miserable portion here) and served with some beautiful brown bread, caper, pepper & onion dressings. Appearances were deceptive, we had difficulty in finishing the starters & were afraid of spoiling our appetite for the mains. Both starters were £5.75

The wine list is small - about 10 reds & 10 whites ranging from £12-£26. They also serve weissbier which was consumed with gusto by my companion. This left the wine drinking responsibility with me & as The Cape do not serve half bottles, I drank glasses of their very nice house red (£2.95). Sadly there was no champagne on the wine list - as it was our anniversary, we thought that we might celebrate with a bottle of fizz but none was
listed!

Our mains were rack of lamb served with a scallion mash & grilled vegetables (courgette & peppers). I ordered my lamb pink & the four cutlets arrived in a state of blushing loveliness. The mash was superb - I love potatoes in any shape or form & I would have eaten much more of this delicious offering. Slightly pricey at £16.75 but well worth the cost. Himself had a breast of chicken stuffed with leeks and served with pommes boulangere, julienne of
carrot & spinach with garlic. The chicken was excellent - well seasoned, moist and tender. His potatoes were not as nice as mine but perhaps I was biased! The spinach was lovely - an often overlooked vegetable in Irish restaurants.

After consuming this delightful meal, we waited about 20 minutes before braving the dessert selection. On offer was a cheese plate, a selection of ice cream, apple tart, a strawberry mille feuille and a chocolate brulee tart. I hesitated for a moment & heard himself order the chocolate tart (normally my specialist area) so I opted for the mille feuille. Our plates
arrived and then an epic battle ensued! The chocolate brulee tart had no hint of brulee but was a tart made of pate sucree filled with a molten dark chocolate concoction, dressed with fresh raspberries in a pool of creme anglaise. It was sensational & boy was I jealous! However the strawberry mille feuille was lovely - light and crisp puff pastry containing layers of fresh cream and ripe sliced strawberries which actually tasted like the real thing (I would assume them to be of Wexford origin because supermarket ones do not taste like these).

Both plates were cleared & we had a tea and a Baileys coffee which were excellent. Our bill came to £69.80 which we rounded up to £77. I would heartily recommend The Cape to family, friends and strangers alike. It may not be one of the cheapest restaurants in Bray but you certainly get what you pay for.