September, Blackrock, review: We need more walk-in restaurants in scenic spots like this – absolutely delightful

A restaurant that has two very good wines as their cheapest offering on the white and red listings is sadly an all too rare thing. I generally find myself trawling through mass-produced pinot grigios, sauvignon blancs, chardonnays and merlots, and find that a bottle of any interest is nudging towards €50.

At September in Blackrock, Co Dublin, the red is Filipa Pato’s Dinámica Tinto (€38). It’s from one of Portugal’s finest wine regions, Bairrada, and is made with the baga grape. Filipa, who I met at a wine dinner in Forest Avenue two years ago, is one of the new wave of winemakers in Portugal. She focuses on indigenous grapes, taking a low-intervention approach to allow the wine to reflect the terroir. The entry-level white is Uivo (€40), another favourite of mine, and one of the most popular bottles in the room.

What makes the experience even better is that William Browne, who owns and runs September with chef Jamie McNamara, asks if we’d like to try the red chilled, which is a beautiful way to drink this wine. This, to me, is a most wonderful start to our dinner, and I promptly forget that the walk-in only policy meant that we had to wait for a table when we arrived, although a call to my mobile number 20 minutes later meant that it wasn’t too long.

We’re sitting at one of the four bar stools at a white marble counter. There’s a small hatch into the kitchen and the three front-of-house staff are doing an admirable job in seriously constricted conditions behind the counter.

The room is bright and airy, and the floorboards have been stripped and painted a vintage white to match the open shelves lined with wine bottles. Antique oak furniture adds to the appeal, and a large window looks out to the sea, where a few yachty types are sitting at the outside tables.

As we order from the short menu – small plates and two larger dishes – our waitress is quick to tell us that everything comes together, so we order in two ‘go’s and they’re cool with that. Gildas (€3.50), are crunchy with a cornichon as well as the typical anchovy, guindilla peppers and olive. You really can’t start without them.

The ham hock arancini (two for €7.50) are warm, with a crispy exterior encasing creamy rice and strands of ham. They are tasty dipped into the smoked paprika aioli. Every dish comes on a different plate, clearly someone with taste has had a joyful time at auctions.

The line caught mackerel (€16) is a dish that is already hitting the Instagram sweet spot, jewelled with glistening globules of basil and chilli oil in ajo – a cold soup of breadcrumbs, almond and garlic. The mackerel is lightly cured and meaty, strands of pickled fennel drape over the small pieces of fish, and opaque slices of radish flash their magenta rims. This dish is a looker, and it also eats very nicely. We ask for a spoon to scoop up the ajo, which hugely improves the eating of the dish.

The tortellini (€18.50), filled with ricotta, were probably made a good bit earlier in the day, understandable with such a small space, but do suffer from it somewhat. The dough is a bit thick and tough. Fried sage leaves add aromatics to the squash sauce, although it would benefit from being pointed up with a bit of acidity.

The ‘nduja gnocchi (€18.50) come in an assertive sauce, with blobs of melting stracciatella. The potato-based gnocchi are perhaps a bit dense but the ‘nduja sauce is delicious. Be sure to have ordered the Tartine sourdough (€4.50) and keep some for mopping up the sauce.

The tiramisu (€10.50) proves that there is definitely a light hand in the kitchen. Served as a slice on a pretty plate, the cake is soused with coffee and booze and layered with airy mascarpone cream. There is enough for two people.

I have no advice on when is the best time to get a table for dinner. Maybe get there before 6pm when it opens, or leave it till 7.45pm when the next wave arrives. It would also be quite lovely for breakfast, lunch or coffee during the day. If you’re not lucky enough to be a local, there’s a great cycle path, and of course the Dart. We need more places like this, it is absolutely delightful.

Dinner for two with a bottle of wine was €117.

The Verdict: A truly lovely wine bar with a stunning sea view.

Food provenance: Glenmar, JJ Young, Tartine, Caterway and La Rousse.

Vegetarian options: Almonds, olives, heirloom tomatoes and burrata, and ricotta tortellini with squash and sage butter.

Wheelchair access: Accessible room with no accessible toilet.

Music: In the background, Curtis Mayfield and similar tunes.