Thyme, Athlone: A Michelin Bib Gourmand with Distinct Character
Thyme
Address: Custume Place, Athlone, Co Westmeath
Telephone: 090 647 8850
Cuisine: Modern International
Website: https://thymerestaurant.ie/
Cost: €€€
In a recent Michelin Guide newsletter, the restaurant gods finally spelt out what a Bib Gourmand actually is – overdue clarity now that the old price cap has vanished into fog. And no, its not a halfway house to a star, despite the mythology that sprang up after Bastible in Dublin went from Bib to one star in 2022.
A Bib isn’t a style. It’s a hunch: inspectors walk in, eat unusually well for what they deem a fair price, and decide someone deserves credit for not fleecing the public. There’s no checklist, no compulsory rustic crockery, no foie-gras origami. Michelin is clear about what you’re unlikely to find – nitrogen clouds and ultra-precious ingredients – but beyond all that, the whole point is “distinct character”.
Thyme in Athlone is deemed to have character enough to merit a Bib. Awarded in 2019, owners John and Tara Coffey have maintained it as. Of more importance is the fact that it is one of Mickael Viljanen’s favorite places for sunday lunch. No small praise from the chef-patron of two-Michelin-star Chapter One.
The menu will warm your heart, because right at the bottom is a list of organic growers, free-range pork producers and serious butchers and fishmongers. Starters run from ham hock with a crispy egg to partridge ballotine, bluefin with ajo blanco, a shiitake custard and a smoked-mackerel velouté. mains land firmly in winter territory – rib-eye with Yorkshire pudding, wild sika deer, plaice, john Dory, pork in several cuts and a Delicata-squash pithivier.
The wine list is compiled confidently: European, organically minded and priced with restraint. By-the-glass pours sit around the €10-€12 mark, running from Loire Sauvignon and Sardinian Vermentino to Cahors Malbec, Xinomavro and ribera del Duero. A glass of Domaine Macia
Thyme,Athlone: A restaurant where ambition and execution meet
Thyme in Athlone is a restaurant where ambition and execution meet with notable results. The dining room is a calming space, all muted greys and natural wood, and the service is warm and attentive without being intrusive.
A generous tranche of John Dory (€36) is burnished gold on top, pearlescent underneath, set over a glossy, herb-green ring and a seaweed beurre blanc. Around it are little pommes dauphine, a few pickled mussels, and a tight cylinder of leek pressed into a mosaic.Generous portions of sides accompany the main courses – new potatoes and a superb mix of broccoli and cubes of courgette dressed in onion and bacon.
Desserts stay classic and are all €12. the apple terrine is exquisite,a neat,amber-glazed slab,the layers pressed tightly over a buttery sablé base. Beside it is indeed a quenelle of vanilla-flecked ice-cream,sitting on a sablé crumb,scattered with thin batons of raw apple standing at angles like scaffolding.
The Smoked Mackerel Velouté, Crumpet, Mackerel paté, Pickled Onion is another standout, showcasing the kitchen’s skill with flavor combinations and textures.
Thyme Restaurant Review: A Top Sunday Lunch Experience
This review details a dining experience at Thyme,a restaurant recognized with a Bib Gourmand award,focusing on its classic cooking,sourcing of ingredients,and overall ambiance.
the meal began with a visually appealing dish of Loin and Shoulder of wild Sika Deer, served with Fresh Hazelnut Kluski, White Turnip, and Damson. This was followed by a coffee custard tart, described as a “long, slim wedge” with a “perfectly even surface,” accompanied by whiskey ice-cream, meringue shards, and coffee caramel.
The review highlights Thyme’s commitment to quality ingredients, citing suppliers such as Gillivan’s Butchers, Pigs on the Green for free-range pork, Millhouse Organic Farm, Lough Boora Organic Farm, Glenmar Seafood, and Eamon Giblin’s Gourmet Game.Vegetarian options are also available, including Mossfield cheese custard, Garryhinch shiitake mushroom royale, and pithivier of Delicata squash.
The author notes that while Thyme excels in its execution and ingredient quality, it raises questions about the criteria for Michelin stars, suggesting that setting and presentation sometimes play a notable role. The review concludes that Thyme currently offers the best Sunday lunch experience available in Ireland.
Details:
* Cost: Lunch for two with two glasses of wine was €155.
* Verdict: Classic cooking at a serious level.
* Food Provenance: Gillivan’s Butchers,Pigs on the Green free-range pork,millhouse Organic Farm,Lough boora Organic Farm,Glenmar Seafood,and Eamon Giblin’s Gourmet Game.
* Vegetarian Options: Mossfield cheese custard, Garryhinch shiitake mushroom royale, and pithivier of Delicata squash.
* Accessibility: Accessible room, but no accessible toilet.
* Music: Torch songs and movie classics.
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