The Workshop Coffee Company, Main Street, Muff, Co Donegal Tel (00353) 74 9327 624
HOW does the song go again? I’ve been to Paradise, but I’ve never been to Muff? Pretty sure that’s it. It was a lyric close to my heart, as, while I’d been to Paradise – any July in Birkenhead – I had, up until a week last Wednesday, indeed, never been to Muff.
Known as the Gateway to Inishowen (Fact Check: I’m not at all sure it is, although you never know), I’d driven through Muff often, heading out into Ireland’s largest peninsula, up, say, to Malin Head to stare at the water and pretend I could see some capering dolphins. But stop there? No. Not even for cheaper petrol.
That’s all changed now, though. I’ve been to Paradise, AND I’ve been to Muff. Specifically, to the terrific Workshop café.
It’s an inviting place – fashionable, grounded, full of natural woods, touches of industrial décor, deep, soft leather chairs and sofas, and plenty of space to ease back and relax. Like so many places that work from the off, it feels like it’s been there for ages, although it’s not a year old yet. It has attracted an instantly loyal local following among Mufflers (Fact Check: no-one calls them this) as well as enticing the likes of me and my two companions to stop en route to Inishowen.
It’s not hard to see why it’s been such a hit. They work like billy-o in here, for one thing, with everything made from scratch on the premises. It was something I quizzed them on, to the well-concealed irritation of the staff. What, everything? Yes. The sausage rolls? Yes. The sourdough bread? Yes. Not the bagels, though; they’ll be bought in, surely. No, we make the bagels here, too. What do you think 'everything' means?
Of course, words and phrases like home-made and hand-made can be marketing tricks, because we’ve been trained to think that instantly makes things good. But, as anyone who has been unlucky enough to sample my hand-reared lemon drizzle cake will tell you, assuming they can still speak, that isn’t necessarily the case.
It is here though. Using the review as a cloak for my inexhaustible greed, I ordered loads of stuff, to the point where the waitress started to look at the door for the arrival of the rest of our party.
The lasagne was delicious – really beefy and tasty in a nicely balanced tomato sauce and perfectly cooked pasta. The breads were terrific. The sourdough barmcake was satisfyingly crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. The bagel was great – sweet, moist, and light.
We all loved the sausage rolls. They came in three different varieties – red onion, apple, and sundried tomato. The flavours were subtle but clear, blending well with the pork, which was well-seasoned, generous, and properly meaty, not like the horrible modge so many sausage rolls are filled with.
I was less impressed by the quiche Lorraine. It just had too many ingredients, rather than just the bacon, cheese, and onion that you might expect. This actually illustrated the one issue I had with the Workshop. The cooks are maybe just a touch eager to please. They should relax and trust themselves a bit more.
The sourdough special, for example, was almost perfect: great bread; lovely, creamy brie; thick, salty bacon; sharp and tangy sundried tomato. All just delicious. But then made too sweet by an unnecessary chilli drizzle.
Something a little similar was going on with the puddings. The frangipane tart was rich and almondy, with sweet pear and sharp blueberry. The caramel square was oozy and rich, with a lovely slab of chocolate on top. And the creamy, cheesy bit (sorry about the technical terminology) of the cheesecake was the best I’ve tasted in ages. But, in each case, there was a lack of balance, mainly in the form of far too thick a base.
Ditto the sausage rolls, come to think of it, which had so much – admittedly lovely – pastry they could have made them double-barrelled (now there’s an idea).
It’s just a little criticism, mind. I’d recommend this place to anyone. Next time you’re driving through Muff, don’t. Do yourself a favour and stop at the Workshop.
THE BILL
Quiche Lorraine €8.90
Lasagne €8.90
Toasted bagel €2.00
Sourdough sandwich €6.50
Sausage roll x 3 @€2.20: €6.60
Caramel Square €2.40
Lemon cheesecake €2.40
Frangipane tart €3.40
Sparkling water €1.90
Diet Coke €1.60
Total: €44.60 (£37.69)
