Liam Finnegan of Ashford Castle takes the pass for Friends of Pichet
Friends of Pichet: A Night with Liam Finnegan
On Sunday 22nd of February 2026, Pichet hosted an unforgettable evening as part of its acclaimed Friends of Pichet series, welcoming none other than Liam Finnegan of Ashford Castle (Goerge V Dining Room).
Finnegan (accompanied by Andrew Roadhouse and Matt Davies) joined Head Chef Harry Quinn at the pass to present a seasonal tasting menu built around ingredients from the Ashford estate and the west of Ireland. Produce from the castle’s organic kitchen garden as well as local Mayo producers featured throughout, grounding the menu firmly in provenance and place.
Wines, paired in partnership with Bibendum Wines, brought balance to each course and added another layer to the collaboration.
Leading the kitchen at Ashford Castle, Finnegan brings more than two decades of experience in Irish and UK restaurants, including time in highly regarded kitchens such as Michael Caines’ two Michelin starred Gidleigh Park. His cooking philosophy centres on simplicity, well sourced ingredients and strong relationships with producers.
Snacks to Share
Ring’s Farm Chicken Wing, Burren Smoked Salmon Mousse & Potato Dauphine with Garlic Scape Gel, Estate Coppa
The Ring’s Farm Chicken Wing was served with an estate satay sauce made from monkey puzzle trees planted on the Ashford estate by the Guinness family over 200 years ago.
Course 1 – Estate Ricotta
Pumpkin, Hawthorn, Nasturtium
False Bay Chenin Blanc, W.O. Coastal Region, South Africa 2024
Ashford Estate ricotta led the first course, delicate and fresh, with pumpkin adding gentle sweetness and texture. Hawthorn and nasturtium brought lift and a subtle peppery edge, creating a balance between savoury and floral. The Chenin Blanc echoed that brightness, its acidity sharpening the creaminess of the ricotta without overpowering it. When presenting the dish Liam said “A lot of the food that we do in Ashford celebrates the garden and there’s a nod to all of the people that we work with. So if you look at this plate, for instance, there’s a blackcurrant leaf in underneath it and it says Alex and Niamh. They’re two of our four gardeners.”
The dish was finished tableside with a pumpkin based sweet and sour dressing, poured over the ricotta to unify the plate.
Course 2 – Cured Organic Trout
Potato Bread, Cucumber, Elderflower, Rillettes
Domaine Fouassier Sancerre, Loire Valley, France 2023
At the fish course, the trout was clean and precise, complemented by soft potato bread and a fresh note of cucumber and elderflower. It was topped with a sharp wild garlic scape gel for acidity and finished with Ashford estate coppa. Much of the charcuterie served throughout the menu was produced in house at Ashford, where the team ages its own meat. The Sancerre mirrored the dish’s restraint, its minerality and citrus cutting through the richness of the rillettes while enhancing the more delicate elements. meat and fish before service.
Course 3 – Turbot
Carrot, Sea Buckthorn, Rosemary
Joseph Drouhin Mâcon-Villages, Burgundy, France 2022
Then for the third course, with atmosphere in the room building as Chef Liam chats to diners tableside, the pan fried Turbot arrived perfectly judged. Its’ natural sweetness lifted by the sharp brightness of sea buckthorn, a wild berry growing locally on the estate which brought sharp, almost passionfruit-like flavours. Grounded by earthy carrot (from the estate gardens) and aromatic rosemary oil, the dish felt both refined and quietly complex. The paired wine of Joseph Drouhin Mâcon-Villages combined crisp acidity, refreshing citrus and delicate floral tones amplified the turbot’s elegant sweetness, and echoed the dish’s herbal and fruit elements.
Course 4 – Beef
Artichoke, Slow Cooked Cheek, Béarnaise
Journey’s End Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch, South Africa 2019
For the main course, 40 day aged beef finished was accompanied by Jerusalem Artichoke and slow cooked cheek. The beef, brought from Ashford Castle, was 40-day dry-aged in house and sources from Martin Jennings. True to the Ashford approach, the team ages and prepares its own meat, rendering the fat from the beef and using it on the night to cook and finish the fillet. The result was depth, richness and a clean, concentrated flavour.
The tender slow cooked cheek, which was was topped with crispy shallot, just melted in the mouth and the dishes the artichoke brought a subtle earthiness and bite. Expertly paired by Bibendum Wines with Journey’s End Cabernet Sauvignon, the pairing brought structured tannins, dark berry depth and subtle oak spice that stood up confidently to the richness of the beef.
The dish was finished with an aerated béarnaise with fresh tarragon, served to share at the table.
Course 5 – Black Velvet Sorbet
Louis Bouillot Crémant de Bourgogne, Brut
The sorbet acted as a palate reset, dark and intense yet refreshing. This first sweet course was paired with Louis Bouillot Crémant de Bourgogne Brut. The pairing provided crisp acidity and fine, lively bubbles that cleansed the palate and heighten the dark, velvety intensity of the sorbet, creating a refreshing and elegant pre-dessert finish.
Course 6 – Komontu Dark Chocolate Mousse
Blood Orange
Noval Fine Ruby Port
Dessert was a playful Komontu Dark Chocolate Mousse with Blood Orange. The mousse was luxuriously rich and smooth, and its deep cocoa intensity was sharpened and lifted by the bright, bittersweet freshness of a blood orange gell insert at the centre, resulting in a dessert that felt indulgent and beautifully balanced.
Another Successful Collaboration for Pichet
Guests responded warmly to the menu, with particular praise for the estate sourced ingredients and the balance of the wine pairings. There was a genuine sense of appreciation as Liam made his way around the room, reflecting the strength of the collaboration between Finnegan and Quinn.
As part of the Friends of Pichet series, the event brought together two kitchens with a shared respect for provenance and seasonality, reinforcing Pichet’s reputation as one of the most respected French restaurants in Dublin and a long-standing favourite among those searching for restaurants in Dublin City Centre.
A sincere thank you to Liam Finnegan and his colleagues at Ashford Castle for their openness, professionalism and the quality of produce they brought to the table. The collaboration was a genuine pleasure for the Pichet team and for our guests alike.
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Photography by Guilherme Possa of Possa Media.
