"Loved this place, and could not find a fault" was the reaction of our friend Sabrina on her first visit to Basilico.
It's the restaurant of the Coach House Hotel, a 16-bedroom set-up in the centre of Oranmore, a busy but somewhat anonymous suburb of Galway. There is a pizza menu and a good selection of pastas alongside the - la carte, and Paulo Sabatini's cooking is spot on: calamari fritti is baby squid and courgette in a light batter with marinara sauce; a house salad is ripe tomatoes with buffalo mozzarella. Mains of pearl barley risotto with salmon and cherry tomatoes is as good as strips of beef fillet with fennel seed, wild mushrooms and new potatoes. Fabiano Mules' staff are courteous and sharply dressed, and Basilico is a excellent arrival.
