Saint Francis Provisions      Address: Short Quay, Kinsale, Co Cork P17 T880Telephone: 083 063 6879Cuisine: Modern InternationalCost: €€€It takes a brave person to turn up to Saint Francis Provisions in Kinsale, Co Cork, without a booking; two groups pop their heads in, filled with hope, but it’s full. We’re in for the second sitting, at 8pm, and have settled into a snug table for two along the back wall facing the kitchen. We soon strike up an engaging conversation with a retired American couple who have travelled extensively and are making a real go of Ireland. It’s that sort of place.Crisp, low-intervention wines are being sipped with tempting small plates on the outside terrace in the last of the day’s sun. The patrons appear to be regulars, well clued in to the fact that a sunny street terrace at this end of town is a rare thing, but as the evening draws in, blankets start to appear.Inside, everything wraps around the kitchen because this is a nicely designed but small 15-seater room. There are seats at the counter of the open kitchen, high stools by the window – a perfect people-watching perch – and then our little run of two-tops, as they call them in the industry.Whitewashed walls, exposed beams, trailing plants and frayed wicker shades add an airy atmosphere, with shelving running along the walls lined with glassware and bottles. It’s influenced by the time owners Barbara Nealon and her husband John Healy spent in San Francisco.The menu is a one-pager – snacks building up to larger plates and desserts. With Madrid native Rebeca Receray Sanchez heading up the kitchen, there is a clear Iberian line running through the menu, which draws heavily on local seasonal produce. Everything is tempting, although I can’t quite bring myself to order the “callos” – a tripe, trotters and chorizo stew (€12) – after encounters with tripe in Madrid, and more recently in Florence, that embraced its more insistent qualities.Specials and a clutch of Jura wines are chalked up on a blackboard. The black sole a la Bilbaína (€36) already has my name on it, so we start with a selection of smaller plates. Gildas (€4 each) arrive in a blue preservas tin – two olives and two peppers per snack – which has me rethinking how I assemble them at home. They are just the thing to have with a bottle of Judith Beck Austrian Chardonnay (€45), from a producer-led list that largely sits in the €40-€60 price range with a reasonable margin. The wine by the glass list is thoughtfully selected and would offer a night of interesting drinking. The romesco that arrives with the giant slices of crusty topped focaccia (€8.50) is gold standard, chunky with almonds that seem to have been toasted before being chopped; sweet pepper, smoky paprika and a touch of vinegar to balance it out.Asparagus season has just started in Ireland, and six slender spears from Ultan Walsh’s Gort na Nain farm in nearby Nohoval are grilled (€16), and laid under a veil of lardo so fine it has practically disappeared. A drizzle of olive oil and drifts of lemon zest finish the plate.[ Mongoose review: This new Dublin 8 spot is now my favourite restaurantOpens in new window ]Variations on sole are increasingly featuring on menus as a more affordable alternative to Dover, and here it’s grilled on the bone and finished with a Bilbaína – thin slices of toasted garlic, parsley and red chilli flakes in olive oil with a splash of sherry vinegar. And then there are the smoked potatoes with aioli (€7.50) which have a well-managed smokiness, closer to the peat of an Islay whisky like Laphroaig rather than an over-enthusiastic hand.The terrace at Saint Francis Provisions in Kinsale. Photograph: John Allen Grilled asparagus from Ultan Walsh’s Gort na Nain farm, served with lardo, lemon zest and olive oil. Photograph: John Allen Gilda, an aperitivo of marinated olives, peppers and anchovies with vermouth at Saint Francis Provisions. Photograph: John Allen Grilled ox tongue skewer, beets and horseradish cream at Saint Francis Provisions. Photograph: John Allen Fish 'n' crisps 'matrimonio' at Saint Francis Provisions. Photograph: John Allen Desserts run along the same lines, simple, but with a personalised stamp. We’re feeling too full for the chocolate fondant with prunes and creme fraiche, so go for the pistachio baklava (€10) and boozy affogato (€9) which is served in a floral teacup. The pistachio baklava, with its classic base of nuts in dense, syrup-soaked filo pastry, has been built up with a layer of cream, which sits beneath a lid of flaky pastry, landing somewhere between baklava and pastry in a most delicious way.A happy birthday, joyously sung by the room, ends an evening that is not just about great food and wine – the restaurant holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand – but also about the real welcome and conviviality you feel from the moment you walk in. It’s a testament to the ethos of Nealon, who won the Michelin Service Award for the UK and Ireland this year, and was away at the time of our visit.Dinner for two with a bottle of wine was €140.The verdict: Truly delicious food and wine in a room built for chatFood provenance: O’Reilly’s, English Market; Gort na Nain; Horizon Organic Farm; Food for Humans, Glenmar ShellfishVegetarian options: Ensalada del dia, broccoli romesco, smoked potatoes, asparagus, butter beans in roasted red pepper sauce, Macroom buffalo ricotta with blood orange Wheelchair access: No accessible room or toilet Music: From Dolly Parton to BjorkThe walls of the small, nicely designed 15-seater Saint Francis Provisions are lined with bottles and other glassware. Photograph: John Allen High-stool seating by the window at Saint Francis Provisions. Photograph: John Allen The terrace to the front of Saint Francis Provisions. Photograph: John Allen