FORMER TAOISEACH CHARLES Haughey was not best pleased with the food served at an Ireland-hosted EU summit after dinner was declared to be “only of good pub grub standard”. 

Haughey’s gastronomic critiques are revealed in State Papers released to the National Archives and feature his declaration that the venison paté served at lunch was “a disaster”. 

The documents relate the European Council summit held at Dublin Castle in 1990 and show that Haughey was suitably unimpressed with the standard compared to other EU summits. 

“The Taoiseach confirmed that he was disappointed with the standard of the meals in both cases,” a Department of the Taoiseach memo from the time stated.

He described the venison pate – served at the lunch – as a disaster.

The poor reviews also focused on the sauce served with the trout at the dinner which civil servants noted was “the subject of adverse comment” and “was only of good pub grub standard”. 

Haughey in fact suggested that the food could be improved by using the chef from Le Coq Hardi, a favourite haunt of Haughey’s located on Pembroke Road in Dublin. 

The former Fianna Fáil taoiseach must have been a fan of the eatery, as the Moriarty Tribunal heard that £15,000 was paid to Le Coq Hardi in just one year from the taxpayer funded Leader’s Account while Haughey was taoiseach.