Dockland Delights. Encore.

Dockland Delights. Encore.

“Why don’t we come here more often?” We asked ourselves as we left Dockland after a delicious lunch on last week’s designated sunny day (Wednesday). There’s always a terrific welcome here - this time from the smiling younger generation - and always good food too, lots fo tempting variety in a longish inventive menu, at prices that won’t break the bank.

They have some seats outside but, having spent most of the morning in the open air we, hands sanitised and name taken, decided to take an inside table, one with a view of the sunny exterior. Soon the water and the menus were at hand and we were making choices.

Quite a few tables have been removed due to Covid19 so those outside seats come in handy. The reception/bar area is now mainly deli/takeaway, salads, sandwiches, sweet stuff and coffees, much of which may be ordered in advance for collection. There was a steady enough stream for that corner.

Dockland are noted for their salads and they feature strongly here in four tempting versions. For instance, there’s a Roasted Vegetable Couscous (turmeric, coriander, spiced yogurt, toasted almonds, roasted harissa oil). Pick that or any of the other three and you may choose 1,2, or 3 salads, all for €11.00. The other headings are Chickpea Salad, Dockland Coleslaw, and Roasted Broccoli. You may also add chicken or honey glazed ham to your choice for an extra three euro.

We were looking for something slightly more substantial on this occasion and so choose from the mains, over a dozen of them! Everything from toasties to a Seared Beef Salad and including Fish ’n Chips and a Chicken Burger.  The West Cork crab, with chives, lime, fresh chilli mayo, toasted sourdough, chive oil, smoked salmon and mixed leaves, drew the attention, along with a few more.

CL though came down in favour of Clonakilty Black Pudding salad, rustic potatoes, caramelised apples, crispy bacon, with mustard honey dressing (14.00). A lot going on there but no jarring contrasts, all elements pulling together in a harmonious ensemble, and a very satisfying lunch indeed.

And I too benefitted from that precision in gathering and matching and measuring quite a few ingredients into a palate pleasing whole as I tucked into Chargrilled Chicken, tomato fondue, Gubbeen chorizo, basil pesto, and olive mash (15.00). Every single element perfect, in both quality and quantity, all adding up to a very satisfied customer indeed. Oh by the way, they have a range of sides available also: chips, salad leaves (and their leaves are terrific), roasted vegetable couscous, chargrilled broccoli salad, creamy mash.

Inside looking out

And we have a tip for dessert for you! We were pointed in the direction of the Clementine Almond Cake, caramelised clementines, and cream. And we were a little wary as quite often cake can be so dry. But not here. This was exquisite, moist and sweet, easy to dispatch. A must-try whenever you’re in this lovely friendly city venue by the river.

Dockland 

Lapps Quay

Cork

Tel: (021) 427 3987

Holy Salads and Sandwiches at St Francis Provisions

Holy Salads and Sandwiches at St Francis Provisions

Super salad

There is a white tigín in Kinsale. It is the home of St Francis Provisions, a café com deli that is causing something of a stir in the town and beyond.

Hardly because of its size - it would be hard to squeeze twenty diners in here. Not because of its furniture: three basic 2-person tables and perhaps ten basic high stools. Not because of the ware, lots of odd plates here, some the worse for wear! So, why the fuss? It’s the food, stupid!

Take this glorious salad in the top photograph. “Perhaps the best salad ever,” according to first time customer CL who paid €9.50 for this colourful flavourful plate that is also seasonal and local. The tasty bounty of the season is deliciously expressed in the ever so pleasing melange of mixed leaves, fig, spelt, nuts and seeds, roasted parsnips, pumpkin and sweet potato, soft creamy cheese.

I’m also a St Francis novice and ordered one of the two daily sandwiches: Gubbeen pistachio salami, Gubbeen cheese, fig and ginger chutney on focaccia, served on their own focaccia. On advice from the kitchen - there are certain advantages in sitting at the counter - I had this toasted and this too was excellent, local produce expertly handled.

Apple & Blackberry Pie and, right, Sticky Orange Cake

By the way, the day we visited (Oct 9th) was the day that they finally became truly their own bakery with chef Darren Kennedy and baker Sarah Walsh adding the sourdough to their repertoire. The bar has been well and truly raised here and it’s a pleasure to see such a young enterprise (it opened at the start of the summer) progress so impressively under the direction of owner/manager Barbara Nealon, a woman from the Banner who arrived in Kinsale via San Francisco (hence the tigín’s name).

And the output of the ovens is spread across the counters, lots of tempting pastries, both big and small. My pick was the Sticky Orange Cake, sweet, moist and delicious, enhanced no end by a cup of the excellent Red Strand coffee.

Rock and roll was playing on the record player - it is all vinyl here boy - with a voice from my past knocking out “Here comes my baby. Here she comes now…” as we settled up, €27.00 in all, before stepping out in the sunlit Farmers Market (a mega shower had just finished).

It is not just lunch that they serve here. Breakfast is available from 8.45, brunch is well worth checking out on Saturdays and Sundays, and there’s a dinner service (with some superb wines) available every Friday and Saturday from 5.00pm. They are closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

St Francis Provisions 

Short Quay

Kinsale

Co. Cork

tel: 0830636879

Perryville House - Guesthouse of the Year Winner

Kinsale's Perryville House is Guesthouse of the Year

Honey in the morning

Beer at night

Congratulations to Perryville House in Kinsale. The splendidly situated house, with excellent views over the harbour, was named Guesthouse of the Year in the recently announced and highly coveted Georgina Campbell Ireland Guide Awards 2020.

By coincidence, I had stayed there a few days before the awards were announced. Most of the guests had travelled much further; this lovely waterside venue is very popular with American and European visitors.

Must say I was very happy indeed to see Perryville win, if only for their support of Irish produce. When we checked in, the first thing I noticed in my room, alongside the Espresso coffee machine, was a pack of shortbread biscuits. No, not those anonymous packs you get elsewhere but the delicious Seymour Biscuits that are made by Philip O'Connor in the neighbouring town of Bandon.

Later that night, much later, I called to the amazing comfortable in-house bar here. I knew they hadn’t draught beer so I enquired about bottles and again they came up trumps with the local Black's Brewery 1601 lager.

Before heading out to dinner that first evening, we were strongly advised not to miss the breakfast. "It would be foolish to do so!" Good advice indeed, not that we had any intention of skipping it in any case.

We weren't disappointed. The breakfast is indeed unmissable and served in a room to match. And the menu is based on local produce and includes Gubbeen cheese, Glenilen yogurt, Barrett butchers sausages and bacon, and Hederman smoked salmon.

The hot menu includes their creamy organic porridge served with cinnamon-infused soft brown sugar. Of course, they have the Full Irish and shorter versions. And they also do a Pan-fried fish of the day. French toast with poached berry compote is a favourite. Pancakes are a favourite of ours recently and theirs, packed with berries, come with maple syrup and few more berries for good measure, nicely presented too.

If you read the reviews, you’ll note nothing but praise for their Eggs Benedict. I tried it and gave it the thumbs up. Two fresh eggs (just delivered by Siobhan from her nearby farm) on toasted sourdough, crispy bacon too and all smothered in sauce. Delicious

The cold buffet is eye-catching and includes fresh orange juice, iced water, granola, boxes of other cereals, a mini-fridge with yogurts, home-made preserves (Lemon Curd, Raspberry, Marmalade), honeycomb from the owners’ bees, their own pastries (include pear/almond scones) and bites sized slice of cakes (eg blueberry).

A big bowl of mixed fruits and other tempting fruit dishes such as poached plums and poached rhubarb in honey. And then there’s all that well-known West Cork Cheese with grapes and chutney. No shortage of anything and great service as well in this friendly place. And lovely too to meet up with Emily at check-out. We used meet her regularly over Karwig Wines. She was helpful there and is just as helpful here, as was everyone one we met in Perryville. 

This is the full citation for the award:

More country house than townhouse, Andrew and Laura Corcoran’s Georgian harbour-front home is the prettiest in Kinsale. Renovated and furnished with style, it is immaculately maintained and offers plenty of relaxing space, including a handsome bar and garden room, as well as outstanding accommodation in generous and extremely comfortable rooms (with luxurious bathrooms). Ten new rooms were added this year - so seamlessly executed that the casual observer would never guess at any recent changes. And, masters of detail as always, they even created a stunning new garden to the side of the building so that rooms without a seaview would have an equally pleasing outlook. All this plus great service and, reflecting the Corcorans’ Slow Food philosophy, carefully considered food. An outstanding destination.

for a full list of the winners and citations please click here http://www.ireland-guide.com/award/full-awards-list-and-citations.2451.html

Exquisite New Seasonal Menu at Montenotte's Panorama.

Exquisite New Menu at Montenotte's Panorama.

Superb Food. Great Views Too.

Hake

The foyer of the Montenotte Hotel is abuzz as we enter last week. Lots of shiny suits and colourful dresses fill the comfortable spaces. And the buzz continues into the Panorama Bistro where we thankfully have a booking (they are turning people away) and where we are about to enjoy a surprisingly delightful meal.

Well, maybe not that surprising! We have been studying the menu and it looks very inviting indeed. At the table, among the family parties celebrating their new graduates, we see that this evening there are no less than nine specials, three under each of the main headings. Besides, we have some inkling of what new chef Liam Kirwan is capable of as we enjoyed a delicious lunch during the summer at Mikey Ryan’s in Cashel (where he was then employed).

Crab

And big kudos too to the Panorama staff. They were busy but, nonetheless, they performed very well indeed, always with a smile and even finding time for a quick chat or two. So efficient were they, that there were no delays in getting the food to the tables. We were in early and some customers were leaving but soon the restaurant was full again, those with tables near the long window getting the full benefit of the great view over the city and, just underneath, over the lovely new gardens here.

But our eyes were on the menu, my hand on a pint of Chieftain Ale as they do offer the Franciscan Well beers here. You could well start with one of their Snacks, a Cashel Blue Rarebit among them, but we go for the dishes under Starters and get two beauties.

CL picks for the Crab Gratin with Wheaten Bread Crust. Clearly stated. No big highfalutin phrases on this menu. But the dish is high class, packed with flavour and a little spice and she declares it as one of the best crab starters she’s ever had.

But, we agree, mine is even better. The Roast Jerusalem Artichoke and Shallot Jam Tart with walnut ricotta, is pleasing to look at and its melange of flavours and textures is hard to match. Not too sure that any starter I’ve had in recent months comes anywhere near this gem!

CL is a Hake lover (Hake’s not my pet name, by the way) but not so much if this delicious fish is smothered in a creamy sauce. No danger of that here (none of the four fish dishes, including the two on special, has a cream sauce). Her Saffron Poached Hake, with Gubbeen chorizo, butterbean and charred Padrón pepper casserole is a magnificent melange of flavour, texture and smoky aromas. Really top class.

Venison Wellington

My mains is deceptive, looks like a small pie in a big dish. Maybe I should have had ordered a side. But the Ballinwillin Venison Wellington is loaded with the aromas and tastes of Autumn in the wild - that “little pastry” packs a powerful punch of flavour and texture, with no little help in that department coming from the cavolo nero (the kale of Tuscany), the dark chocolate jus and the roast celeriac. As you can see from this dish, the new menu is seasonal and local (Ballinwillin is in Mitchelstown).

Quantities here are, like the quality, very well judged indeed. You won’t really be stuffed, unless of course you wish to be and indulge in some of the tempting sides which include Truffle and Rosemary Fries, Buttered Greens, and Creamed Spinach to mention just a few. 

Plum Pie

So we had room for dessert and went for the one we had noted when we first got our hands on the menu: the Mulled Plum Pie. Another beauty and another seasonal dish, so you’d better get in there quick and, don’t forget, make a reservation!

Excellent choice of desserts (again three extras on special) but I’d better tell you about the cheeseboard as it illustrates the kitchen’s commitment to local. The description is Milleens, Crozier Blue, Daru, Cooleeney Camembert, oat cakes, whiskey honeycomb, barm brack, walnut brittle, pear. If you get that, sit back and relax and hold off on that taxi for a while!

The Fish Kitchen’s Special. A Taste of West Cork Waters

The Fish Kitchen’s Special

A Taste of West Cork Waters

As we walk up the stairs to our Bantry restaurant, the multi-event A Taste of West Cork festival is in full swing, heading for its closing weekend. Many attractive food options around the towns and villages but knowing punters make their way to the Fish Kitchen and a packed house enjoys the best produce from the local shores and seas. The Kitchen crew are busy but not a bother as the delicious meal is served.

“Freshness, simplicity, quality” is what they promise here and that is exactly what we get. Excellent service too, a good choice of wines and craft beer and good company too at the long tables. We enjoy the chat with Esther and Joe from Cappoquin and Jim and Barbara from the town.

Diarmaid, who owns and runs the Fish Kitchen with his wife Ann-Maria, served us a simple Amuse Bouche, a sharing plate of Sheep’s Head periwinkles with garlic. Hard to get them out of the little shells but well worth the effort!

Next up was a trio of Smoked Salmon, Prawns and Oyster. Tasty stuff. Excellent salmon, amazing prawns from the bay outside and a superb Carlingford oyster. Quite a hat trick of flavours.

We were very happy with that and got even happier with the next round: Steamed Bantry Bay mussels with Stonewell Cider. We had been out on the bay earlier and had seen the lines and lines heavy in the water with rope-grown mussels. And here they were now on our plate, meatier and tastier than any I’ve tried in recent times.

Croquettes

Another course was on the way as the Salterio Albarino level in our bottle was falling and this was another handsome combination: Union Hall Smoked Pollack and crabmeat croquettes, served with a simple salad.

Now for the big one: herb crusted Castletownbere Hake with sun-dried tomato and Gubbeen chorizo pesto. Sometimes in Ireland we smother delicate fish with heavy sauces. Not here. The Hake was the star, the others there just to show it off to perfection. And, yes, it was perfect, as were all the courses.

Hake

And of course there was dessert. Here we had a choice and the Plum Crumble won hands down at our table; maybe the lavender infused pannacotta found takers at the other tables!

While this was a special dinner (we paid 45 euro a head) for the festival, you will get the freshest of fish, skilfully handled and simply presented at a fair price every day, lunch and dinner, at this town centre venue. And, if you are eating at home, then grab some fresh fish from the family market on the ground floor!

Crumble

The Fish Kitchen  

New Street

Bantry 

Co.Cork

(027) 56651

* Diarmaid was our host on our earlier trip around the bay - check it out here. He has been doing it a bit over the past summer and intends to make it a permanent feature next year. A proud native of the area, he is a superb guide to the huge bay, its geography and amazing history. His sturdy rib will take six paying passengers so keep an eye out for that in 2019.

Bayview's Feast of Fish. Flavour and Fun, thanks to Ciaran & Team

Bayview's Feast of Fish

Flavour and Fun, thanks to Ciaran & Team

Seafood Cocktail

Stephen Belton, GM of the Garryvoe Hotel, welcomed the guests to host venue the Bayview (where he is also GM), for the first big event of Feast 2018. Speaking of Bayview Chef Ciaran Scully, Stephen said he’s never met anyone with “such a passion for food”. And a mischievous sense of humour too as you can see by the second dish being called My Ding A Ling. “Enjoy the flavours and the fun,” Stephen concluded.

Kevin Ahern of Sage was introduced as the driving force behind Feast but he quickly countered that he wasn't the only person pushing the expanded and expanding festival. “We are proud of Midleton’s past festivals but now we want to drive it forward. We see East Cork as a food destination, both nationally and internationally. We want to create revenue in the area, not in just one town. We are very happy with it so far, so many nights booked out already.”

Ciaran's Ding A Ling

The wines for the evening were provided by James Nicholson Wine and their man on the

spot was Richard Reeve. “The wines chosen are a little left field, not the obvious ones (not even a Sauvignon Blanc!)”.  The pairings were excellent and we got more info on the individual bottles as the evening went on.

The first offering from the kitchen was a rather spectacular Seafood Cocktail (Ballycotton Brown Shrimp, smoked eel, herring, trout caviar, confit of tomato, pickled apple, Bloody Mary Jelly, Samphire, Sea purslane, Fried sea lettuce). Lots of flavours and textures there. And the wine chosen, was the Bodegas Coloma Pinot Noir Rosé from Extremadura in Spain. This early release wine has quite a bit of heft compared to the normal rosé and was certainly a winner with the mix in cocktail. A terrific opening all round.

Mackerel

The high standard would be maintained. Next up was My Ding A Ling (torched Ling with Salt Baked Celeriac, Little gem, Hazelnut & Gubbeen Pesto, Smoked Skeaghanore Duck-breast).  A superb combination with that celeriac playing a key role. And the wine here, the vibrant South African Boekenhoutskloof Wolftrap white, was terrific and again a great match, with its fantastic aromas and flavours.

Holy Mackerel was the title of Ciaran’s next offering. Basically it was all about the humble fish, the flavour packed pan-fried fillet enhanced by a Roast Miso Aubergine, Pickled mushrooms, peanut powder, Nasturtium, rice crackers. A good fresh wine to cut the oily fish was required here and Richard had just the job in the Umani Ronchi Vellodoro Terre di Chieti Pecorino. An intense aromatic wine with clear mineral notes, fresh with ripe fruits, it matched the mackerel well.

Fish and Chips

Now it was time for the Fish & Chips. The Bayview’s version: Deep fried monkfish, octopus, pea, lemon and potato purée, fried capers, oyster mayonnaise, Jerusalem artichoke chips. Another amazing effort from the kitchen. Richard didn’t have a Sauvignon Blanc but he did have a Chardonnay. The Domaine Bellevue from the Touraine, Loire Valley, was unoaked with excellent depth of fruit and that with its northern freshness gave the wine a lovely mouthfeel, another excellent match.

Time now for the sweet finalé. The Chocolate Trinket Box contained Jameson and Burnt Orange Chocolate Mousse with a Beamish Stout Ice Cream, rich and delicious. The dessert wine came from the Quady Winery in California, the Essensia Orange Muscat 2014.

A superb night of fish and wine again at the Bayview. Great how Ciaran chooses these events to highlight the super qualities of fish that we don't always rate in Ireland, such as the Ling and the Mackerel in this case.

Still lots to do in Feast. Check the remaining events here. 

Seamus Goes Solo at Rum Bar And Kitchen

Seamus Goes Solo at Rum Bar And Kitchen

A yummy rummy dessert!

Quite a menu at the Rum Bar and Kitchen in Marlboro Street. A few nibbles, a long list of small plates (you may order one or two in bigger sizes), some excellent large plates, and also a few tempting desserts! Took us a while to make up our minds but many of the dishes are shareable - indeed they have some large platters, mainly charcuterie and cheese, to share -  and that makes choosing that bit easier.

No matter what we ordered we were going to omit some very desirable choices such as that €12.00 Cheese Platter (Cashel Blue, Gubbeen Smoked and Tipperary Brie with apricot chutney, candied walnuts, grapes and crackers).

But we wouldn't be disappointed. Far from it. We started with three, from the small plates. One choice was the Spanish Fries (4.50). The fries, served with chopped olives, grated cheese, aioli and pesto, were a delicious delight, quite a change from the usual Patatas Bravas.

The Crispy beef brisket Bon Bons (four for 7.50) enhanced by a red wine jus were full of flavour, the jus superb. And the hoisin sauce with the home-made duck-leg spring rolls was also top notch and added to another very enjoyable small plate (8.50). 

Other small plates available include: smoked Gubbeen and honey roast ham croquettes, English Market Chicken liver paté, and also their own house chicken wings. See the full menu on their Facebook page below.

So, after those excellent small plates, how would the large plates measure up? They hadn’t been open a week when we called but our mains were top notch too.

The Seafood Fricatta (14.50), a fresh seafood selection in a tomato sauce, was well cooked, neatly presented and at the correct temperature (as were all the dishes), no shortage of fish and slightly spicy.

But our favourite of the two was the Classic Meatballs (14.00). The dish was choc-a-bloc with those meatballs and linguini in a spicy Italian herb tomato sauce with shaved parmesan. A simple classic and simply excellent.

Would we have dessert? Yes please, we’d love the Rum Baba. And we did. The sponge cake was soaked in the rum, came with fresh cream and fruit. It vanished very quickly indeed. By the way, all desserts are a fiver. Very reasonable, as are all the food prices here, considering the quality and the friendly service.

The Rum Bar and Kitchen is Seamus Healy’s new city centre bar serving tasty bites with a fantastic drinks selection and, yes, there are some lovely rums there too. And cocktails of course including classics such as Mojito, Long island, Pino Colada, Daiquiri and Margaritas. But, on an invite from Seamus, we were there for the food (mainly!). 

Seamus has quite a few years of experience in the hospitality sector, mainly in local hotels. He has been encouraged by the comments since their “soft” opening on June 8th. This is the ex soccer player’s first solo venture and we wish the former Albert Rovers man all the best!

Rum Bar & Kitchen

32 Marlboro Street

Cork

Tel: (021) 427 4707

Message: @rumbarandkitchen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rumbarandkitchen/

Twitter: @RUMbarkitchen 

The Lifeboat Inn. Courtmacsherry's Gastro Pub Up and Running

The Lifeboat Inn.

Courtmacsherry's Gastro Pub Up and Running

The Lifeboat Inn in Courtmacsherry is not open a year yet but is making quite an impression in the village. Serving good local food, much of it from the nearby waters, in a casual atmosphere has been the aim of David O’Halloran and chef Martin Buckley since they started here last summer and already it is paying off for them. 

Indeed, they have “expanded” across the road where an inviting terrace has been set up with views over the water. I reckon that will be buzzing in the months ahead. So, a tip for motorists: drive slowly here and allow that server (it may well be David as he looks after front of house) get across the road!

We were there recently and the menu , as promised, has lots of fish and seafood: cod, black sole, John Dory, crab claws and prawns. And quite a bit more as well. The menu is short enough but I prefer to see a short list and high quality, and that's what you get here.

Surprisingly enough, the wine list is a long one with lots of choice. The outstanding Craggy Range Te Muna Sauvignon Blanc features but the New Zealand wine is one of just a few from the New World. We enjoyed the Tandem Wines Casual Rosé and an Albarino, both from Spain, two of about ten whites available by the glass. 

A few more from the New World in the reds, where I spotted the lovely Finca Florencia Malbec from Argentina; some excellent European offerings too, ranging from 22 euro to 130. And there is a bar right there in the middle offering the usual suspects plus an outstanding local craft beer by Blacks of Kinsale.

We had five starters to choose from and my choice was their Prawns in garlic and white cream with crispy sourdough on the side to soak up the cream. A simple enough dish, delicate and delicious and pleasurably dispatched. 

CL’s opener had more texture, more flavours, also a little bit more robust, and the warm Haulie’s Black-pudding salad served with apple, walnut and crispy hen’s egg was also a winner.

Aside from the fish dishes, the mains may also include a Beef Burger in a Brioche Bun with Gubbeen Cheese and Tomato or a Sirloin Steak with all the trimmings.

My choice though was the Wild Mushroom Risotto with herbs and shaved Parmesan. This was one of the best I've had, just perfect and, at €14.00, good value also.

CL meanwhile also struck gold with her Cod with a Parmesan crust, baby potato, roast cauliflower, and wild garlic (no doubt from the local wood where we had earlier walked through swathes of it in flower). The fish was pristine, the whole dish a delicious combination of textures, flavours and aromas (19.95). Go for this if it is on when you visit!.

We were tempted by the desserts but eventually decided to share the cheese board. And we got a generous selection - Milleens, Hegarty’s Cheddar and Cashel Blue - served with an outstanding pear and fig chutney and plenty of bread and crackers. Another one to look out for!

Probably not surprising that the offering is so good here. Both David and chef Martin have put in long years learning the trade in London and Dublin before settling in Courtmacsherry. Their Gastro Pub is truly up and running and well worth a call, even if it is just for a glass of wine or beer on the terrace.

While we were among just a few diners - we were in very early - it would be advisable to book ahead, especially if you are going down just for the meal as they tend to get full early on at the weekend.

The Lifeboat Inn

Main Street

Courtmacsherry

Co. Cork

Tel: (023) 886 4656

Email: david_holly@hotmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelifeboatinncourtmacsherry/ 

Twitter: @the_lifeboatinn 

Web: www.lifeboatinn.ie 

Other recent posts from this area:
Courtmacsherry Hotel

Monk's Lane

Dining Under A Gilded Dome At Killarney’s The Great Southern

Dining Under A Gilded Dome At Killarney’s Great Southern

The Garden Room (pic: Great Southern)

No doubt about it. You will look up, more than once, when you dine in the Garden Room, the principal restaurant in Killarney’s Great Southern Hotel. It is indeed a superb room in the old hotel, comfortably furnished and beautifully decorated and that high dome, with all that gold leaf, is eye-catching.

The food, by the way, isn't half-bad either, well presented too and served with a smile. Here you start with some of their breads (no charge) and a flavoursome amuse bouche. 

Pork Belly starter

Fancy a wine or a drink from the bar? No problem. Our wine, from the Duoro, was the Ferreirinha Esteva (30.00), a red blend, perfumed and intense, smooth on the palate, long and elegant on the finish, welcome at the table!

Cordal goats cheese is really making its mark in Kerry and in the Garden Room it is served, as a starter, in a lovely mousse with beetroot, saffron pears, candied walnuts, red cabbage purée and focaccia crisp.

Another impressive starter was the Lime and Chilli Crab Tian which consists of Crab Claws, red pepper coulis, and wasabi Mayo while another of the party was well pleased with the Wild Atlantic Seafood Chowder. A sorbet follows.

One of our group goes for the char-grilled sirloin of local Hereford Beef, served with shallot, mushroom, horseradish crème fraiche and Port Jus is your choice. Another picks the Ring of Kerry lamb.

The Carrigcleena Duck Breast may be incorrectly spelled on the menu but the dish itself is top of the class. Pan seared, it is served as a main course with carrot and ginger purée, curly kale, grilled asparagus, and sultan jus.

More top class poultry in the Supreme of Chicken (from Manor Farm), with sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan farce, lentils, pancetta crisp, roasted garlic jus. Four punters well satisfied, so satisfied in fact that nobody orders dessert!

Cordal cheese starter

I must admit I was rather tempted myself, especially by the day’s special: the Steamed Orange pudding - here the specials are conveniently listed on the menu. The Garden Rooms certainly support local and that is underlined by an excellent cheeseboard that includes Gubbeen, Cordal, Knockatee, and Cooleeny.

We were ordering from the Table d’Hote dinner, two courses for €36.50. So time to pay up and take a final look up at that amazing dome and head out through the Grand Foyer complete with grand piano.

Lamb

“Spectacular architecture melded with effortless service and genuine hospitality has made Great Southern Killarney an iconic retreat for over 160 years.” It has had its ups and downs in those years, but it seems to me that it is now, as part of the Hayfield family, once again on the up. Long may it continue.

Grey outside; gold inside!

Also on this trip:
Cahernane House Hotel
The Strawberry Field and Pancake Cottage
Killarney. A Quick Visit