The Cliffhouse Hotel

I have neglected my blog of late, but had to resurrect it to review the Cliffhouse Hotel in Ardmore, Waterford. This is a long one…!

As a lot of people know, I have long wanted to stay here, and my very kind family got me vouchers for my birthday.

Our first attempt to get there ended in disaster, but it’s strange the way things work out as having to reorganise a night there meant we could spend in with my sister and her husband, visiting Ireland for Christmas.

On arrival, we were greeted by the valet/porter, David, an incredibly friendly guy who took our car keys off us and our bags allowing us to head inside. Again, at the reception, we were met with another friendly greeting from both staff behind the desk, who advised us that our rooms weren’t quite ready but if we would go down to the bar, we could have some complimentary coffee while we waited. This was fine with us, and we went down around 3.15pm and were settled in some very comfy armchairs, looking out at the very angry sea, which was a really cool sight. Having said that, I had a facial booked at 4pm, and was supposed to turn up about 15 minutes in advance, so when the time crept around to 3.40pm and there was still no sign of anyone coming to get us to bring us to our rooms, I was getting ever so slightly anxious… So, I ended up popping back up to reception who said oh yes, your rooms are ready, back downstairs, got everyone else and back up to reception, where one of the staff brought us to our rooms.

Rooms are gorgeous, but I didn’t have time to really look around as I had to get into the Cliffhouse robe and slippers and peg it to the spa. Also our bags hadn’t made it to our rooms so Rory had to go enquiring after them.

Facial was amazing, I can’t fault it. Very relaxing, lovely hand/arm massage, leg/foot massage and neck/shoulders massage thrown in as well. It was a good 75 minutes and afterwards I was brought to the relaxation room where the therapist had set up some water, herbal tea and fruit if I wanted any. Sat in there for about 20 minutes then walked back to my room. Have to say, it’s very odd walking around in your dressing gown when everyone else is dressed, I did feel a bit odd!

Anyway, back to my room which I was then able to appreciate, beautifully but simply decorated, lovely white and blue colour scheme, obviously mirroring the sea outside. It had a private balcony with a table and chairs, which would have been lovely to sit out on had it not been cold, dark and fairly stormy outside! The main things I look for in a room are comfy bed (tick), robes (tick), good shower – hmm, not convinced o this one, they have those rainforest type big shower heads which are never great pressure wise, and another shower on the wall for rinsing I suppose! I say get rid of both and put in a normal proper decent pressure shower.

There was a bit of confusion re our dinner booking, I had booked the four of us into the bar for 7.30pm. My sister had a letter confirming dinner in the restaurant at 8.30pm and we later found a letter in our room saying we were in the restaurant at 7pm! At the end of the day, it was the 8.30pm in the restaurant booking that was correct, but it did cause a bit of confusion, although when brought up with one of the staff, he deftly batted our confusion aside, with aplomb I must say, and brought us the menus to look at in the bar instead.

At 8.30pm he came back and led us into the restaurant, to a very nice table. And so began what I must say, is one of the best meal experiences I’ve ever had. And I think I can say everyone else felt the same. We didn’t go for the tasting menu but it may as well have been with the number of courses we felt we had!

Once we ordered and had our wine, we were brought an amuse bouche which consisted of a trio of dishes. First was clay baked potatoes topped with an olive mayonnaise served alongside beetroot macaroons sandwiched with goats cheese. The other amuse bouche was cauliflower pannacotta with herb jelly and a savoury marshmallow. They all sound odd, but they were all incredibly tasty and the different textures were really interesting to try together.



When these were cleared away, there was a nice break till our starters arrived. Most of us had the scallops which were amazing, beautifully cooked and came with a parmesan crisp (always welcome!) while Fabio had the salmon four ways which he absolutely loved.



We were also served three full mini loaves of bread – one spelt, one cheese and one corn. None of us were that gone on the spelt bread, but the other two were gorgeous – we were just conscious of not filling up on bread when we had more to come! They were served with smoked butter (as well as regular butter) which I must confess I didn’t try, didn’t appeal at all.

And onto the mains. I went for the steak. It was incredible. Juicy and tender and really flavoursome. Came with a fondant potato (not a big fan of these) and onion crisps, along with baby veg. Very very good. Nic had the venison which I thought might be a bit gamey, but she said was very good. We cleared our plates basically.



Following our mains we were brought mango sorbets to cleanse our palates. For dessert I went for the cheese plate. Now this is where I was let down. It was 6 pieces of cheese on a plate. Full stop. No attempt at any sort of presentation really, I was quite surprised. Nic however had the chocolate dessert which looked fabulous.



We rounded off the night with an amaretto. The dinner had taken three and a half hours. Normally we’d have gone for a nightcap but I think we were all a bit wrecked and full and just wanted our beds! Amazing experience.

Next morning we met for breakfast, again in the restaurant. I think we were all still full from our magnificent meal but we gamely braved a full Irish for some and kippers for me! Delish. Really good selection of food to choose from. And great coffee.



Afterwards we went for a swim and Jacuzzi – timed it well as we had the place to ourselves…

The Cliffhouse is an experience. I would say there were a few things wrong, the lateness of getting into our rooms, the non-appearance of our luggage, the lift was out of order (God help you if you had mobility problems) and the confusion over the dinner reservation. Also the jacuzzi and sauna weren't working the day we arrived but were fixed by the next morning. And considering the cost of staying there, none of that should happen. But really none of it took away from the service and the lovely time we had there. It’s a bit of a trek from Dublin in my opinion and I think a two night stay would be better if possible. But overall, a great experience.

www.thecliffhousehotel.com
Ardmore, Co. Waterford

Seapoint, Monkstown - Get to the point!

We were due to meet up with our friend, Aine, for a Christmas night out and she suggested we try Seapoint, the restaurant in the row of restaurants in Monkstown village. I was surprised nay shocked to discover I had never heard of this restaurant, supposedly it's had a refurb recently and the new décor makes for a really nice atmosphere.

We had a few glasses of prosecco in Aine's first, before wandering down to the restaurant on Saturday night. We were seated in a booth just inside the entrance. Not my favourite location in a restaurant but it was still warm and cosy, and I do like a booth...

Our first waiter left a bit to be desired. We ordered a bottle of wine and he had to come back to ask us again what we had ordered. When you are trying out a new restaurant, this sort of start doesn't fill you with confidence. Thankfully he was replaced by another waiter, who was much more on the ball.

The menu is varied in price, the fillet steak is pretty expensive at €29 but at the same time, the fish and chips ('fish and fries') option was around the €18 mark, so much more affordable.

Rory had the scallops to start and the duck for mains. I tried the scallops they were cooked perfectly with a lovely light sauce to the side. The duck was again beautifully cooked.



Aine had the gambas and Seapoint burger, while I had the gambas and fish and fries. The gambas were seriously tasty, and Aine really enjoyed her burger. Both our mains came with chips, which were served in a little bucket and very crispy - exactly what you want in a chip!! My fish was lemon sole, in a very light batter. I really liked the portion amounts as well, not too much but not too little! We decided to share a dessert so we went for the crème brulee. Well I went for the crème brulee and Rory and Aine agreed...



With a bottle of Argentinian Malbec and coffees, the bill came to around €150. Good value methinks. We liked the place so much we have decided to make it a regular monthly night out! Well recommended.

http://www.seapointrestaurant.ie/
4 The Crescent, Monkstown, Co. Dublin

Kilkenny - later that same day.... Ristorante Rinuncini

On the same unplanned trip to Kilkenny, we managed (thanks to the lovely receptionist in the Ormonde) to get a table here last minute. I had been here years before with a friend, and was glad to find it just as packed as it was way back when so not a victim of the recession by the looks of it.

We were shown to our table, which was upstairs, and sort of in the middle of the room. I can’t say I liked it, I felt very much in the way of the waiting staff whizzing back and forth. Thankfully, the couple at the table beside us (beside the wall) left after about 10 minutes and we were able to move in. Much better.

Our waiter was fun and knowledgeable, even advising us to pick a different bottle of wine than we’d gone for, and one which was cheaper than our original choice! Once he said mushroom soup was one of the starter specials I was sold, being the avid mushroom fan that I am, and opted for the fillet steak for my main - cooked medium and served with garlic butter it was tender and full of flavour.

Rory had the Tagliata di Filetto di Manzo which was wafer thin slices of cold beef with parmesan shavings, rocket, olive oil and lemon, so basically the equivalent of the mains we had for our wedding reception which is always something we like to go for when it’s an option. He followed that with the pheasant which was again one of the specials, which he hoovered up and was very happy with.

We decided against dessert as we were both stuffed, and had an amaretto each instead. Lovely end to a lovely meal. And great to see Rinuncini's doing as well as ever...

Ristorante Rinuccini, 1 The Parade, Kilkenny

http://www.rinuccini.com/

Kilkenny - Cafe la Coco

So, during an unplanned trip to Kilkenny recently, my husband and I found ourselves looking for a quick bite to eat in the late afternoon. Dinner wasn’t till 8ish but we had no time to waste as we were starving so instead of wandering around and trying to find somewhere, we googled ‘best café in Kilkenny’ gave me this lovely little café as the No. 1 result. And they’re not wrong. Very dinky, lovely little tables, pretty, frilly and set out as what I would imagine a 50s tea room to have looked like. It’s not a huge place, and it was almost full when we got there, so we were lucky to nab the last table. Handy as well for our hotel, the Ormonde, as it was literally just down the road from it, so very central.

Not wanting something too heavy, I opted for the goat’s cheese tart, which was really good. Rory went for one of the sandwiches, imaginative and well made. And this from a man who prides himself on his sandwich making abilities… Not that we normally need an excuse but we had had a bad day, shall we say, and were hanging out for a glass of wine. At first, we thought they didn’t serve alcohol but then like manna from heaven, we discovered to our joy, they did! The waitress was a bit thrown that we wanted a quarter bottle each, which caused much hilarity as we were still a bit hyper from our day from hell! Anyway, it was very refreshing and went well with our late lunch.

We liked the place so much, we returned the next day for brunch! Bit piggy as we’d already eaten in the hotel, but hey ho, any excuse, and besides, we were on a night away. I had lemon and sugar crepes with a fabulous Americano, and Rory had the Swedish almond and chocolate tart again with an Americano.
This is the sort of place which should always do well. Decent friendly service, prices aren’t mental, lovely décor and the food is really good. Next time we’re in Kilkenny (later this month) we will hopefully have time to visit again.

Café la Coco, Patrick Street, Kilkenny
https://www.facebook.com/pages/cafe-la-coco-kilkenny/141253565940383

Not so cheap, but cheerful - Weafer & Cooper

Weafer & Cooper - a restaurant I'd heard about before I knew it as my friend raved about it. It is close to where we live and we have been here many times, be it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. And really, each time it has done what it said on the tin. I wont' say it's amazing, or I can't wait to get back there but it has a lovely familiarity and you know what you'll get when you go there.

Our most recent trip there was mid-week, which meant the rest of the week felt incredibly long, so something I probably won't repeat! We were asked whereabouts we wanted to sit, there were a few tables taken at the front of the restaurant but we decided to go down the back, and got a booth. It's well known (to my husband at least!) that I do like a booth. It's nice and private but you still have a good amount of room!

Service was friendly. We were brought our wine after ordering the food (when the wine order had been in for a good 5 minutes) but the wine brought was white when we'd ordered red. Not a big deal and it was rectified immediately.

The menu is pretty good for dinner, but for me, I would say, it never has anything on it really that would jump out at me and I was searching the blackboard in vain for specials, as there were none to be had. I eventually went for the chicken, which I always say I won't order as I could have it at home anyday, but really nothing else appealed. My husband went for the belly pork.

When the chicken arrived, the singing glory on the plate was the stuffing! Wrapped in bacon, it had sausage mixed in and had an incredible taste. I also liked the hazelnuts sprinkled around the dish and the chicken itself was nicely cooked, tender but with a nice crisp skin. There was figs as well on the plate, which I didn't care for and far too many baby potatoes for one person. My husband polished off his belly pork no problem, really enjoyed it.

AS it was a mid week dinner we didn't have coffees or desserts, preferring to head home for that.

I would always recommend Weafer & Cooper as a good breakfast or lunch place. I'd say it's great for a family gathering, be it a birthday or christening or whatever. For dinner, it's not inspirational, but it's good quality food, served with a smile, and it's not too expensive. It will continue to be a regular dining destination for us....

L

Weafer & Cooper, Glasthule Main Street, Glasthule, Co. Dublin

www.weaferandcooper.com

Always good - The Whitefriar Grill

With a quick stop for a glass of fizz in the Westbury on the way to dinner, my husband and I arrived at the Whitefriar Grill last night to meet my brother in law and his wife (J & L). I've been to the Whitefriar Grill quite a few times since it opened, for brunch, lunch, early bird and a la carte dinner and it never fails to impress.

They had changed the restaurant down around the kitchen area, there were booths which have been replaced with regular tables and the kitchen is now on show, which I don't remember it being before. Think a big Camden Kitchen. Looks good though.

We were shown to our tables by the maitre d' who is always very friendly and welcoming. We did notice straight away that there was a bit of a chill coming in from the window behind us and given these evenings are very cold, it's not very pleasant. The couple at the table beside us looked pretty cold as well, but were bravely smiling through it! The maitre d' did his best to tape up the window, it still felt a bit cold but warmed up after a while. Anyway, the menu in my opinion, always has a good selection, something for everyone. There were no specials though which I was surprised at, any other time I've been there there's been specials. Still it wasn't hard to pick something.

We all had different starters, I had the scotch egg, which was wrapped in crab and then deep fried, and came with a lobster sauce. I love eggs and the flavour combination although not one I would have thought of, was so tasty, I hoovered it up. My other half had 4 oysters, which came with a tomato salsa and mignonette sauce, which he devoured. L had the seared foie gras, which went down a treat and J had the gambas pil pil (prawns on tomato bread) which also disappeared pretty quickly.



So a great start with the starters. Nice amount of time then till the mains arrived. I can't stand it when your mains are brought straight after the starters have been cleared but this was perfect, around 15-20 mins. Mains were monkfish/scallops (me), the boys both had burgers and L had the venison. Mine was really good, came with a nice few crispy bits of bacon, saffron potatoes and a pea puree. Only complaint I'd have is that the bowl was full of liquid, as if something hadn't been drained properly, but it didn't take away from the taste, it was really nice and the monkfish and scallops are a lovely combination. The burgers did what they said on the tin and the venison was tender and full of flavour.



Dessert wise, again my dairy intolerance struck so I just had an americano (which was nice and strong). My husband asked for an ameretto and had a coffee as well, and J had the eton mess, which was pretty good by all accounts.



Turned out they didn't have much ameretto left but they gave my husband what there was and didn't charge us for it.

When the bill came they'd also taken off a percentage to make up for the draught which was really decent of them.

Whitefriar Grill never disappoints, the food is of a great quality, it's a friendly cosy place with a great atmosphere and you could see how popular it was last night as it was absolutely packed for the whole time we were there. We look forward to returning soon.

L

Whitefriar Grill, 16 Aungier Street, Dublin 2

www.whitefriargrill.ie

Life begins at 40..... the Pigs Ear

Having recently turned 40, as has become a tradition, friends of mine treated me to a birthday dinner yesterday evening in the Pigs Ear. This place was Jacob's Ladder in a previous incarnation and I had been there for a group dinner years ago, and remember it being pretty good. So I was looking forward to trying the Pigs Ear. We got there early enough for the Early Bird which is served 5.30-6.30pm Monday to Saturday. Not much of a window to get in there but at least they do offer it on Saturdays as well, which a lot of restaurants don't.

Arriving first, I was greeted by the friendly maitre d' and brought to our table, or rather I turned around and our table was right there, just inside the door. I don't think anyone wants the table just inside the door, but the other tables were taken. My friends, M and D, arrived and had just sat down when a waiter came over to see if we were ready to order. We obviously weren't and he didn't seem very pleased with us! Not very friendly either, no smile, no 'that's no problem' he just looked a bit annoyed and went away again, to return about 10 seconds later asking did we want to order drinks. I mean efficient is great, but cracking a smile would have gone a long way! Maybe he was having a bad day. Anyway, after getting our drinks we ordered off the early bird, where there were three starters and three mains to choose from. A short menu Gordon Ramsey would be proud of! I didn't think there was a great amount of choice, I know it's an early bird but another option per course would have been welcome - maybe the mushroom soup that's on the A La Carte which sounded lovely.

D and I got the same starter, the poached and fried hen's egg with Clonakilty black pudding and M got the salt cod brandade with dillisk cured salmon. I have to say poaching and frying the hen's egg did nothing for me, it was basically a fried egg in a tiny skillet (presentation was lovely) with some black pudding crumble. The flavour was good but there wasn't much to it and it was accompanied by a small spoon to eat it with which was a bit awkward as I had to chisel the egg off the bottom of the skillet. M had the cod with salmon but we thought at first she'd been given the wrong starter, as the dish is really more salmon than cod, the cod hiding in a 'brandade' of cucumber. Don't think any of us knew what a brandade was. According to Wikapedia "Brandade is an emulsion of salt cod and olive oil eaten in winter with bread or potatoes". So, you learn something new every day! She thought it was nice enough but commented that the cod mixture tasted more like some sort of potato mixture so not convinced it delivered taste wise.

Onto our mains, and we all had the hake. The other mains options were spelt and beetroot risotto and belly pork. We didn't order any sides, although there were no potatoes/chips whatever with the fish. But there was a very tasty carrot and orange puree which went well with the hake, which was nicely cooked. I also really enjoyed the seeds that were sprinkled on the dish, the burst of flavour from them every now and then was gorgeous. Nice addition.

Desserts were brown bread ice cream, lemon rice pudding and vanilla cheesecake but as I'm dairy intolerant I try to avoid the worst of dairy i.e. cream and cheese, when I feel like being good. So didn't have any dessert, nor did the girls. I just had an americano (decent americano) and we had one more glass of wine each. As we do ;) I also ordered the home made tea cakes, 3 of which arrived, so we had one each. Nice, dark chocolate and marshmallow. Basically what it says on the tin. Or actually not in this case as they arrived in a Cambridge's biscuit tin!

With the americano, the milk and sugar were presented like this

Now I'm all for kooky presentation, but I think the Siucra bag is taking kooky a bit too far. A lot of restaurants now seem to be presenting milk in those kilner type bottles and that's cute if a bit messy when pouring, but the sugar bag, maybe not...

Bill came to around Eur160 including tip, which is fairly decent as it included around 2 bottles of wine between us. I was treated to my dinner, the only reason I know the bill amount is because I had to work out the tip ;)

The food was nice enough, wine was good, service was fine, atmosphere was ok and they didn't push us out the door even though we only had the table till 8.30pm, but I wouldn't be rushing back, I didn't think there was anything special about it.

L

The Pigs Ear, 4 Nassau Street, Dublin 2

www.thepigsear.com