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Ballyfin typically tops the list of where to stay in Ireland, thanks to its exclusivity, with only 21 rooms and suites, and its dramatic setting on a 600 acre estate. We were thrilled to be able to experience it during our recent site inspection.
Note that all guests should make advance reservations for dinner for each evening of their stay, even if the plan is to dine at the more informal Cellar Bar.
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Ballyfin Restaurant
Ballyfin Restaurant is a draw for non-guests as well, so even as an overnight guest (particularly on the weekend and during busy holiday periods) it's crucial to make advance dining reservations. Dinner is served nightly 7-9pm. At the time of my stay, the shorter 3-course “a la carte” menu was EUR 105, while the full 6-course tasting menu was EUR 145. Both also included some delightful amuses bouches, and there was the option of paired wines at additional cost.
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The first excellent amuse bouche was a thin and crispy cornet stuffed with smoked haddock, which I actually preferred to the very good beef tartare, although that's just my own personal preference not to eat raw beef.
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The clear star of the amuses bouches (and perhaps the meal) was the gougere with mornay sauce, crowned with shaved black summer truffle. I'd happily have devoured several more. Incredible.
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The following course of pea cream with fresh crab was beautifully presented, garnished with edible flowers from the estate's garden. It was delicious, but still slightly overshadowed by the preceding gougere.
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Interestingly, although it wasn't mentioned on the menu, a bread course followed of tender Japanese milk bread, served warm with local butter. It was hard to save room and not eat all of it.
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I'd chosen the butter poached lobster as my first course, and this was stellar. While I'm not a fan of foams and such, this one didn't diminish my enjoyment of the perfectly cooked lobster, served with a courgette flower stuffed with lobster mousse. A must for any lobster lovers, if you see this on the menu.
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The main course of guinea fowl was also masterfully done, with a crispy skin, an accompanying raviolo stuffed with confit thigh meat, as well as onion and swede, and a flavorful reduction spooned over it tableside that was a perfect counterpoint to the buttery mashed potatoes. Plan on getting your weekly butter allotment all at once, if you finish those potatoes.
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Having (barely) had the willpower to not finish the milk bread or potatoes, I managed to have just enough room for the decadent Louis XV dessert: a dark chocolate raspberry ganache flecked with edible gold leaf encased chocolate mousse and almond dacquoise. The tonka ice cream, with almond and vanilla notes, paired well with it.
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Ballyfin Cellar Bar
Dinner in the Cellar Bar is served 5-7pm, so that the chef and his team can focus on the main dining room from 7-9pm. This was the menu on the evening I dined:
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It took some time both to get a menu and to have my order taken, perhaps because I was the only one in the Cellar Bar, although I had of course made my reservation in advance of my stay.
I asked my server to help me decide between the slow cooked beef cheeks and the garden risotto, and she said that while the beef cheeks were popular among guests, she preferred the risotto, so I opted for that. It was a lovely green from the peas, and satisfying, with the provided freshly shaved parmesan, without being overly rich.
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I decided to also get a dessert, an apple tart, which I was quite disappointed by. I wouldn't care if it had been from a mediocre cafe, but at someplace like Ballyfin, I'd expected better. It reminded me of the very basic desserts my classmates and I made in Home Economics a few decades ago, albeit with far nicer plating. Honestly, the kitchen should either offer the same desserts in the Cellar Bar that are served in the Dining Room, or stick with safe choices such as a cheese plate and a choice of ice creams.
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Ballyfin Breakfast
Breakfast is served in the Ballyfin Restaurant dining room from 8-11am. If possible, sit by the window to enjoy a spectacular view of the water feature near the Conservatory:
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On both mornings I started off with freshly squeezed orange juice, which was excellent.
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My first morning I tried the smoked salmon with estate scrambled eggs, which was very good, although I probably should have specified that I prefer the scrambled eggs a bit drier. Often in Europe they tend towards the less cooked side.
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I also tried the pain au chocolat, which came as two mini pastries. These were sadly nothing special, about the same quality as the frozen ones from my local Trader Joe's that you can proof and bake at home.
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My second morning I asked if I could have smaller portions of a couple dishes: the Irish Oak Smoked Haddock with poached egg and spinach, and a pancake. This was readily accommodated, and was the perfect balance of healthy (the haddock and spinach) and indulgent (the pancake). I absolutely recommend doing this, and for any pancake fiends, definitely order the pancakes, which were puffier than is typical.
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Along with the pancake, my favorite item from breakfast was the homemade granola, alongside yogurt with berries and estate honey. In fact I may have to ask for the recipe for that granola.
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I also loved that the cappuccino (at least on the first morning, although sadly, not the second) was expertly made and even had Ballyfin's duck emblem on powdered cocoa:
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The Verdict
While my first meal at The Cellar Bar was fine, I wondered what the fuss was about, especially since I make better desserts at home. Dinner at Ballyfin Restaurant was another story entirely–I actually preferred the gougere amuse bouche and the dessert to most of the amuses bouches and both desserts that we later had at The Ledbury, London, which has 3 Michelin stars, and the lobster and guinea fowl courses were excellent as well. Breakfast was high quality, particularly the wonderful homemade granola, although I thought the viennoiserie could be improved, and a somewhat less formal ambience would have been nice for breakfast. In fact, in warmer weather, it would be wonderful to be able to have breakfast in The Conservatory, which might also lend itself to a more casual vibe.
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