.
Brooks Restaurant
Ballygarry House Hotel
Brooks Restaurant in Ballygarry House Hotel.
THE last time I reviewed food at Ballygarry it was a cold, wet, wintry afternoon 14 months ago.
I sat in the Leebrook Bar, in front of an inviting open fire, eating a delicious roast pork lunch and contemplated abandoning the afternoon’s work in favour of a few pints warming my toes by the logs.
I resisted the temptation, but it’s tough to do so out in Ballygarry such is its warmth and hospitable surroundings.
The hotel has undergone some changes to the interior and exterior since that day adding to its attractiveness so I was delighted to head back there a couple of weeks ago for Sunday lunch.
Continued below…
.
We stumbled across a forgotten gift voucher left over from Christmas (a bit like finding a tenner in the pocket of an old jeans) so decided to treat ourselves in Brooks Restaurant, a spot I’ve never actually eaten in before, but I had heard the food is superb for an evening meal.
Anyway, the restaurant was packed when we arrived at 1.30pm and we were seated immediately. It’s a lovely room and the staff throughout were prompt and attentive to the the needs of the diners, who were a mixed bag of couples and families of all ages.
It’s a set Sunday Lunch menu for €27.50 and all the old favourites are present on the mains; turkey and ham, roast stuffed lamb, baked fillet of cod, poached salmon, sirloin steak (€5 supplement) and golden crumbed breast of chicken.
The starters were soup, chowder, crumbed brie, smoked salmon salad and chicken and mushroom vol au vent.
I went for the chowder and lamb while my wife plumped for the smoked salmon and turkey and ham. The youngest member of our dining party opted for chicken gougons, chips and beans (€7.95) from the extensive children’s menu.
Continued below…
We were very impressed with her gougons (as was she) which were made from fresh chicken breast. She got a good portion and really enjoyed her dinner.
As for the grown ups, my wife declared the salmon starter excellent while my chowder was lovely – perfectly seasoned and creamy, with plenty fish and vegetables. It was just the right portion too considering the two courses that lay ahead and did not come with any bread, thankfully!
After taking a restless small girl on a tour of the hotel lobby, I returned just in time for the main course. The lamb was plentiful and tasty with a nice stuffing and delicious rosemary jus, while the better half’s turkey was moist and she really enjoyed the ham and veg too.
The problem with Sunday lunches in general is they tend to be too big! By the time dessert time comes around you’re almost too full…almost.
I suppose you have to though, don’t you? I went for a strawberry meringue roulade which was terrific and a traditional sherry trifle went down well across the table. The small girl enjoyed her jelly and ice cream (€2.95) too.
An espresso and a tea washed down a very good way to spend part of our Sunday afternoon. You’d need a lie down after all that food though!
The bill (including a glass of wine for €6) came to €71.90.
