Out To Lunch: Chowing Down In Salubrious Surroundings

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Pappy’s Bar

Ballyseede Castle Hotel

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Pappy’s Bar in Ballyseede Castle Hotel.

I LOVE Ballyseede Castle Hotel.

It’s a classy slice of olde world charm™ just a few miles from the hustle of modern Tralee town and is hugely popular as a wedding venue for couples who want something extra special.

Having reviewed every other place in Tralee to eat, I drove out there on a wet Friday afternoon and found preparations advanced for a wedding they were hosting later that day (the theme appeared to be Las Vegas/Rat Pack-inspired judging by the table plan).

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Entering an empty, but inviting, Pappy’s Bar  – it was 2.30pm so most people for lunch would have departed – I perused the menu and took a seat by the window looking out on the beautiful gardens.

There was a hot lunch choice of spiced lamb burger (€15.95), beef and guinness pie (€15.95), fish of the day with chips (€15.95) or sirloin steak (€22.95). The prices were a little on the dear side, but the hotel is somewhere people go to for an escape or a lunchtime treat in luxurious surroundings, rather than a perfunctory gap-filler.

Seeing I was eating dinner later that evening, I decided on the seafood chowder with shellfish, scented with coconut cream, saffron and French dill (€8.50) and a homemade sandwich with side salad (€5).

I can sense your eyebrow arching at the price of the chowder. That was for the starter portion, while the main course portion was €12.95.

The food wasn’t long arriving and I first noticed the chowder wasn’t a typical cream colour, but more of an orange hue, like seafood soup that you’d find in restaurants on Mediterranean.

It was absolutely delicious. Not too creamy or stodgy, the generous portion of shellfish was complemented by tasty, finely diced veg in a gorgeous soup.

The chicken salad sandwich comprised of fresh chicken breast, tomatoes, lettuce and dill mayonnaise and was really good.

The bill came to €13.50. I could have stayed there all day, but having resisted the urge to stay and gatecrash the wedding, I reluctantly left the charming bar and went back to work.

I’ll be back.

4/5

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