Grazing at...
THE ICE HOUSE
The Pier Restuarant
The Quay,
Ballina, Co Mayo
Ireland
Tel:+353 9623500
I’m just back from a trip to the West of Ireland having been invited there for a friend’s wedding. We stayed in Ballina, Co Mayo and post-nuptials visited The Pier Restaurant at The Ice House for Sunday lunch. The restaurant is on the coast road to Enniscrone, Co Sligo next to the Moy Estuary.
THE ICE HOUSE
The Pier Restuarant
The Quay,
Ballina, Co Mayo
Ireland
Tel:+353 9623500
I’m just back from a trip to the West of Ireland having been invited there for a friend’s wedding. We stayed in Ballina, Co Mayo and post-nuptials visited The Pier Restaurant at The Ice House for Sunday lunch. The restaurant is on the coast road to Enniscrone, Co Sligo next to the Moy Estuary.
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| View of the River Moy |
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| Inside the restaurant |
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| Window booth with views of the river |
Lunch at The Pier Restaurant
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| Bloody Mary |
Once seated in The Pier Restaurant – fab views of the River Moy is you can bag a window booth - we quickly ordered drinks and tucked into the selection of homemade breads.
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| Homemade bread |
Starters came shortly afterwards – St Tola’s goats cheese and walnut pudding, with organic beets and poached fig in red wine for me, and plum tomato and basil soup for the fella.
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| Goats cheese and walnut pudding |
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| Tomato and basil soup |
Main courses were a huge portion of roast rib of prime Irish beef, with horseradish mash and red wine jus, while I had the fillet of pork, served with sautéed courgette petals, pappardelle pasta and confit garlic. Delicious!
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| Fillet of pork |
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| Roast rib of beef |
Always Room For Dessert...
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| Passion fruit mousse |
With everything from Baileys cheesecake with buttermilk and strawberry ice-cream to vanilla crème brûlée with pistachio biscuits on the menu, there was lots of choice for dessert.
But in the end we settled for a selection of homemade ice creams (the almond and asparagus scoop stood out in the trio served) and the Ice House Assiette – apple square, strawberry and pistachio meringue, watermelon sorbet and passion fruit mousse. Already trying to figure out when we can go back to sample the Á La Carte!
But in the end we settled for a selection of homemade ice creams (the almond and asparagus scoop stood out in the trio served) and the Ice House Assiette – apple square, strawberry and pistachio meringue, watermelon sorbet and passion fruit mousse. Already trying to figure out when we can go back to sample the Á La Carte!
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| Ice House Assiette |
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| Strawberry and Pistachio Meringue |
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| Vanilla chip ice-cream |
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| Avocado almond and chocolate ice-cream |
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15 Greek StreetLondon
Three courses, excluding drinks and service, cost €29 per person.
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Grazing at...
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| Lemongrass tart |
PATARA
15 Greek Street
Tel: 02074371071
Over the years we’ve certainly taken Thailand London ’s Soho . Tucked away not far from the Palace Theatre – which West End fans will know as home to the musical Pricilla Queen of the Desert – Patara Greek Street is one of four branches of an international chain. Inside, there are two floors full of authentic furnishings and enchanting corners to dine a deux, which glow beneath the flicker of candle light.
Thai food is as much about the balance of flavours as the details that goes into each dish. I had a hot and sour soup – the tom yum goong prawn bisque scented with lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf - to start and with each bite of succulent prawn this signature dish whisked me back to those long gone weeks spent in Krabi. The fella had the phed nam peung – a honey marinated Gressingham duck breast golden fried in fresh pandan leaf. An empty plate and satisfied grin followed. For mains we were seduced by plump king scallops sautéed in chilli paste and sweet basil, with a side of pak choi and gang kari – a yellow coconut curry with New Zealand lamb, new potatoes and baby onions. Dessert became another course of divine indulgence, this time incorporating more subtle and fragrant flavours. The lemongrass tart with coconut ice cream left a lingering smile, while the fella enjoyed his baked banana! Patara is that rare mix of modern yet authentic, making it the perfect stop for some genuine Thai food…particularly for those longing to recreate the memories of a perfect holiday.
Three course dinner for two, plus wine and service, costs about £100.
