A Wonderful Weekend in West Waterford 

 

Last weekend, thanks to a very generous Granny who took the kids and a prize won nearly two years ago we had a child-free weekend away. It was glorious. We ate, we slept, we drank, we ate and we ate so much more. We were greedy for food, and greedy for sleep. We indulged on both levels.

 

Night 1 was spent in a hotel we’d rather forget in Dungarvan, but it was pretty good for sleeping, in that it had a bed. The reason for being there was that the magnificent Tannery Townhouse was booked out, I stayed there a couple of years ago when I did a cookery course on the Tannery and had really hoped to go back, we’ll just have to wait til next time. We had our lunch at the Moorings, a lovely pub with great food on the quayside (I highly recommend the chowder).

 

Our Saturday night was spent dining at Tannery in Dungarvan, our reason for being in Dungarvan. I can’t add anything to my compliments for this restaurant that hasn’t already been written a hundred times over. But here goes, it’s my favourite restaurant, end of. From the cocktails to start to the popcorn with your coffee, everything is perfect.

 

The Menu at Tannery the night we ate there

Cocktails

 

His starter: red onion tart, goat cheese, pesto.

 

My starter: Scallops, chorizo, cauliflower

 

My Main: monkfish, pancetta, kohlrabi

 

His Main: Beef Cheek, samphire, tobacco onions

 

This was honestly one of the best desserts I have ever eaten, rhubarb and blood orange trifle with gingerbread. So light, so tasty,.

He had the cheeseboard, I forgot to photograph it. The whole Tannery experience has me longing for another meal there from the moment I leave. The welcome, the cocktails, the food, the bright space, the bright linen and quirky artwork (bronze cow anyone?). The staff are friendly, professional and knowledgable. The food is local, seasonal, cooked with such flair. The menu doesn’t dress up the names of the dishes, instead it lists ingredients. You know what you’re getting. It’s accessible. The portions are impossibly big for the price, a must in a provincial town. The Tannery gets everything right. When can I go back?

Our second day we moved to Ardmore, to use our prize- a Sunday night stay in the Cliff House Hotel! The hotel’s location is spectacular, built in to the cliff-face looking out on the sea in Ardmore village. Before checking in to the hotel we did the 5km cliff walk on a bright but cold day, it knocked the cobwebs off us, my cheeks were tingling. We got a bowl of soup in the White Horses restaurant in the village (OK I couldn’t resist the cheesecake too, what a fabulous dessert display). I spent the afternoon in the hotel pool and outdoor jacuzzi and lapping up the luxury in our room. A drink gazing out at the sea was in order before dressing for dinner. Dinner was in the bar, hardly bar food, a top notch three course meal which we really enjoyed.

The Hotel lived up to the hype and I relaxed almost instantly. It’s different to other five star hotels that I’ve been in, in that it’s modern in decor and a little quirky. The architecture amazed me, the view, oh the view. Our room was beautiful but oh, the amazing bathroom, decorated in pink mosaic tiles with one of those rainfall showers was fabulous. I want to go back.

 

The view of Ardmore from our room, the moss is part of the roof!

 

View from our room (yes, that’s a balcony)

View from the Cliff Walk

 

Note: We paid for all meals, the overnight stay at The Cliffhouse Hotel was a prize from a charity competition that I won in 2013, and I wasn’t asked by any of the parties featured to write this review.

Also, apologies if you read the version without words, I hit “publish” too soon.

 

21 Comments

  1. Looks great! Some decent weather by the looks of it.

  2. Pingback: Irish Parenting Bloggers | A Wonderful Weekend in West Waterford 

  3. That food looks delish!! Scenery is beautiful! Glad you had a nice trip away, well deserved!

  4. What a wonderful weekend, The Tannery is somewhere I long to visit, you have just made that longing even greater.
    The views from the Cliff House Hotel are beautiful, the Waterford coast line is rather special.

  5. You’re making me miss Waterford! Such an awesome county (and the weather is always nicer there than it is here in Tipperary!).

  6. Looks lovely. We’re in Dungarvan for a couple of nights too, but not child-free so we haven’t been living it up so much! Brilliant weather though, and the area is beautiful.

  7. Sounds like a wonderful, and well deserved, weekend

  8. Fabulous! Glad you enjoyed it. I am salivating looking at those food pictures.

  9. We just moved from Dungarvan in November- we lives there for 10 months!! Have eaten in all, and agree, everything is super!! Next time try Merrys for the crab & artichoke dip with tortillas! Heaven!! Sounds like ye had a wonderful weekend xxx

  10. We just moved from Dungarvan in November – we lived there for 9 months! Have eaten in all those places, and agree, all divine!! Next time try our Merrys for their crab & artichoke dip with tortillas – it’s divine!! Looks like the perfect weekend!!!xx

  11. Oh the view looks fab.. Waterford is a lovely place 😉 Glad you had a nice break x

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