Last summer we only managed to visit the Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore for drinks and, nice and all as they were, we missed the chance to eat in the restaurant. Not so for the summer of 2009, we made our booking early and counted down the days.

A 7:30pm arrival for an 8pm booking allowed us a round of Cuba Libres (Havana Club & Coke) at the bar. It was nicely busy for a Thursday evening with some folk enjoying bar food and some others simply having drinks. Out on the terrace an amateur Japanese fisherman was getting his photo taken by a member of staff. Smiling broadly, catch of the day in hand which he presumably caught from the pier just down the hill, he and the obliging photographer were the only occupants of the large terrace as a yet another shower came down. The broad smile unfazed by the weather or maybe his face was just frozen that way from a day outdoors during the Irish summer. Drinks arrived which we asked the waiter to transfer to our restaurant bill. No problem. This was communicated to the maître d’ who appeared on the scene towards 8pm to inform us our table was ready whenever we would like to sit. A simple touch meaning we didn’t have to re announce ourselves when moving from the bar to the restaurant.

Our table for five had a commanding view out over Ardmore Bay as the July sun was setting between the dark clouds, a beautiful backdrop. The restaurant itself is quite small so there is no such thing as a bad table but I guess those sitting at the glass frontage may have a slight advantage.

As we looked at the menu the amuse-bouche with its lemon, parsnip, pea and spring onion flavours split the diners opinion and added some trepidation as to what the main meal would be like. The menu itself was cleverly written with just the main ingredient, a single verb to describe how it is cooked and a list of ingredients that make up the rest of the dish. No prepositions. No adjectives. No adverbs. A nice touch, especially in the case of the Smoked Salmon starter.

Any early apprehension caused by the amuse-bouche was quickly remedied by the arrival of some ultra-fresh bread followed by the starters. My West Cork scallops were cooked to perfection, the taste and textures of the accompanying asparagus and carrageen transformed the dish from what was a simple dish of perfect scallops into something lively and varied. The lamb for main course was presented in a similar manner, beautifully cooked and served with an array of ingredients and flavours that left you wondering how many more tastes could come from a single dish. Interestingly all five diners chose different main courses and the Lobster, Beef, Monkfish and Duck were all similarly praised. Service was attentive but relaxed with plenty of time between courses, there was always a staff member nearby to top up your wine or refresh your water. A round of superb desserts, some equally superb dessert wine (of which I am not normally a fan) and some coffees rounded off the meal. Again, the desserts were fantastic, each one being a mini-creation without being stupidly fussy.

I am not a writer so I don’t think I can do the food justice with a review like this, also remember this is purely my subjective opinion which you may or may not agree with, then again I have read professional reviews of places I have visited and often wonderd what the reviewer was on about so I guess it is just part of the territory. Even if I were a writer I think the idea would be difficult to get across so I thought it best to go for sketchy detail over flowery language. To try sum it up I think it was possibly the only time I have dined out since the 1990s and come away thinking it was actually worth the cost. The setting, the staff, the wine and obviously the food. I don’t claim to be a cook of any ability but I can cook fresh prawns in garlic butter at home. I can add crispy bacon to seasonal leaves, sprinkle it with blue cheese and not charge myself €13.50. I can pile tables high and create a noisy and hot atmosphere in my own kitchen. This was something I couldn’t even begin to think about doing. To use a bit of a cliche it was a true dining experience. It had ideas. It was different. It gave the impression the chef cared about what he was doing and was trying to make an impression rather than money. It was not soulless food thrown out at you. For once, it did not feel like you were being taken for granted.

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Cliff House Hotel, Cliff House Hotel Menu, rating=5, Review