To paraphrase a line from the late Steve Jobs' showstopping unveiling of the first generation iPhone - any individual would be proud to have been associated with one amazing hotel, but to have stood at the helm of two.....
So it is with Adriaan Bartels, manager at Sheen Falls in Kenmare when it was regarded by many as the best hotel in the British Isles, and now at the helm at The Cliff House in Ardmore, one of the most stunning hotels in the country.
His stamp is evident from the moment you arrive in your car. You barely have time to realise there are no spaces when suddenly there is Ted at the car door, shaking your hand, welcoming you with his lovely lilting voice and offering to park the car and mind the key. Talk about arriving stress free! Cliff House also had the distinction (up until Aniar in Galway and then Campagne and the Lady Helen room at Mount Juliet arrived at the party) of having the only Michelin starred restaurant in the Republic outside of Dublin and Martin Kajuiter's stunningly complex food there has no doubt played a major part of the hotels success.
But there is another dining option in the hotel - the bar! A recent extension has opened more of the bar area out onto the terrace and it takes the previous, slightly claustrophobic feel from the room. It's a very pleasant place to be and like almost every room in the hotel, the bar overlooks the stunning Ardmore Bay - if you haven't been, think of it as the Positano of the South East!
Existing in the shadow of it's illustrious neighbour across the hallway, the menu in the Cliff House Bar has seen some evolution in the last couple of years and whilst eating there hasn't always been a totally satisfying experience in the past, there is now plenty to tempt on the menu this time. Yawl Bay Smoked Haddock with smoked leeks, a crisp egg and mustard mayonnaise, and McGraths Corned beef with an organic egg, hazelnuts, rocket leaves and cheddar are our choices for starters. The haddock is perfectly poached and well matched with the crispy egg - it's the kind of dish you finish all too quickly. The corned beef needs less showmanship - its central ingredient is the star, with that lovely corned beef taste.
For mains, a free range pork cutlet with silver onion and apple was the weakest of the evening's dishes, needing all the help it could get from it's accompaniments to give the meat some interest - I've yet to be convinced on the merits of a pork chop. My own wild venison, a huge piece of slow cooked leg, was served with that self same silver onion and apple that came with the pork but the venison itself was such a rich piece of meat that the whole dish just worked much better.
A dark chocolate fondant was ever so slightly overcooked – still oozing but just barely – while a fromage frais panna cotta with blackberries and honeycomb was just perfect. Service was attentive and friendly and value - considering the surroundings - is high at €39.95 for three courses. This meal represented probably the best I've eaten in the bar at Cliff House and Shane McGrath has brought the finesse of the cooking in the main restaurant and allied it with a punkier, funkier delivery. A little more tweaking and all this promise will be delivered.
