Reviews
Bridgestone Guides Viewmount House
"Not only should it be in your 100 Best Places to Stay, it should be in the 10 Best Places to Stay." That's the sort of enthusing recommendation that Gary O'Hanlon's cooking has been winning in Beryl and James Kearney's Georgian house.
It's not just the cooking in the VM restaurant, however, that is winning plaudits. The extension of the house to create new rooms and the out-in-the-out-house restaurant has been beautifully achieved, and with Beryl's hospitality and Mr O'Hanlon's cooking, it turns VM into a don't-miss! destination. The restaurant feels like an old coach house, with stone walls, good white tablecloths, pretty flowers and superb service. Mr O'Hanlon cooked in Boston for a while, and it shows. "It's like an Upstate menu" is how our friend Bernadette described the autumn menu, but if it's upstate, it's superbly sourced upstate cooking, with the best foods of local artisans put to stunning use. A VM fall tartlet of butternut squash, Serrano ham, fig and Crozier Blue is awesomely delicious, whilst grilled milk-fed veal with souffle potato and celeriac puree is nothing other than divine. The cheeseboard is beautifully presented, puds like dark chocolate ganache with raspberry and peppermint ice cream are wow! and this is the hottest destination Longford has seen in years.
100 Best Places To Eat
Georgina Campbell's Guide
VM Restaurant Converted stables with exposed stonework make a fine restaurant of character which overlooks a Japanese garden with water features, and has an abundance of candles giving a cosy atmosphere at night. Whether entering from the car park or the house itself, guests arrive in a ‘new' bar and restaurant reception area with a fire, where Beryl explains the menu while you enjoy a pre-dinner drink.
4-course dinner menus begin with an interesting cover note giving the history of the house, and Chef Gary O'Hanlon' offers about half a dozen dishes on each course, with a slight leaning towards poultry (duck, guinea fowl, free range chicken) and two imaginative vegetarian main courses; as befits the surroundings,the tone is special occasion - the restaurant is beautifully set up with white linen, elegant white crockery and different flowers on each table, making a lovely setting for well presented food.
All the little niceties are observed, beginning with a complimentary amuse bouche (hoi sin duck in choux pastry, perhaps) before starters, which may include a particularly tasty dish of pan roasted quail with bacon, cabbage & foie gras,served with a fresh berry jus.
Main courses include the mandatory steak of course (rib eye with colcannon, straw potatoes & green peppercorn Courvoisier sauce, for example) and there may be a special fish dish such as pan seared artic char, which is served on marquis potato croquette with fried shitake & a watercress salad.
Ingredients are sourced locally where possible and a few specialist products are mentioned, eg Boilié goats cheese and arctic char (farmed in Co Sligo), although it would be interesting to see more information on local produce.
Rather glamorous desserts might include brulée three ways (ginger & vanilla bean, Valrhona chcolate and berry, served with a tuile disc) and coffee comes with petits fours.
Overall a meal here is a delightful experience, enhanced by attentive service and, especially, Beryl Kearney's caring interaction with guests.
An informative wine, helpfully organised by style, includes a fair choice under €30 and four half bottles.
Seats 55; children welcome; reservations advised. D daily 6.30-9.30 (Sun 6-8), L Sun only 12.30-3. Set D €55, Sun L €29. House wine €20. Restaurant closed Mon, Tue. Amex, MasterCard, Visa