Ireland – Kinvara – Merriman Restaurant

We were staying in the Merriman hotel in Kinvara and so we thought that it would be convenient to eat our evening meal there. We weren’t entirely sure how good the food would be, but the reviews were reassuringly content and the restaurant was relatively busy which seemed a positive sign.

I opted for the special main course of chicken kiev and it was better than I had anticipated. It was served at the appropriate hot temperature and the chicken was tender and moist, with plenty of flavour. The chips were fluffy inside and the salad added some texture and extra taste.

The French style lemon tart was also on the specials menu and I deliberately avoided the desserts selection that were on the main menu. I think that I made the right decision, as those ordering the blueberry cheesecake seemed a little disappointed with their choice. The lemon had a refreshing and sharp flavour and the pastry was slightly firm and had a pleasant taste.

I noticed this when paying and it reminded me that I haven’t seen blue Aftershock on a pub’s back bar for some time. I must have been going to the wrong pubs and I suppose it’s not really very compatible with craft beer.

The service during the meal was efficient and engaging, although the staff member made a bit of a mess of explaining to Susanna what the Irish stew was like. He ended up saying it was watery and putting her off to the extent that she ordered something else. I think some people enjoyed their meals more than others, but I was suitably impressed and it all exceeded my initial slightly limited expectations for the restaurant.