Lucinda O'Sullivan's Ireland

About The Restaurant

As a Canadian friend said to me, the remote rugged beauty of Co. Clare is the real Ireland; it’s what tourists come for. They want to see and enjoy its wild wonderful beauty, the crashing waves, the villages straight out of a movie set, and it’s all there in magnificent Co. Clare.

On your visit, if you really want to spoil yourself, pay a visit to the outstanding five-star Trump international Hotel and Golf Links. Not only is there the spectacular Greg Norman designed links golf course as well as the glorious White Horses Spa; Trump International is also home to the award winning Ocean View Restaurant which won the prestigious RAI Restaurant of the Year award in 2012 and is really one of the best restaurants around.

Located just outside the seaside town of Kilkee, The Trump International Hotel brings a new level of accommodation and style to the hospitality industry in Co. Clare. The interiors were created by Clodagh, the New York based Irish Designer, whom the Architectural Digest declared as one of the world’s 100 leading interior designers and, at the Ocean View, they believe that the key to their success has been to match exquisite dining with impeccable service; an ethos they are passionate about.

As soon as you can get over the beautiful interiors of the restaurant, you’re stunned by the breathtaking views, out over the Atlantic Ocean, which give this fine establishment its name.

When I was there, starters from their A La Carte Menu included a Doonbeg crabmeat cocktail with Burren smoked salmon, mango & pepper salsa and melba toast; their Ocean View house salad of Feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, quail egg, cucumber, toasted pistachios and crisp bread with a choice of dressings; as well as a confit duck with foie gras, a wild mushroom terrine and grape chutney. I loved the sound, and later the taste, of their seared Atlantic scallops with a mixed seaweed salad, salsify, lime puree and coral gel. Brendan, however, went for the crispy quail with pan fried duck foie gras which arrived, cooked to perfection, with an accompaniment of sautéed peach, seasonal leaves and a cider dressing.

For the mains there was lots to choose from, such as a delicious sounding oven roasted rack of lamb with Mediterranean vegetables, grilled courgette, garlic potato gratin and a rosemary jus. They had a pan fried whole black sole on the menu, served on or off the bone, with sun-dried tomato Verjus and pak choy; not to mention a pan roasted free range chicken breast supreme with butternut squash risotto, wild mushrooms and parmesan cheese. After much back and forth, I eventually chose the roasted monkfish medallions and tiger prawns, which were gorgeous with sauce beurre blanc and steamed spinach, while himself opted for the dry aged beef fillet steak with foie gras, Portobello mushrooms, sautéed spinach, caramelized onions, baby carrots and a red wine jus. Carnivorous as always, his plate was soon cleared.

Thoroughly fed, we passed on what looked like a delicious assortment of puds.

The Trump International Hotel is also home to Trump’s Bar & Restaurant, which hosts fine dining in what they describe as a “mixture of warm Irish ambience and New England panache”. The room itself is certainly very inviting with a warm wooden finish and an open fire to greet you as you come in. They do starters like duck and scallion spring rolls, Galway rock oysters, fried calamari or crab cocktails. I’m told their spiced chicken wings with Louisiana hot sauce are fantastic. The mains range from high-end dishes like wild mushroom & truffle gnocchi to traditional fish and chips with mushy peas and tartare sauce; not to mention their 10oz rib eye and sirloin steaks, which are dry aged for a minimum of 24 days by Jack Kelly Meats in Kilrush.

Whatever you’re after you’re sure to find it at the Trump International Hotel & Golf Links. They have all the bases covered.

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