Lucinda O'Sullivan's Ireland

About The Restaurant

The four star Castletroy Park Hotel in Limerick is home to a most attractive restaurant, McLaughlin’s, which has a bright elegant atmosphere with lots of light enhanced by cream colours and elegant decorative touches. The large windows surrounding much of the room create a spacious airy vibe that really add a relaxing feeling to the place. 

McLaughin’s prides itself on only serving patrons the freshest seasonal ingredients to ensure the highest quality of food possible. On my visit, the innovative menu had starters which included grilled monkfish with smoked salmon and crab, served with wok fried kale and a red pepper coulis; pan fried tiger prawns were being offered with pineapple and mango salsa and lime aioli; and their roast pork belly was being served with a sweet potato and apple salad with a ginger jus. I went for their baked goats cheese which came wrapped in filo pastry with plum and taragon chutney and it was simply delicious. The pastry was light as could be whilst the plum and tarragon chutney contrasted beautifully with the piquant goats cheese. My dining companion opted for the confit of organic chicken and black pudding roulade with bacon lardons and a demi glaze dressing which looked as good as I’m told it tasted!

I really liked their food pairings, the use of anchovy butter and caramelised lemon with grilled sea bass served on a warm south Mediteranean salad; pork fillet stuffed with black pudding on sauteed cabbage with sweet potato cream; and also a wild mushroom parpadelle with shaved aged Parmesan, extra virgin olive oil and watercress. There was a 10oz sirloin steak with celeriac puree, wild mushroom, carmelised onion pastry and a Merlot jus, which will really please the carnivores, not to mention their roast lamb rack and rillete served on silky potato, peas and chervil with a tomato and thyme jus. I chose the pan fried duck breast and confit of duck leg which came beautifully presented on a dish of leek ragu. It was delightful from first bite till last, succulent, tasty and satisfying. My friend went for the rib eye steak, a very fine speciment indeed, which came on a bed of velvet potato with a white pudding galette and Claret jus. Suffice to say, it didn’t stay on the plate for very long.

As full as we were, when the dessert menu came round we couldn’t resist ordering from their tempting selection which included a pecan nut amd maple tart with nutty ice cream and passion fruit sauce; a wild berry parfait with Chantilly cream and almond biscuits; as well as a selection of ice creams served in mini wafer baskets and strawberry salsa. I chose the chocolate and hazelnut cake with orange ice cream and a passion fruit sauce which was absolute heaven, whilst my friend took on their raspberry and vanilla crème brulee with a Champagne sorbet and wafer which was devoured in no time at all. With our meal at an end we headed for the doors with smiles on our faces.

If you really want to eat well, eat at McLaughlin’s.

Map

Enquire

Send to a friend

Member Comments

Please log in to add a comment. Click here to log in or sign up