Chester Beatty Inn

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Coming back up from Cork via the east coast on a Sunday afternoon with my friend Carmen, we made a beeline for Padraig Humby’s Chester Beatty Inn just off the M11 in the pretty village of Ashford Co. Wicklow, which we’d heard was a bastion of good food. 

As we were led through four rooms, packed with diners of all ages, generations of families, couples, and groups of lads, I got the message that this was a destination for half of Co. Wicklow and beyond. 

The food wasn’t half bad either, for it was all freshly served to the table by the very pleasant staff for whom nothing seemed to be any problem. Carmen kicked off with a tasty trio of poppyseed crumbed goat’s cheese wedges, contrasted with a sundried tomato and toasted walnut, pesto drizzled, salad. Meanwhile, I wanted to try the seafood chowder, which was bursting with the flavours of fresh and smoked fish and served with Mari’s brown bread.

Mains included an 8oz homemade steak burger, 6oz sirloins or an 8oz rib-eyes, a tagliatelle dish, plus an ‘Indian yellow curry’ – which looked very nice at a neighbouring table. Carmen was set on Grannies Beef & Guinness Pie, which lived up to the menu description being a picture-perfect hearty bowl of beef & Guinness casserole with root vegetables and a jaunty puff pastry lid. I was equally set on a roast, eschewing beef for ample slices of moist turkey breast with stuffing, mash, roasties and cranberry sauce. They also brought us lovely gratin potatoes, peas and carrots, and an excellent well-dressed salad with cherry tomatoes and red onions.  

Of course there were luscious sounding desserts too, including homemade Lemon Drizzle Cake, Eton Mess, Sticky Toffee Pudding and Strawberry Pavlova.

Their dinner menu is extensive with signature dishes including traditional fish & chips featuring fresh cod in a crispy batter or grilled in a white wine sauce. Their steaks – a very reasonable priced 6oz sirloin or a cracking 8 oz ribeye — are excellent and come with the works – sauteed mushrooms, tobacco onions, hand-cut chips & pepper sauce or garlic butter. There burgers too – steak burgers, chicken or veggie burgers. If you fancy something spicy try their Indian yellow curry with prawns, vegetables, chopped coriander, fresh chilli’s basmati rice and poppadoms.

You’ll find it hard too to beat their breakfasts. Take your pick from freshly prepared oatmeal porridge served with brown sugar, chopped walnuts and Manuka honey. Follow on maybe with a traditional Full Irish which boasts two sausages, two bacon, two eggs any style – fried, poached or scrambled, grilled tomato, sauté mushrooms, black & white pudding, and homemade potato cake – you’ll be fed for the day! There is a mini Irish as well as Grand Marnier cinnamon French toast with bacon or sausage & maple syrup, or Chester’s double stack pancakes with blueberries/Nutella or plain served with bacon or sausage, maple syrup and powdered sugar. Eggs have a whole menu page to themselves – Florentine, Benedict, Omelette du Jour – or your way with smoked salmon, bacon and sausage.

Busy, buzzy and a pleasure to visit, owner Padraig says “We make everything in-house, serve food every day from 8am – 8pm and approximately 500-600 meals on a Sunday!” Having tried it myself, I can see why they’re so popular.

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