Gourmet Tour of Ireland

Thomas Jefferson for example, one of the great wine lovers, noticed how many Irish families were involved in the Bordeaux wine business when he was the US ambassador to France. Names like Lynch (of modern-day Château Lynch-Bages), Barton (now Château Léoville-Barton), Phelan, Dillon, and MacCarthy were just a few of the top wines of his day in Bordeaux. You will enjoy an entertaining private wine tasting with a charismatic sommelier, tasting wines from the descendants of Irish wine geese from six top estates. Sláinte!

Lunch today will be outside of the center, near the seaside in pretty Sandycove at a friendly seafood restaurant. Your lunch might include dishes like pan-fried Castletownbere crab & sweet corn cakes; char-grilled swordfish steak, with mango, melon and chili chutney; all topped off with an Irish artisan cheese plate. After lunch, take in a digestive coast walk into Dalkey, a historic and prosperous neighborhood home to many celebrities and high society. “Sorrento Terrace”, is one of the prettiest roads with great sea views. You will have the afternoon to yourself, with your driver on hand, to pop into the village main street, go for a long walk or visit Dalkey’s castle. In the late afternoon, return to downtown Dublin and the rest of the evening is at leisure. We highly suggest Thornton’s for dinner tonight for high-end gourmet. For informal and quaint, try Margaret and Akim’s romantic French wine bar, La Cave on South Ann street.

Your driver will drop you back off at your hotel in the early afternoon and the rest of the day is free. You could visit the Guinness brewery (the museum is very well laid out and a “must” for Guinness lovers), take a cruise on the River Liffey, or stroll through the small and very pretty manicured Iveagh gardens. Tonight, you will have a magnificent dinner at our favorite restaurant in Dublin, Chapter One. Chef-patron Ross Lewis runs this atmospheric Michelin starred restaurant, located in a pretty arched cellar underneath the Irish Writers Museum.

The cuisine is elegant with some creative flourishes, and artisan Irish produce is the protagonist. Savor the tasting menu organized for you with dishes like Langoustine, smoked bacon and basil spring roll; Ardsallagh goats cheese with an eggplant puree, roast artichoke and black olive oil; Atlantic hake and roast fennel, accompanied by braised squid, and a tomato shellfish sauce; slow-cooked spring lamb with a garlic and onion puree and mint jus; warm chocolate mousse, with orange and Campari jelly; and buttermilk pannacotta with a chilled passion fruit and orange soup. After a relaxing, gourmet dinner, head back to your luxurious hotel for your last night in Dublin. Perhaps enjoy a digestif en route to your hotel!

With your own private art guide, you will explore the Romanesque church, the castle tower house, 11th century round tower and ancient Hall of Vicars. Your guide will bring local legends to life, telling you about how it’s said the “Rock” was created by the Devil who while flying overhead with a stone in his mouth, spotted Saint Patrick founding a church and dropped the rock! This is also the site where Saint Patrick is said to have picked a shamrock in order to explain the holy trinity as three beings on the same stem- and ever since the shamrock has been Ireland’s unofficial emblem (the harp is the official one).

On the way to your elegant manor house, you will make one last stop today to the utterly delightful gardens and castle in Lismore. Despite having one of the most picture-perfect castles in Ireland, this town is thankfully off the main tourist trail, and you will love the romantic castle which overlooks the Blackwater River, known for its wild salmon fishing. Enjoy an hour or two in Lismore, taking in the gorgeous castle estate with its vast gardens, and the 7th century Saint Carthage Cathedral (restored in the 17th century). In the early evening carry on to your hotel for the next few nights, a scenic one hour drive. A glass of champagne will be served upon arrival while you check in and relax in front of the roaring fire. Tonight you have a welcome dinner at Ballymaloe, with deliciously simple and perfectly executed dishes made with all local ingredients, many of them from their own farm.

You will learn how to prepare both a lunch and dinner menu, all based on seasonal and local ingredients. You will also have the chance to visit an artisan smokehouse and the tremendous herb gardens at Ballymaloe’s Cookery School, which was co-founded by Rory, along with his sister Darina Allen (the culinary goddess of Ireland). After dinner, your driver will take you back to your refined countryside hotel, where you can enjoy a glass of wine or cognac by the fire.

Lunch today is at the seafood hotspot Fishy Fishy. No reservations are taken, payment is only by cash, and despite all of this, it’s the most popular restaurant to open up for years and is an absolute foodie “must” while visiting Ireland. All of the fish and shellfish is delivered daily from local fisherman, and the quality is world class. Order a la carte on your own, and after lunch, head west. You will be staying tonight at the aristocratic Bantry House, set on spectacular gardens overlooking the bay. Stop into Clonakilty on the way there, and have a pint at a quaint, traditional pub like the An Teach Beag. Clonakilty is home to the famous Clonakilty black pudding, delicious when paired with potato and apple dishes. Edward Twomey is the most famous producer and you can pick some up in his tiny shop. In the early evening, drive on to Bantry and arrive by sunset. The evening is yours to dine in the village.

After a supremely entertaining morning, discover the captivating coastline, stopping into Crookhaven or Goleen for a pint of Murphy’s (the famed local stout) or a coffee. Crookhaven’s harbor is darling, and the village has an intriguing past. It was a major port of call for America-bound ships, as well as the location that Marconi (the Italian physicist who is credited controversially with inventing the radio and for developing a system that transmitted Morse code across the Atlantic) came here while attempting to get his first radio message across the Atlantic.

Next up is a visit to Mizen Head, Ireland’s most south-westerly location. The scenery is breathtaking with rugged cliffs and offshore lighthouse. On the path between the Mizen Head visitors center and the Signal Station, you might see some of the many local dolphins and basking sharks, as well as the sea caves that house the remains of L’Impatiente (a French frigate from Wolfe Tone’s fleet!). Visit the lighthouse museum and enjoy the views. Arrive back to Bantry in the early evening and relax at leisure. Go for a walk around the extensive grounds, don’t forget your camera! Tonight, you have a fantastic seafood dinner in the elegant dining room at O’Connor’s, in Bantry’s colorful main square. A convivial dinner will be organized for you featuring specialties like Bantry Bay mussels steamed in Murphy’s Irish Stout and cream, Ummera Organic Smoked Salmon, John Dory in a sesame-seed crust, and roasted monkfish with cherry tomatoes and basil. After dinner, enjoy a pint at one of the local pubs and your driver will take you back to the hotel, set in its lovely private grounds.

After a morning of sightseeing, lunch is in order and you have a huge treat today- lunch at the Good Things Café in Durrus. More of a bistro than a café, this much-loved country restaurant is well known for its fantastic chef Carmel Somers and her simple, unpretentious but ultra fresh cooking. You will love the healthy light lunch, using all local ingredients like Durrus cheese and West Cork seafood. For dessert try the lemon, rosemary and olive oil cake with a cardamom-spiced citrus fruit compote. Carry on to pretty Glengarrif harbor, where you will hop on a boat to get to Garnish Island. This bewitching little island was landscaped into beautiful gardens in the early 20th century, with Italian and Japanese influences. There is a warm, balmy microclimate in this little area and you will find totally different flora than in other parts of the country and even West Cork.

Enjoy a tour around the island, and head back into Glengarriff for a coffee or an aperitif. Then make your way for Kenmare in Kerry, your base for the next few nights. You will be staying at the romantic Park Hotel, one of Ireland’s most beautiful, historic hotels. Overlooking the bay and the Caha mountains, this is a simply wonderful location. Check into the hotel and freshen up. Tonight you have a welcome dinner at their Michelin starred fine restaurant. Soak up the fantastic atmosphere!

After a morning of walking and scenery, head into the nearby town of Killarney for lunch. Killarney is a touristy town, with numerous restaurants, cafes and pubs here to choose from like Treyvaud’s. After lunch carry on to Killarney’s Lower Lake where you will board your own private boat to tour this gorgeous area. You will see the 15th century Ross Castle, which looks like a scene out of Excalibur. There are terrific views here of the Purple Mountain and Innisfallen Island. Today you must absolutely bring the camera! In the late afternoon, carry on back to your luxurious hotel. You will have some free time to use their spa if you wish; it’s one of the premier spas in Ireland and highly recommended! Dinner tonight is at the friendly Packie’s restaurant in colorful Kenmare. Award-winning chef Martin Hallissey makes some great quality comfort food here in this cozy restaurant with its stone walls and a roaring fire. You might try his crab cakes, followed by rack of Kerry lamb and finished with homemade praline ice cream. Check out some local Irish music in one of Kenmare’s charming pubs after dinner.

A tasting menu of Cotter’s flagship dishes will be organized for you and you will taste an array of dishes like chickpea & rosemary soup with roast peppers; deep-fried celeriac fritters in brioche crumbs with caper aioli; warm beetroot mousse orange scented yogurt with fennel crispbread; butter pan-fried black kale gnocchi with sage, walnuts, sweet pepper and Gabriel cheese ; risotto of roasted celeriac, Italian parsley & shallots with lemon thyme oil and mature Oisin goats cheese; roast pumpkin & leek gratin with herbed hazelnut & Gabriel cheese crust, lemon cream and braised fennel; and seared Romanesco with red onion & coriander seeds. Finish off with rosehip & orange cake with yogurt ice cream and apple & quince crumble with cinnamon ice cream. Tantalizing!

This afternoon, you will enjoy a private guided walking tour of Cork city with a charming, local guide. Visit the historic English Market, where you can see a wide variety of artisan products on offer including farmhouse cheeses; homemade terrines and pâtés, Irish chocolates (Aine’s chocolates, Darina Allen’s chocolates, and Flair confectionery, all make excellent handmade chocolates); just baked bread from Slow Food producers like Arbutus Bread; imported wines and gourmet oils, and of course fresh veggies, fruits, seafood, smoked products. Explore Cork’s other highlights with your guide like St. Finbarr’s Cathedral and Huguenot Quarter. Tonight, you will sleep in a refined country house, just outside of the city.

Lunch is next and your driver will take you to The Farmgate, a cheery little restaurant cum gourmet shop owned by sisters Maróg O´Brien and Kay Harte (who run their Farmgate Café in Cork’s English Market). Order on your own a la carte, and don’t miss the fabulous homemade desserts here! Tonight, you will be sleeping at the sumptuous Ritz Carlton resort at Powerscourt, and your last stop before will be to Ardmore. Located in County Waterford, this darling little heritage town is set overlooking the sea. You will visit the round tower and remains of the medieval cathedral which rests on Saint Declan’s original monastic foundation (founded more than thirty years before Saint Patrick arrived in Ireland). Have a drink on the terrace overlooking the sea at a stylish new hotel, and then hit the road. The drive is three hours and you will break it up with a coffee or glass of ale in Enniscorthy.

In the evening arrive at the stunning Powerscourt estate, south of Dublin. Check into your luxurious hotel and freshen up. Dinner is at Hell’s Kitchen celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey’s gourmet restaurant. A chef’s tasting menu paired with fine wines will tickle your taste buds on this farewell dinner.

And this concludes your truly unforgettable gourmet tour of Ireland! Slán go fóill!