Homestead Cottage — Restaurant in County Clare

A major part of Ireland’s charm is its people — invariably kind, unwavering in their empathy, and most hospitable.

My experience at the homestead cottage was the antithesis. Grating, cold, and utterly lacking in empathy.

This review is not about the food. I did not eat the food, in fact I could not eat the food, due to violent food poisoning that had me wailing in pain hours before our reservation such that I nearly requested a medical evacuation from the cliffs.

The review is for the management, specifically, Sophie. Who, after driving to the restaurant earlier in the day to personally request a cancellation due to severe illness, and begging once more upon arrival for dinner, coldly denied me without so much as a “I’m so sorry your ill”. She stated their policy without affection, and presented the option of only my husband paying for his meal as a reasonable “compromise”.

If you have ever suffered the unyielding distress of food poisoning, you would agree that nothing other than your bed, a warm compress, and a nearby toilet is a suitable compromise.

At over 125 euros, + the cost of my husband needing to purchase a second dinner should we leave, we opted to stay.

So there I sat, for over 3 hours (a shorter service would have been most considerate, alas), weeping and squirming in pain while my husband ate.

The manager could not have been more apathetic toward me, I have never experienced such treatment at a restaurant. She offered me neither sympathy, nor a cup of tea, piece of bread, nothing. She served my husband several times throughout the meal, and never acknowledged me again.

I completely understand the struggle of running a small restaurant. The carefully planned ingredients, budget, and number of patrons. But I have eaten at many fine dining establishments all over the world, and part of the pleasure in these indulgences is the experience.

The food between one tasting menu and another can often blend in your memory, what sticks is how a dining experience makes you feel. The memories lie in the culture you’re learning from, the personality of the chef, and the stories told by a welcoming staff.

This place was vapid in all these features. And I must seriously ask their manager — what is the point of running a business that cannot survive without contingency plans that circumvent the need for sick people to sit crying at a dinner table in misery in order to be successful? If this is the experience you must provide to your patrons to do well in this industry, what is it all for?

I am truly disgusted and appalled by her, and frankly turned off from fine dining for a while.

3.5 hours watching people slowly enjoy food you can’t stomach was ample time to philosophize — what is a passable excuse to warrant leniency on a policy that requires both the cost of a meal + an additional cancellation fee? If I had gotten in a car accident and died, would Sophie still charge my credit card and be just as unpleasant to the person delivering the news?

I have found myself asking — “am I being too hard?” — many times. But we actually recorded the second round of me begging her to let me go home and listened to it again (I won’t share it), and her demeanor was indeed harsh and unapologetic.

There are innumerable charming restaurants on the wild Atlantic way you can support with your hard earned dollars — skip this one. My husband felt the food was soured with the attitude of the place anyway.

One positive note — to the two kind servers who did offer me hot water and lemon, ask about my wellbeing, and show me kindness. I thank you dearly. It made all...

If a meal could write poetry, the tasting menu at Homestead Cottage would be a sonnet—sensual, balanced, and just the right amount of saucy. Each dish whispered sweet nothings to our taste buds, as if designed to make an already magical celebration feel like a Michelin-starred fairy tale.

We began with In House Breads & Glenilen Butter, a flirtatious little intro that hinted at the indulgence to come. The brioche, paired with Hegarty’s cheddar and garden alliums, was downright scandalocious - a warm, buttery kiss that lingered in all the best ways.

Then came the Spicy Duck—succulent and fiery, it tangoed with blood orange and sherry like it had something to prove. Paired with the comforting earthiness of Jerusalem Artichoke & Chestnuts, it was a delightful push and pull of flair and poise—picture Cher swapping notes with Katharine Hepburn.

The Liscannor Crab felt like a love letter to the Clare coast, fresh and sweet against the delicate crunch of kohlrabi and the seaside whisper of fennel and kombu. Each bite tasted like the ocean had dressed up for a gala.

The Sea Trout was next, swimming in on a wave of garden pumpkin and red curry, with dashi adding just the right umami wink. It was rich yet restrained, the kind of dish you’d introduce to your parents with confidence. But the Atlantic John Dory? Paired with celeriac, shore herbs, and pickled walnut, it felt like eating a secret you’d only share with your best friend. Subtle, refined, and impossibly chic.

Then came the main event: Wild East Clare Venison. Served with swede, black pudding, and a cheeky green peppercorn sauce, it was the culinary equivalent of a leather jacket—sexy, bold, and unapologetically itself.

As the meal wound down, we were treated to Bertie Brodies Apples with bee pollen and clotted cream. Sweet yet grounded, it was like the dessert equivalent of a warm hug. And the Vahlrona Dark Chocolate, paired with hazelnut, Anam Coffee, and JJ Corry Whiskey? Simply divine. I’d marry it if I weren’t already engaged.

To finish, Armagnac Chocolate Truffles and Blood Orange Pâte de Fruit arrived like a whispered promise of more indulgence to come. The perfect, bittersweet ending to an unforgettable evening.

Homestead Cottage doesn’t just feed you—it romances you. Each bite, each pairing, is an act of devotion. Honestly, if every meal came with this much thought and love, I’d consider proposing...

It would have been three stars but the fact I made the effort to reach out to the restaurant by email and received no response reconfirms my suspicions that this restaurant doesn't invest in clients they don't expect new custom from. It would also have been four stars if it wasn't plugging its michelin star as much as it does as its undeserved in my view. Doolin is a tourist spot and the nature of such places are that return custom is unlikely. This is what I said on my email to the restaurant- Last Thursday night's meal was a meal of several parts. I'm not one to get hung up on the theatrical aspects of the experience, seeing that you have clearly not wasted money on fancy toilets, hot water, linen etc I am always relishing the food in such establishments because there is nowhere to hide. I don't need to tell you with stars comes expectations and ours were not fullfilled fully last night. First the positives, the breads were lovely. The oysters were well balanced and delicious. The chicken wing with morel left a lasting impression. The lamb was perfectly cooked, lamb jus full of flavour, the faggots incredible. The 'millionaires shortbread ' excellent as was the rhubarb and custard. The service from both Sophie and the other female member of staff friendly and attentive. The wine pairings were excellent interesting and well matched to the dishes. A definite highlight. And the offer of a lift home really generous and thoughtful. The negatives, All the food temperatures were poor. I understand more than anyone that serving gastronomic food to a table of 8 is challenging however the margin of error here was to large. The hash brown was greasy and only ok. The kohlrabi was difficult to eat as it was quite thick and not supplying a knife meant too much ended up in the first mouthfuls. The cod under seasoned, a little over cooked and bland. One of our guests had the remnants of cling film on her plate and even though it was spotted by your staff no apology was given until bill time when asked was everything ok and it was pointed out by my wife. The polenta cake was pleasant but unremarkable. A question as to why you have no coffee machine and only offer french press was strange at this level. The two male servers weren't that friendly, in fact one never even opened his...