Twelve Points Restaurant — Restaurant in County Westmeath

I had booked the restaurant as it was a Birthday celebration for my wife and also the glowing reviews What we were presented with was a tasting menu . My wife suffers from allergies and a set menu was definitely not what we wanted . Although there was under 15 persons dining our table was squeezed in beside a table of four . When booking I mentioned it was a birthday celebration for my wife most restaurants would acknowledge this but they didn’t. We had a lot of problems with the tasting menu and asked could the beef be served as a main , but they were having none of that . We had to endure the staff bring out food which we couldn’t eat like venison sausage cocktail stick, lamb on cocktails stick. At one point one of the servers asked my wife “you’re not even trying our soda bread “ . Yet they had been told before hand that my wife was gluten intolerant. Nothing about this meal was anything special and doesn’t deserve the gushing reviews I had seen. They were only open since last September and by the looks of things only Saturday night and Brunch on Sunday . Although I had none of the allergies my wife suffers from . My food was restricted as well . The only high light of the meal was the chef went out of her way to make us a dessert which we both could have and it was delicious. For this meal which we only ate the small portions of beef and the dessert and none of the rest. We were charged 174 euro if we had of wanted tasting wine to go with the meal it was added 40 euros per person. We opted out for a jug of water and we were charged four euro for this . They also gave us a wine list where the cheapest bottles of wine was well over 140 and a bottle of port at 10000 euros . A bottle of a hundred euro or less would an accompanied this meal or even by the glass per coarse . A choice would...

The deceptively simple appearance of the 12 Points restaurant gives no hint of the wonderful dining experience which follows. Lunch transformed into an aesthetic ritual that is much about flavours as it is about conversation, served by careful and attentive staff who graciously introduced each course as it arrived. Our lunch started with beautifully presented amuse bouche, almost too pretty to eat. These were followed by the most delicious sugar snap pea velouté and later by roasted pumpkin with blueberries in the shape of a heart (in honour of St Valentine). We then had a piece of lightly smoked trout and celeriac in cedar oil and for pasta Killua Irish Moiled Beef Ravioli in beef broth —the best dish of the day. The main course of loin of venison from the Killua estate was perfectly cooked to medium and with its accompaniments, perfectly balanced. To finish there was two deserts, raspberry followed by a mixture of different chocolates, one introducing the other. Finally the last but not the least the most delicious petite fours. For foodies, 12 Points is a treasured place because almost everything you eat comes from the farm and garden of the castle. The meat from their own herds of deer, the herd of Irish moiled cattle, the Jacob sheep and wild boar all ensuring the...

Without a doubt the best meal I have ever had. We dined here recently and enjoyed the Castle tasting menu, it was incredible. Every course was served impeccably and the dish described to us not just the ingredients, but where they came from (many from the Castle grounds, grown onsite) and what inspired the meal. The balance and variety of flavours were perfect, each course so varied from the prior. The service is exceptional, you are made to feel like the only people in the restaurant, the location is beautiful, in the grounds of the castle. One tip I would offer is when travelling there, access via the front (castle) entrance. If you type the restaurant address into Google maps, it will bring you up a potholed lane. Using the castle access road is a much better road and you also get to enjoy a close up view of the castle on the way to the restaurant.

Considering the quality and variety of the food, the exclusive nature of the service we felt that the cost of the meal was very good value. We will most definitely...