The Morrison Room at Carton House, A Fairmont Managed Hotel — Restaurant in The Municipal District of Clane — Maynooth

Finally got a reservation at the Michelin guide Morrison room at Carton House and boy was I not disappointed.

Started out in the parlor where I was served a glass of champagne with canapés (Beef tartar with chives, Pickled apple, Pig head with potato).

Once I was ready I was escorted into the main dining room which is spectacular, with high ceilings and beautiful craftsmanship Cornices. Was seated at a very large booth style table considering I was dining alone.

First course was Hand Dived Scallop ceviche with Salted plum and buttermilk. (Scallops are one of my favorites)

Second course was Wild Irish Turbot, Kohrabi, Champagne Sabayon with N25 Caviar (have to say this was absolutely delicious)

Third course was Limousin Veal Sweetbreads with Cep Vinaigrette & Black Garlic (I absolutely love sweetbreads)

Fourth course was the main course McConnell’s Ex-Dairy Sirloin with Mushroom Duxelles, Potato Mousseline & Beef Fat Sauce. (Exceptional dish)

Fifth course was a Preserved Raspberries with Yoghurt (not to sweet with a little bitterness)

All this was paired with a auxey duresses 2021 chardonnay for the seafood courses and a Bourgogne Rouge, Domaine Perrault 2022 for the sweetbreads and sirloin.

Finished the evening with a cappuccino and some...

5 star prices, 3 star experience.

Magnificent setting in Carton House' Morrisson room. Service was very good and couldn't fault it other than to say that it is a little formal for Sunday lunch. The food was the real disappointment. Too much emphasis put on making it look good rather than taste good.

Two options to start; beetroot salad or patě en croute. For mains the options were lamb, fish or gnocchi as a vegetarian option. And dessert was chocolate mousse or apple cheesecake, or a cheeseboard which had a €25 surcharge. Yes, €25!

I had the patě which was served with homemade mustard which completely dominated the flavour of everything else. The fish was just OK. Served with purple potatoes, broccoli and a cream and white wine sauce. Very forgettable. The lamb was extremely poor with the fat not being rendered down at all which is poor for a restaurant of that quality.

The dessert was probably my favourite despite the fact I'm not a chocolate mousse fan. No tea / coffee offered at our table after our meal so we went to the lobby for coffee.

The whole experience felt rushed. We were in and out in...

I visited this restaurant last week with my family, for a lifetime experience. The food is phenomenal, no words are fair enough to describe the rollercoaster of flavours we experienced, shifting from the delicacy of a sublime brioche, to the hyper of a crisp and refreshing wasabi sherbet. This food brought us back and forth in time and space, as they elevated local, seasonal ingredients by impeccably fusioning European cuisine with Japanese techniques in 8 courses.

I can honestly say I ate the best panacotta of my life that night!

The service was no less, they orchestrated an almost choreographic function, it was simply spotless. And when ordering wine, we were recommended a delicious sauvignon blanc by Lucas. A very nice touch was that Vicente (one of our waiters that night) perfectly described all plates in Spanish which is our mother tongue. This was a beautiful surprise.

I'm glad I visited this restaurant, and I will surely come back for another...