With delicious local produce and a carefully selected wine list, this dining experience in Bellinter House is a treat for the senses
Last week, we were invited to the media launch of Preston’s Restaurant in Meath’s Bellinter House Hotel & Spa, a magnificent 18th-century Georgian house, located in the heart of the Boyne Valley.
Built about 1750, the house was designed by Richard Castle for John Preston, grandfather of the first Lord Tara. It sits on the south bank of the River Boyne within sight of ancient Tara, about six miles from the town of Navan and just a half hour or so drive from Dublin.
Its new restaurant offering, Preston’s, is a sophisticated affair, with warm deep blue and grey velvet décor, custom-built panelling, statement lights, and stunning bronze mirrors that reflect light. The menu, created by the restaurant’s head chef, Stephane Moreau, focuses on locally sourced and fresh produce, such as Fillet of Clogherhead Cod and Oldcastle Farm Kohlrabi Salad.
We ordered a delicate, sweet, crumbly Goat’s Cheese & Roast Fig in Filo Pastry to start, with a Honey and Almond Salad. For mains, it was a mouth-watering Slow Cooked, Free Range Pork Belly from McCarren’s Farm, served with what we can only describe as a taste revelation: Smoked Irish Black Pudding Mash. The dish was also served with perfectly paired Celeriac Puree and Pickled Orchard Apples.
To finish our meal, we opted for Iced Nougat, which was accompanied by a Praline Shortbread – made by the in-house pastry chef – Raspberry Sorbet and Fresh Berries, which was light as air and wonderfully zingy. We retreated to the Drawing Room to sit by the crackling fire and sip on a nightcap Negroni before calling it a night and heading up to our room in The Main House.
Plush, regal and also brilliantly quirky, the deluxe bedrooms in Bellinter House are impressive. As is breakfast the following morning, also in Preston’s; we opted for Poached Eggs and Smoked Salmon which is served with avocado and homemade brown bread, but you can also choose from a full fry up, a veggie/vegan option or the Bellinter Omlette from the kitchen. We’ll definitely be back for a stay in the near future, with our pooches in tow next time as we discovered there are dog friendly rooms available and plenty of gorgeous grounds to explore with them. Oh, and the spa. We will be back for that too.
As for Preston’s, it is open for breakfast, and dinner, seven days a week and we highly recommend it as a foodie treat, whether it’s solo dining, a date or a group celebration. For more information, click here.
