Hidden Gems|Ladies Who Lunch|Oranmore Guesthouse & Tea Rooms

Hello everyone, two posts in one week!!!! winning!

As you probably already know I live in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland and Ireland as a whole have become a hive of tourism in the last 20 years. I don’t think I would be speaking out of turn if I said that Ireland is a magnificent place, the scenery, the people and the craic! ( Google craic, if you don’t already know what it means) One other thing that we enjoy here is good food and Northern Ireland itself boasts some excellent restaurants and eateries.

I have decided to start a series of blog posts where I go around little hidden gems that are off the beaten track and give you my take on the food on offer, just in case you decide to come and visit us here or perhaps you already live in Northern Ireland and fancy trying somewhere a little different.

The first cuisine that I am going to cover is lunch, and the first place I have decided to review is Oranmore Guest House & Tea Rooms, Gracehill, Ballymena

Lunch Menu

Scones & Preserves

Soup Of The Day

Toasted Sandwiches

Chicken Caesar salad

Goats Cheese Salad with figs, walnuts house chutney and freshly baked wheaten bread

Poached Egg, Avocado, and Smoked Salmon served on freshly baked wheaten bread (I had this one)

Afternoon Tea (I may have to go back and sample this)

Their were a few other dishes on offer but this will give you an idea of the type of food being served here.

Sweet Options

Drink Options

Tea

Coffee

Latte

Various other coffees and I believe hot chocolate

Fully licensed bar

Now, how did it taste? I had the Poached Egg, Avocado, Smoked Salmon, on home baked wheaten bread, their was also a gorgeous chutney layered into the dish. The eggs were poached exactly to my liking, the smoked salmon was fresh and the home baked bread was to die for. It was fabulous! I thoroughly enjoyed every bite. I love dessert, so decided to go for the sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce and ice-cream. Now I’m usually quite civilised in public, but I never came so close to licking my plate. The pudding was so light, not stodgy like some sticky toffee puddings can be, the butterscotch sauce was unreal so rich but not sickening and the vanilla ice cream they served with it was just delicious and complimented the pudding perfectly.

Not only was the food first class the service and hospitality was also top notch, so welcoming and nothing was too much trouble. The setting was also superb, both inside and out. The house and gardens are maintained to the same standard as a stately home, so relaxing and serene.