Manor House Country Hotel, Killadeas, Co Fermanagh, BT94 1NY
028 6862 2200
manorhousecountryhotel.com
I IMAGINE that had I been born a few centuries earlier, the only chance I'd have had of living in a manor house would have been if I were downstairs scrubbing the pots for some land grabber and his clan. From what I know of my ancestors, we've been pretty much skint for generations.
The Manor House Country Hotel, outside Enniskillen, dates to the 17th century when mouthy women like me would have been a liability. Thankfully it now welcomes my kind as guests and does so with great class.
The family-owned Fermanagh property sits close to Lough Erne, with views of a stunning marina that attracts visitors from all over the world.
I wasn't downstairs in the basement, but staying in a luxury premier suite and I can tell you they named it right for it is both luxury and premier. With a separate living and dining area, with a sumptuous bedroom, the bed swathed in 200-thread-count cotton, the suite offers views of the lake from a glass balcony and a bathroom worthy of a rock star.
I was there to eat, though, and was looking forward to the fine dining experience in the Belleek restaurant.
On a previous visit I'd eaten in the more casual Cellar Door Bar, which was really good quality pub grub. On this occasion, the boat was being pushed right out.
The restaurant, in a glass-walled orangery-style room, again with views of the lake, was crowned restaurant of the year in the recent Irish Hotel Awards.
The menu changes regularly depending on what's seasonal. We were given some freshly baked artisan bread while we looked over the current offerings with a glass of crisp pinot grigio.
I found choosing a starter easy – torched cured mackerel with pickled veg called to me. My date had the pea soup with Parma ham crisp.
The food arrived and was pure theatre: the soup was as green as a spring meadow, with what looked like a little drawbridge across the bowl made from crisp Parma ham, with fresh pea shoots and edible flowers making their way across. I had a taste; it was perfectly seasoned and delicious.
My mackerel was pickled and the skin blow torched. It was served with perfect, pickled cucumber, courgette and radishes, cut so thin they were translucent. There was also those little chefy gel balls that tasted of cucumber and citrus.
A fresh, clear soup was poured into my bowl that tasted as fresh as summer rain. It was a starter that made me smile with every mouthful.
I was torn ordering mains as each sounded delicious. In the end I went for the lamb rump with peas, mint and a lamb glaze.
We'd agreed to share and so after debating between the pork belly and the beef fillet, the pork won.
Again, presentation was key. My lamb was pink and beautifully seasoned; the lamb gravy was rich and sumptuous – it came with little pots filled with duck fat roasted potatoes and buttered green veg, a pea puree and freshly podded peas.
I was angry at myself for agreeing to share because, damn, that was some good lamb. It cut like butter and tasted of the best quality meat.
The pork belly was soft and tasty, with little puffed-up pork crackling soldiers lined up and waiting to be crunched down on. It came with a carrot puree, baby carrots and those duck fat spuds.
There were ooohs and aaahs coming from our table as we necked the lovely wine and contemplated just how good life was now that we were upstairs-in-the-manor-house type folk.
I talked myself into dessert and out of it and back into it, before finally giving in to the temptation of a white chocolate and buttermilk panna cotta.
No such debate on the other side of the table where a dark chocolate ganache, hazelnut ice cream and a brownie were ordered.
My pudding came in a miniature sort of fish bowl type effort with strawberries, a blackcurrant sorbet and a white chocolate crisp. It looked beautiful. I didn't even pause for breath between spoonfuls.
There were reservations about the ganache but from the bits I stole when heads were turned, it tasted sumptuous.
The Manor House is such a special setting that expectations are always going to be high, but it really stepped up and the Belleek is a restaurant that lives up to the surroundings.
This was high-end dining at £37 for three courses, proving you don't need to be landed gentry to dine like a lord in Manor House.
THE BILL
Three course dinner £37 x 2
Pino Grigio £21
Total £96
