TASTE OF THE KINGDOM

KERRY TIPS

For your evening meal try Treyvaud's on the High Street, Killarney (064 33062), a popular if slightly expensive restaurant run by two Swiss brothers.

The efficient service and attention to detail starts the moment you walk in the door. The service is not at all intrusive, just sufficient. Obviously the attention to detail includes the food selection and preparation.

Most of our party had fish – I had the Hake special at €24.95, which I thought was a little over priced. The fish was perfect and had been cooked to perfection and the same applied to the seasonal vegetables that accompanied it. Everything was perfect. No complaints.

But for that price, one might have had expected some little innovation or variation, that the chef, with such perfect ingredients, would challenge himself. By comparison with the sea bass dish in the Market Lane (see separate post), the hake, while not at all a letdown, far from it, suffered.

Desserts, all reasonably priced at €6.50, were very good value and I enjoyed my Passionfruit Cheesecake. Other desserts that came to our table included Bread and Butter puddings and Panna Cotta.

A bottle of well balanced Pinot Grigio cost €23.95, at the lower end of the wine list, though the house wine, red and white, cost less than €20.00, if I remember rightly.

If you are in Killarney at lunchtime, Mac’s, near the Tourist Office is good bet, with a huge menu and service with a smile.

If you find yourself on the Ring of Kerry at lunchtime, particularly in Caherciveen, try the Times Square cafe in the Eurospar complex at the southern end of the town. There they do a great soup in the house; it is gluten free and served in a generous bowl, though they term it a cup, and they also sell it in combination with Paninis (6.95) and toasted sandwiches (5.95). They also have tempting pastries and free-trade coffee. Again service is with a smile and there is a relaxed atmosphere in the cafe.

(picture: Carroll's Cove , near Derrynane, 12.03.08)