Embrace a Shannonside Star: the Limerick Strand Hotel

Embrace a Shannonside Star: the Limerick Strand Hotel

The Limerick Strand Hotel has much going for it: a splendid location, terrific rooms, delicious locally based food and a top chef in Tom Flavin, and a splendid location. We appreciated all of those but we have to say that the staff here, from reception to bar, to the various dining rooms, are premier class, friendly and helpful.

They knew we were heading to the Milk Market on Saturday morning so they handed us a brochure and, as it turned out, there was a little map in the room as well with the market highlighted. But it wasn’t just for us. We saw numerous examples as they interacted with other guests, the bar staff making a toddler feel at home, the restaurant staff chatting and helpful to a foreign family. 

Just one small part of the superb breakfast offering.

Our room was on the third floor and we used the lifts all the time, never a bother, all working perfectly. The room itself was splendid with great views from the large floor-to-ceiling window out over the mighty Shannon. It had all we needed, comfortable chairs, TV, Wifi, Controllable Air Conditioning, Tea/Coffee Making Facilities, a cooler, Hairdryer, Iron/Ironing Board, Bottled mineral water and more, including 24 hour room service. 

All guests at the Limerick Strand Hotel enjoy daily laundry service, and access to the Energize Health Club with 20m pool. Our bathroom was top class, with separate bath and shower and Paul Costello toiletries.

Let there be light!

The decor in rooms and corridors and open spaces is excellent. There’s a chandelier that stretches over two floors and also a spectacular display of county jerseys. We had a beautiful large scale picture of King John’s Castle on one wall of our room.

The bar is long and very comfortable with its own food menu. Doors can be opened in the good weather. And while you can get all the mainstream drinks here - I enjoyed a Jack Daniels nightcap - they also support local and a couple of pints of ale from the local Treaty City Brewery (you’ll find that over by King John's Castle) went down well earlier.

No shortage of food here and they have two main restaurants. One is the Terrace Bar & Restaurant which is a stylish place to meet throughout the day and evening in an informal riverside setting. This was where we had an excellent dinner and you may read all about the experience here…

King John's Castle

The River Restaurant is another special dining room, again overlooking the magnificent River Shannon and again with an emphasis on fresh, seasonal produce. It is a great spot for breakfast and for Sunday lunch and more.

And it was here that we had breakfast, one of the very best hotel breakfasts that we’ve come across. No wonder they won Georgina Campbell’s Ireland Irish Breakfast Awards. Many more awards as well as you may read here. 

From our table, we could indeed see the Shannon below but, at this point we were really interested in the food, much of it sourced locally. You could ladle your porridge (Flahavan’s Jumbo Oats) from a large pot and spoon on some honey from a full Croom honeycomb alongside. Lots of cereals (including a Gluten Free selection) available too, seeds and yogurts and more. And a splendid selection of fruit. Breads and pastries from the in-house bakery. There were juices galore and even a smoothie station.

Bedroom

I enjoyed the muesli and a scatter of seeds while CL selected a plateful of fruit and that was a very good start. The staff again were very helpful, getting the teas and coffees out sharply and offering to take our order to the chef station. You could also order direct from the station yourself, egg dishes, omelettes, and pancakes all available.

If you wanted the Full Irish, all you had to do was help yourself from the buffet. It was the Cheese (including Cashel Blue) and Cold Meats that caught our eyes and we each filled a plate from a choice that included Chicken breast, sliced Irish ham, chorizo, salamis, Silver Darling Pickled Herrings, some leaves and relishes too. Splendid stuff and a great start to the day!

The hotel is easily found. You’ll see it as you cross the Sarsfield Bridge. It’s on the left and, after passing the main building, turn left immediately for the car park which is underground. You pay €8.50 for 24 hour parking. There is a lift up to reception.

Sarsfield Bridge and the Strand Hotel

The location is terrific for visiting Limerick city itself. Main attractions such as King John’s Castle, the Hunt Museum, and the Milk Market are just a walk away. This being Ireland, you’ll get various estimates. For instance, different people told us the Milk Market was  anywhere between three and seven minutes. As it turned out, we strolled over and forgot all about the time! Definitely more than three minutes though! And we were a lot slower coming back with our bags full! It was well worth it. As is a visit to Limerick and a stay at the Strand!

#guest

Also on this trip:
Limerick's Marvellous Milk Market
Superb Dinner at Strand Hotel

Taste the Place. Superb Dinner in the Limerick Strand Hotel

Taste the Place. Superb Dinner in the Limerick Strand Hotel

Bavarois

Tom Flavin

Taste the Place is the name of a menu at the Terrace Restaurant in the splendid Strand Hotel in Limerick. The comfortable dining room overlooks the Shannon and it is here that Executive Head Chef Tom Flavin and his culinary team put a huge emphasis on fresh, seasonal and local produce; the produce is carefully sourced from over 40 local suppliers. “Our ethos is to champion local produce where possible in all our menus”. 

We made our choices exclusively from Taste the Place and enjoyed every single bite of a meal, confidently cooked and presented. Add in excellent service from start to finish, even a chat with the accomplished chef himself, and the visit turned into an occasion to savour and remember.

Cheesecake

The first name I spotted on the menu was Mulcahy’s of Ballinwillin and knew straight away that I had my main course sorted. The Mulcahy Wild Boar belly came with a Rigney’s Free Range Pork Sausage and that too was a gem, packed with texture and flavour. Also on the plate were O’Brien Mature Cheddar Colcannon, Urban Farmer Beetroot and Attyflin Estate Apple Jus. Quite a celebration of the best of local and also a demonstration of the skill on the kitchen. I'll certainly be looking out for Rigney's produce after this!

Across the table, CL was enjoying her fish of the day: Whiting, with a creamy risotto (including various finely chopped veg) and a drizzle of beetroot sauce. Amazingly, you rarely see this delicious fish, related to cod apparently, on restaurant menus. Cooked perfectly, as was the case here, it is excellent, is light, firm, lean, sweet and delicate.

Wild Boar, Sausage

We had stopped at the bar on the way in and glad to see that they had ale by the local Treaty City Brewery on draught. Enjoyed that at our leisure while keeping an eye on the Ireland v Wales U20 rugby international on the big screen over the flickering flames of the modern fire. Outside, the leaves were shaking as the edge of storm Ciara began to make its mark. 

They have a very extensive wine list in the restaurant. Our picks were the Havalos Malbec, aromatic, rich and lush from Argentina and the Rabbit Island Sauvignon Blanc, typically New Zealand, crisp with lively acidity that makes an immediate impression on both nose and palate. 

Whiting

Both of our starters came from West Cork, well one from the ocean. CL’s choice was the Castletownbere Squid Calamari with chilli butter. Perfectly cooked and the butter certainly enhanced it.

Calamari

I have a great fondness for all things from Skeaghanore Duck and the Strand’s homemade liver paté, with sourdough croutons, Cumberland sauce and a striking pickled cucumber, just reinforced that fondness.

Having enjoyed two compelling and courses that masterfully showcased the sense of place, we were feeling quite happy and not all that keen on round three. But once the dessert menu arrived, resistance melted. My Caramel Bavarois, plum compote and coconut, was colourful, delicate and heavenly while CL’s highly recommended Oreo and White Chocolate Cheesecake was rich and smooth. 

Time then to say thanks to the staff and head to the comfortable bar for a nightcap!

Also on this trip:

Limerick's Marvellous Milk Market

A Shannonside Star; Staying at the Limerick Strand Hotel

Limerick's Marvellous Milk Market

Limerick's Marvellous Milk Market

More popular than ever!

Lovely to meet up with Lucy - we usually see her in Mahon -  from Ballyhoura Mountain Mushrooms. As always, she had a huge selection on offer. We bought these for lunch. The white ones are the highly versatile White Beech mushrooms while the velvet topped ones are Velvet Pioppino, also known as Poplar as they they are commonly found growing on the stumps of Poplar trees. Be sure and check the Ballyhoura website for more details and the best way to use these and other mushrooms.

More popular than ever! That's what I read on the brochure and that's saying a lot as the market was founded in 1852. You'll have no bother finding it; just look out for the sky-reaching white "dome" that covers quadrangular space between four rows of single storied stores and shops in Cornmarket Row. Or just follow the crowds, particularly on Saturday morning, the busiest day when it’s open from 8am to 3.00pm and when the emphasis is very much on the Farmers Market aspect. There's also much to see there on Fridays (lunch specials - cafe culture & live music) between 10am and 3.00pm and also on Sunday's Family Day (11am to 3.00pm), relax with coffee, cheese, crêpes, chocolates, occasional crafts - and yoga! Besides, the permanent market shops are open daily. 

The Flying Cheese Brigade are one of the cheese sellers in the market. They also service other local markets.
This Cratloe Hills Sheep's Cheese is produced by Sean and Deirdre Fitzgerald at their farm in Brickhill, Co. Clare since 1988. It is the first sheep's cheese to be produced in the country and a big favourite of mine.

We also bought this Tomme De Savoie from the Brigade. For old times sake! Many moons ago, when we used go to France with the kids, we bought this on a regular basis at markets and supermarkets there. It is mild and milky and proved very popular with the children. This is not the only "tomme" in France.

And it’s not just food, though most people seem to come for that - we certainly had our bags with us. You may get jewellery here, soap, arts and crafts, fashion (including vintage), health and beauty products, horticultural items (including plants and bulbs), and more (including lots of hot food stalls). You can even take part in a tour of the market to get your bearings. You'll have to visit - this piece and the pictures are only scratching the surface!

O'Driscoll Fish, from Schull, is a regular call for us when we visit the Mahon Farmers Market.
Indeed, you'll find their freshly caught reasonably priced fish at quite a few markets
 so perhaps it was no surprise to find them here in Limerick.

Colour ahead!

The Milk Market venue is very special and popular at Christmas and there are quite a few events throughout the year. It hosts on average eight large concerts each year featuring both national and international artists separate to over a dozen community, corporate and private market events each year. The venue is available for hire for a host of events from corporate to family events including movie nights, private BBQ dining, gala dinners, receptions, outdoor games, music, weddings, themed events, product launches and parties.

Want to know more about this thriving market? Check it all out here.  

Nolan's of Corbally Butchers had some very tempting prepared dishes on offer and it took us quite a while to make up our minds before we bought a Moroccan sirloin stir fry for Saturday evening's dinner.
 It turned out very well indeed as you can see below.

A top notch brown sourdough from one of the bread stalls.

We had been looking at the prawn stir-fry above before choosing the beef one

There were some magnificent vegetable stalls at the market but I'm afraid I didn't get a good pic.
We did buy these sprouts though and they were excellent.

I hadn't been blogging for very long at all when, in Feb 2010, I highlighted the quality
 of Inch House Black Pudding. The post went down well, not least at Inch house,
and soon I received a superb recipe from Nora. If you'd like to try it out yourself, this is the link.
I bought this from Peter at the huge and so very popular Country Choice.

We met Olivier of On the Wild Side last year at the weekly
market in Kenmare. We enjoyed his Pork and Plum Paté
on that occasion and couldn't resist buying another slice
of it in Limerick. He does lots of cured meats as well
including a beetroot and pork saucisson and a delicious chorizo
and you're in luck if he has his Merguez Lamb Sausages on sale.

More posts from this trip
Taste the Place. Superb Dinner at Limerick Strand Hotel.
A Shannonside Star; Staying at the Limerick Strand Hotel