Brunch at the Bakers Table in Lismore. And a walk on the Vee. Long weekend sorted.

Brunch at Lismore's Bakers Table. 

And a walk on the Vee. Long weekend sorted.

Brioche and Almond

A super forecast for the first Sunday in March - cold but sunny with clear blue skies - and good reports of a delicious brunch at the Bakers Table in Lismore once again tempted us across the county bounds into Waterford. That brunch in a very popular spot was every bit as good as anticipated and afterwards we head up to the Vee in the Knockmealdown mountains for a walk to Bay Lough, a Corrie lake that was formed in the Ice Age. Quite a day!

Chef John Mount opened up in Main Street, Lismore, just over a year ago. He does brunch Friday to Sunday and evening meals Friday to Saturday. Quite a takeout business there also with ramblers and families and couples calling in for coffee or his fabulous bread or both. Or even more from the deli that shares the space with the front dining room. A more impressive room just behind is where you’ll enjoy your supper or dinner.

Eggs Benny

French toast

Brunch has become very well established in Ireland over the past decade or so. And on first glance the menu in Lismore is along the usual lines. Like many others, it is based largely on eggs, but the experienced chef has a few of his own variables.

Croissants feature in a few of these and indeed are the base for at least three of the egg dishes. One of the few non-egg  and non-croissant offerings is the Garlic Mushrooms (mixed wild mushrooms pan-fried ion garlic & thyme oil, watercress on toasted sourdough. No eggs either on the Croque Monsieur; no Croque Madame on offer, though I’d bet they’d add an egg or two on request! Staff are excellent here, friendly and helpful.

One of our dishes was the Croissant French Toast which was a crispy croissant cooked in a vanilla batter (more eggs), toasted tin cinnamon sugar and served with a berry compôte and syrup. An excellent plateful for just seven euro.

We paid a bit more for the other dish, the Eggs Benedict (10.50). Eggs Royale and Eggs Florentine were also available. Billed as the Classic Eggs Benedict, ours came on toasted croissant with grilled streaky bacon and hollandaise sauce. Another superb dish.

Raspberry Jam and Almond Bakewell

Rows of tempting pastries had been spotted on the counter and we were determined to have a taste or two. We passed on the creamy ones in the chilled cabinet and picked the Brioche and Almond and the Raspberry Jam and Almond Bakewell (with cream). They went down really well with a big pot of Barry’s Tea (coffee is by Badger & Dodo, they support local here).

The Bakers Table is open three days a week- Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Friday and Saturday – serving Brunch from 11 am ’til 3 pm, and then open again at 5 pm for Supper Club!

Sunday – Open at 9 am for Brunch; no evening opening.

It had been a few years since we were on The Vee. It seems the name means different things to different people. If you are a budding cyclist or rally driver, you’ll be thinking of the devilish hairpin twist in the road up there while others will be talking about the gap in the Knockmealdown mountains.

Our “target” was Bay Lough, a Corrie lake formed by glaciers during the Ice Age. If you are coming from Lismore, as we were, and as you approach the vee (the gap in the mountains) you will see a fairly large car park on your left. 

Bay Lough

A firm stony path takes you down to the lake. I didn't time it but I'd say 15 minutes will see you by the water. The path goes on at the near side and up to a higher point diagonally opposite to where you first came in. It is up to yourself how far to walk - just remember you have to come back. It is well worth the stroll down, especially on a day like that Sunday, rather than just looking down on it from the road above.

More on that day’s visit to Bay Lough (including photos) here.

Bay Lough in The Vee in the beautiful Knockmealdown Mountains

 Bay Lough in The Vee in the beautiful Knockmealdown Mountains

Bay Lough is a Corrie lake formed by glaciers during the Ice Age.
More details below on photo of sign by the lake. If you are coming from Lismore, as we were after brunch at The Bakers Table (recommended) and as you approach the vee (the gap in the mountains) you will see a fairly large car park on your left. A firm stony path takes you down to the lake. I didn't time it but I'd say 15 minutes will see you by the water. The path goes on at the near side and up to a higher point diagonally opposite to where you first came in. It is up to yourself how far to walk - just remember you have to come back. We continued the drive, came down to Clogheen, then through Ballyporeen and into Mitchelstown and onto Cork. We used the R639 but obviously the motorway is also available and that bit faster and the toll of €1.90 is hardly prohibitive. And, of course, you may also do this trip in reverse, the way I've done mostly over the years. Last Sunday (March 6th 2022) was one of the best days up there in the mountains.
Before or after, why not call to Lismore's Bakers Table for Brunch? Details here.

Continue your walk along the path on the right.

Getting close

Amazing day. Walk along the path to the right and it will take to the rise
on the left.

The view on the way down

A short video of Bay Lough

Views from the Vee area, mainly out over the Golden Vale. The Vee, it seems, can refer to the gap in the mountains and to the hairpin bend on the road here.

Taken at the start of the walk down to the lake

Took this photo, well before we got to the car park on the left.

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