Mulranny Park Hotel in Mayo is probably about as far west as you can go. This hotel enjoys a spectacular location, overlooking a causeway and wildlife sanctuary.  The Nephin Restaurant is a huge part of the Mulranny experience, this award winning restaurant overlooking the Atlantic Ocean with views all the over to Croagh Patrick.

The dining room is a large room divided into two areas with several bay windows around the room, allowing you to enjoy the fabulous views.  It is well lit with large ceiling lights hanging overhead and lamps on the walls by your table.  All tables are dressed in white linen and fully set giving a grand impression, with candles and flowers adorning all the tables.

A bottle of sparkling water and a basket of homemade breads were brought to the table as we worked our way through the menus.  The Nephin offer a set menu at €37.50 for 3 courses, and a very child friendly but healthy menu for little people at €6.50 for a main and €3.50 for a dessert.  All dishes are individually priced, so if you fancy just two courses, or even just a main, the option is there.

There is a choice of five starters priced individually between €9-14 including cream of white bean soup with rocket pesto and white truffle oil, rillettes of Achill Head bream, Bay Atlantic salmon girolles with raisin & sherry dressing, or a chilled Cashel blue cheese & Guinness parfait.  Mains are varied and interesting with a further five choices again individually priced from €27-29.  Choose from pan fried supreme of organic Clare Island salmon with saffron risotto & roast ceps, braised stuffed breast of free range chicken with roast butternut squash, black pudding croquette and red onion crème fraiche or a grilled fillet of Hereford beef with cauliflower mousseline and aubergine caviar, served with a  smoked cheese fondant and a café de Paris butter.   

The wine list was an extensive selection divided between regions and then by the bottle, half bottles and by the glass.  The prices ranged from between €18 and €54 a bottle with a Chilean 1870 Sauvignon Blanc at €26, or a Reserve De L’Aube Syrah Merlot for €18.40.  Half bottles all run between €14 & 17.00,  with selections like a Marques de Caceres Rioja or a Mouton Cadet Bordeaux. .  I chose a half bottle of Bouchard Aine & fils, Chablis and he went with a half bottle of red, a Fleurie, cuvee de la Cadole, which both turning out to be really good choices. 

To start I had the French foie gras & chicken liver pate on crisp brioche, my husband went with the pan fried Clew Bay scallops with a glazed belly of pork. THEY Foie Gras was excellent, but then again it generally is, while hubbies’ scallops were juicy and fresh, and the glazed pork belly complemented them beautifully.

Our 8 year old daughter enjoyed pasta with tomato sauce as a starter and beef with mashed potato and carrots both off the children’s menu, then she continued to colour the side of the menu and complete the puzzles while we were able to enjoy the atmosphere.  The fact that the Nephin is such a fine restaurant doesn’t take away from the fact that they are extremely child friendly, and when there, most of the guests were indeed families. 

For mains I ordered flash fried fillets of Atlantic grey sole on the bone with warm baby potato & brown crab salad, while he decided on the roast loin of ‘Kelly’s of Newport’ lamb, turnip puree and lamb sausage. The sole fell from the bone, and Fred’s lamb was full of flavour, as we expected from a products from the famous Kelly clan.

When it came to the end of our meal and dessert time our daughter didn’t need to be asked twice and asked for vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce, while we had our arm twisted and asked for a tasting of chocolate which gave us a selection of fondant brownie with chocolate sauce, a chocolate toile and a white chocolate mousse with baileys ice cream, which finished off a fine meal.

 Mulranny Park Hotel is a very good hotel in a stunning setting. On a summers evening dinner followed by a walk out on the causeway would be fabulous, with the sun sinking into the Atlantic. Memories are made of such as this