Review
Redcastle Oceanfront Golf & Spa Hotel is home to the Edge Restaurant, aptly named as it looks out over Magilligan Beach and the waters of Lough Foyle. It takes full advantage of it’s location with picture windows making up two of the four walls. It’s almost like being on a boat and the views are purely breathtaking.
There is a maritime theme, with seascapes hung on the walls, but the main feature is the ocean outside. There is a choice of tables in the centre, or leather seating working around the walls, with tall, elegant white lamps to the rear of all couches.
Two menus offer a choice of Table D’hote, with three courses for €33.00 or the A La Carte. Starters range in price between €6.25 for the soup to €10.95 for a terrine of smoked salmon, while there is also crispy duck, goat’s cheese & Serrano ham or chicken liver & foie gras. Main courses include a selection of stuffed loin of rabbit, pan fried Greencastle cod, the 10 oz sirloin steak or roast breast of chicken. The catch of the day at €25 was pan fried sea bass and the vegetarian option was butternut squash, while prices ran anywhere from €16.25 to €26 for the steak.
The wine list was extensive with wines available by the glass from €4.95. There was a selection of international reds and whites as well as a handful of premium wines up to €74.95. We chose a bottle of New Zealand Swallows Tale Sauvignon Blanc, nicely priced at €22.95.
We decided on the set menu and started with salt & chilli squid and the oak smoked chicken Caesar salad; the squid was the winner here, although not for the faint hearted as it was spicy. The Caesar salad was well done with a good dressing but we equally could have had Donegal smoked haddock & leek fishcakes, chicken liver parfait or the homemade soup which was carrot & orange. An artisan bread plate for 2 with cheese & chive, black olive and multi-cereal was an extra €3.50, so there’s a very good selection on the set menu.
Main courses brought us the slow cooked daube of beef with roast garlic mash and linguine with tiger prawns. The linguine was just al dente, and the prawns were juicy, while the slow cooked daube was packed full of flavour, and shallot puree and the garlic mash were great.
Desserts were the same on both menus; banana toffee pudding, chocolate nemesis, hazelnut praline cream pots, coconut rice pudding or an earl grey crème brulee. All very tempting, but after the two previous courses it would have been overload and I decided to finish with a Bailey’s coffee, while hubby enjoyed a cappuccino.
All dishes are prepared to order and all ingredients are 100% Irish, and as far as possible local, with all seafood from Donegal. For a more casual evening there is also the option to eat in The Captains Bar and savour one of the best pints of Guinness in the area.
Great destination with great food; next time you’re experiencing the North West it’s one to add to the list.
