Review
Maryborough House is a wonderfully restored 3-storey house dating back to 1715 set in 24 acres of wooded grounds just 10 minutes from Cork city in Douglas. This AA award winning hotel of the year 2014-15, was opened in 1998 by current proprietor Dan O Sullivan and they have blended perfectly the old house with the new extension.
Bellini’s restaurant is elegant and chic and is a large room divided with pillars with tables and chairs nicely spaced, while banquette seating creates a more intimate setting. The creative use of lighting adds to the contemporary design and cream chairs with black trim and a matching carpet create a mono chrome effect that is stylish indeed.
The a la carte menu offers a choice of 10 starters priced between €6.50 for their homemade soup of the day served with house baked breads to €12.30 for seared Kilmore Quay fresh scallops served with roasted pork belly and a cauliflower puree. Other choices are foie gras & chicken liver ganache or red Thai salmon & cod fish patties. Main courses offer another 10 carefully selected dishes starting at €17.50 for a vegetarian option of potato dumpling stuffed with fig & mozzarella to €27.50 for an 8oz chargrilled fillet steak with a choice of sauces. Other seasonal choices are seared venison, slow cooked chicken, pan fried duck breast or seared seabass.
The wine list has a wide selection of wines from across the world with prices starting at €26 for the Chilean to €45 for a French Chateau L’Annonciation, St Emilion Grand Cru. All are also available by the glass or a ½ carafe or for that really special occasion you could order a bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal at €300. We ordered the Pouilly-Fuisse, one of my favourites, a light, crisp choice priced at €39.
To start I went with the scallops, a generous serving of four large scallops well presented with a piece of cumin roasted pork belly and a cauliflower puree. The contrast of flavour and texture worked perfectly while himself had the wild boar shoulder with cranberry which was served with butter roasted gnocchi and marinated figs; an unusual but really tasty dish.
To follow I enjoyed the seabass which was delicious and perfectly cooked with a side of garden salad; crisp leaves with cherry tomato with a tangy lemon dressing. Fred ordered the duck breast cooked pink which came with fondant potato and a bordelaise sauce. The classic French sauce with bone marrow, shallots and Bordeaux dry red wine was perfectly executed nd complimented the dish perfectly.
Desserts were very tempting, especially if chocolate is your guilty pleasure and a chocolate taster plate caught my eye. Iced Bailey’s & white chocolate parfait, dark chocolate mousse and a milk chocolate shell ran the gamet of choice lovliness, and we shared it with coffee.
We retired to the bar for the rest of the evening and enjoyed a couple of cocktails in some luxury. Maryborough is a gem, and one of Cork’s best.
**For a more casual dining experience food is served all day in the bar, so whether it is morning coffee, afternoon tea or something more filling there is always something on offer and the staff always on hand to oblige
