Aunty Lena's in Adare

04/06/2025: Easily one of the best meals I've ever had. The awards adorn this lovely little cottage and they are well deserved. The service was impeccable and attentive. The atmosphere is quaint and the cottage vibes help bring in the feeling of home hearth. We started our drinks with whiskey and a Gewurztraminer for Grandma. The water was W.B. Yeats water and it was delicious. We ordered 4 appetizers from there, the Scotch Egg, the Crab Tart, the Fried Dooncastle Oysters, and the French Onion Soup. We also ordered the fresh made bread with farmhouse butter. It was my first time ever trying a scotch egg and it was soooo delicious with the homemade beer mustard. It wasn't overpowering and paired with the apple puree and creamy yolk of the egg, everything was nice and smooth. The oysters were fantastic as well as the French Onion Soup. The gruyere and the bread used in the soup accompanied the creamy texture so well. The highlight of the appetizers was the fresh crab tart. The quality of crab used was remarkable and the presentation was elevated by the flavor of every different dollop of sauce. The crunch of the flaky phyllo-dough like crust with the refreshing brightness of the sweet creme fraiche tied the full dynamic flavor of the crab tart together. We could've ordered three so that we would have had our own. For the main course, we ordered the Duck, the Lamb, and the Sirloin. Grandma was able to substitute the bacon and crispy onion mash for her chips and that was very nice of the Chef. All of our entrees were locally sourced as well as the veggies. Grandma ordered her sirloin Med. Well and she said it was cooked exactly how she liked it. My lamb was delicious and cooked to a nice Med. rare. My favorite part was the texture of the seared and seasoned crust with the soft and juicy center. The quality of lamb was awesome with its flavor not being overpowered by gaminess. I absolutely loved my giant grilled asparagus. It was thick without being too fibrous. My polenta was crisped to perfection and the flavor was perfectly savory. My husband's Duck was the favorite entree. Grandma has never had Duck and loved it. The duck was cooked a perfect Med rare and absolutely melted in our mouth. I've only seen hasselback potatoes on Instagram and I was ecstatic to finally try it. We devoured our entrees and moved onto dessert, which we ordered 4 again. We ordered the Pudding Pot, the Soufflé, the "Faked" Alaska, and the creme brulée. While we waited the 20 mins for the pudding pot and the Soufflé, we ordered an espresso and an Irish Coffee. Both of which came with a delicious chocolate cookie. The desserts came out and blew us away. The server assistant prepared the Soufflé by pouring in the toffee. I went after the lemon curd Alaska with the meringue. We shared the pudding pot and the Soufflé. Grandma loved her creme brulée. Our favorite was probably the Soufflé and my 2nd was the Faked Alaska. I loved the contrast of the warm Soufflé with the cold lemon curd under the meringue. This was a very long-winded review but this was one of the best meals we've had in a very long time. This dinner would be $800-$900 easily in Las Vegas and we walked out under $400 after tip. The cottage is from 1826 as part of the service homes for the Adare Manor. The love and passion of Chef Murphy and his wife Elaine are reflected in the fact that it is a well respected restaurant in town. Our hotel said we were lucky to get reservations there and that they are usually full. Thank you so much, Chef Murphy! Truly a delight.

23/05/2025: We had a wonderful experience at 1826. It is in a cozy thatch roofed cottage with indoor and outdoor seating. The staff is attentive and caring with their service and are willing to answer questions and they were all very sweet. From appetizers to dessert, each dish was presented with care and tasted phenomenal. Since the menu does change I don’t want to make suggestions that might not extend to others but my braised short rib was out of this world. Highly recommend this place if you’re visiting Adare. Be sure to make a reservation.