Mount Falcon Estate

We arrived today a our first impression was Wow! The check in process was quick and efficient. We decided to walk the grounds as bags were sorted and deliver to rooms. Trails could become more clearly marked but they were beautiful. We had martinis at the bar before dinner and the bartender did a great job preparing them to our specifications. The dining room experience was very disappointing. We were sat outside in a large tent which had large screens displaying golf??? The table was very wobbly and we asked if they had table shims to correct the problem as our still water spilled on our table. They fumbled trying to fix it and eventually moved us to another table. They did not replace the water. The menu makes no sense. We were looking forward a C nice bottle of wine and steaks however we had to order most options for two persons with little options. After questions we gave up and ordered a Langoustine starter and the Cod Main with 2 sides and a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. The wine did not arrive until we flagged down our server. The wine bucket was placed at the other end of the table as our which I had to move as our stained glasses were never refilled. The Langoustines were cold and watery and continued less than 2 oz of meat. The cod was then delivered in cold bowls with sides and were over salted. Poor food, poor service and premium prices???

We booked in for the August Bank Holiday weekend for two nights and planned to have dinner in the marquee on the second night. Our package was two nights B&B for €680 and this allowed €50 credit in the restaurant. We arrived on the Friday evening to find a large function in full flow, although we had been warned about this beforehand. No worries, we decided to dine in Ballina and have our "special" meal in Mount Falcon on our second night. We tried to have a drink when we returned and it took 30 minutes to actually get served by bar staff; they were very busy and they completely forgot about our order as we waited in the Lounge. I had to go back out to the bar to remind them of our order. Anyway, they were busy and we were warned ! So, for the second night we were really looking forward to a special dinner in the marquee. We had a drink at the bar before being shown to our table. The ambience was good and the music was excellent. We ordered our starters and mains. I had the prawns (€22) and my wife had the beetroot & goats cheese (€13 ?). We both ordered the rib eye steak (€44 each), mine was to be cooked medium and hers well done. We also ordered four sides at €7 each. The steaks arrived and my wife's was cooked to rare and mine looked to be medium to well done. We called the waiting staff over, and then someone else came over - a man dressed in a black tee shirt whom we took to be the maitre d. It was agreed to cook some fresh steaks and bring fresh sides too. All good. Some time later the man in the black tee shirt appeared with the steaks and said he had cooked them himself and put them in front of us. My wife noticed that there were some long black hairs across hers, and we pointed this out. The man made a joke of it saying they couldn't be his as his hair was too short and walked away. I called him back and asked him about the kitchen hygiene to which he made no reply. He was not wearing chef's hat and I asked him again about the food hygiene, again no reply. I suggested that to him that our dining experience had been appalling and we got up to walk out and he decided to follow. When we got to the outside of the marquee I said I was going in to the hotel to discuss this episode with the hotel manager and he replied that he was the hotel manager. So, this man is a waiter/chef/manager. He was quite irate and unapologetic for what had happened and made no effort to remedy the situation. We went back to the hotel reception desk and explained what had just happened, the lady offered us a drink and went off to investigate. When she returned she confirmed that this man was indeed the hotel manager and although sympathetic there little she could actually do in the circumstances. The comedy farce Fawlty Towers springs to mind when Basil ends up cooking for some guests because the chef had finished for the evening. Our man in the black tee shirt was a jack of all trades and master of nothing, just like Basil except this joke was was on us. So,

Lovely hotel, charming staff. Magnificent estate, very well organised. Spacious comfortable room. Good restaurant, though I didn’t like being in a vast marque, used in the summer months. I guess it makes sense for summer events and weddings, but not great early in the week when only a few tables were occupied. Do NOT miss the Birds of Prey experience very well worth doing. Only 45-50 minutes but fascinating.