We were always fans of the Wild Honey Inn and we would often stop in for lunch when passing by. This was not our first time staying in the Inn, we had visited before, but had opted to dine elsewhere in the evening. But for this visit, we’d booked a night with dinner, in part due to it receiving a Michelin star.
Located a mere 5 minute walk from the centre of one of the most famous towns in Ireland, Listoonvarna, it’s easily one of the best places to stay in the entire county and good value for money.
Things have changed though, they no longer do lunch and only open from Tuesday to Saturday night, while also closing for a few months soon after Xmas, so check to see if there’s availability.
We arrived late in the evening, around 5:00pm, we had also booked the garden room, which like a few other rooms in the hotel are newly renovated. Our room was so new it still had a slight new paint smell as well as exposed wiring in the bathroom, which a member of staff did point out to us and apologised.
The room was spotless, it had a small but very comfortable seating area, looking out on to a small rock garden. Given the damp weather outside, it was really nice to relax in the privacy of your own room. The newly renovated bathroom was clean and tidy, although a bit cramped, despite it having a double shower, the layout was a bit hit and miss due to not been able to actually stand in front of the wash basin!?!. There’s also a lounge room for all guests staying at the hotel.
Later that evening we went to the Roadside Tavern bar, it’s one of the better bars in the town and they have their own Burren beer, available in red ale, stout or blond, all are tasty. C opted for a glass of wine although it’s a very limited choice. After a drink we returned to get ready for dinner, which we were really looking forward to. We were also curious to see if the menu had changed much.
Dinner rolls around. The menu was simple, just three courses, no messing around here. To start I opted for the foie gras terrine, C went for the roquefort gratin, both were fantastic. Mains, I went with a steak, ribeye, C went for the salmon, both really good. Service throughout was fantastic and it has a really good wine list. The craft beer selection was a little limited, but I found something I liked.
For dessert, I went with a dessert which I’ve had several times before for lunch here, the sticky toffee pudding, it’s fantastic, worth the trip alone. C went for the pineapple and mango option. The meal overall was really nice, is it deserving of it’s Michelin star, yes, we believe so. It’s far and away from better Michelin starred meals we’ve had, but the simple approach of just three courses, done well, using the finest local and organic ingredients, is fantastic.
Breakfast the following morning was a simple affair, a small help yourself table of some cereal, juice, homemade scones, yogurt etc. Along with a table service offering pancakes, the full Irish and the like. I went with the full Irish, C went with pancakes. Both were tasty and the coffee was pretty ok.
Overall the Wild Honey Inn is a great little spot, with it’s award winning restaurant, clean rooms, friendly owners and a good location for visiting the nearby attractions of Co.Clare.
C&J
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