Kinsale – The Perfect Weekend Break

Kinsale is the perfect place to spend a weekend because there is so much to see and do. There are plenty of walks (guided if you wish) or you can go for a sail, play golf, or just browse in their lovely and sometimes quirky stores. If you are a foodie, then you are spoiled for choice as this a recognised gourmet capital.

We stayed in The Trident Hotel where the wedding was held (see previous blog post) and it was perfect. We had stayed there before and always found the staff to be helpful and extremely friendly. The wedding feast was exactly that. There was a choice of beef and fish for the main course, both of which were exceptionally good. The carnivores were particularly impressed when the beef arrived as ordered, no mean feat when catering for a large group. Even the coeliacs were looked after, from the starter right down to the incredible desserts.

Breakfast did not disappoint either. As well as the buffet table of cereals, fruits, cheeses, juices, breads (the home-made brown bread is to die for), there was an extensive hot food menu cooked to order. Why is it that so many hotels now forego this in favour of the hot buffet {which I hate}? The food is cold and greasy and the scrambled eggs end up with  a watery liquid at the bottom. But not so at The Trident! We had perfectly cooked eggs and tasty bacon.  The eggs benedict also looked divine.

As a coffee lover I had to have my coffee fix and happened upon Poet’s Corner in our walk down Main Street. A combination of a book exchange and café, we were lucky to get two armchairs just inside the door. Regulars indulged in coffee and chat, while the two young men beside us played chess. GG decided to try the brownie purely in the interest of my blog {generosity is his middle name not gluttony} and a latte and americano were as much as we could manage so soon after breakfast. While GG was distracted by a phone call, I was tempted by the brownie and it was fortunate that he returned soon because it was seriously good.

As we were wandering around, I noticed a sign outside a hair salon { Fintan Lynch} offering a file and polish for ten euro. My red polish from the day before was already chipped, so I decided to treat myself. I can never resist a good deal! Luckily, Yolande the manicurist had a free spot and I had the best value mini-manicure I have ever had. One week later, it was still perfect! The salon was a buzzing hive of activity. Everybody knew each other and chit-chat and good-natured gossip could not be dimmed by the noise of the hairdryers.

Dinner that evening was at Finn’s Table, a member of the Kinsale Good Food Circle, and as expected, it was a fine dining experience, with beautiful tableware and the added touches of a tasty amuse bouche and superb home-made bread and hummus.

I decided to only have a main course of pan-fried fillet of turbot with braised baby leeks, spinach and lime puree, parsley and almond pesto, although I did sample some of GG’s starter of crispy goat’s cheese, beetroot & goat’s cheese pannacotta, candied walnuts, orange puree and beetroot reduction. His main course was surf ‘n turf with a difference – a fillet steak, perfectly cooked, topped with lobster. We couldn’t manage desserts, though they did look tempting.

As anticipated, the food was excellent, the service friendly and efficient, a buzzy atmosphere and with the added bonus of engaging in conversation with an American couple at the next table, also called Smith – what were the chances of that?

It was years since we were last in Kinsale and as we drove back to Dublin, we wondered why we had left it so long.