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The Ballymore Inn

It’s the fantastic food that draws people to the O’Sullivan family’s pub and it’s wise to book well ahead to get a taste of the wonderful things this fine country kitchen has to offer.

The neatly painted cream and navy exterior, the clipped trees in tubs flanking the front door, all bring a sense of anticipation, confirmed by the warm interior with welcoming open fires.

Hospitality is a strong point at this stylish bar - arriving guests are greeted at a reception area at the door, and you will either be given a table in the front Café Bar area, or you can go through to the ‘Back Bar’, a big open plan bar with a vibrant atmosphere.

There are bar specials and a ‘pizza & snack’ menu offering home-made soup, delicious salads, warm panetella with various fillings and the famous Ballymore Inn speciality pizzas, based on artisan products and baked in a special pizza oven.

An Express Lunch Menu, offers real food for customers in a hurry: a delicious home-made soup, and their renowned Kildare sandwich, or a simple hot dish, and a fish dish of the day (Duncannon cod with organic greens and yogurt, olive oil & lime dressing, for example); for a more leisurely lunch a full menu is available.

Evening Café Bar menus are a little more formal, offering a well-balanced choice, but this is beef country and the inn is renowned for its steaks - chargrilled aged sirloin or fillet - and rack of Slaney lamb is almost equally popular.

Nobody understands the importance of careful sourcing better than Georgina O’Sullivan does and, as a matter of course producers and suppliers are credited on dishes - and the policy of using only the very best ingredients, careful cooking and a relaxed ambience have proved a winning formula.

And a concise, very carefully chosen wine list includes five bubblies, a couple of dozen available by the glass and eight wines by the half bottle.

Seats 100 (+16 outside); children welcome to 10pm (baby changing facilities); air conditioning. Reservations advised for Café Bar; Back Bar no reservations. Food served daily, L 12.30-3, D 6-9. House wines from €21.50; sc discretionary. Bar food also served daily 12.30-9. Live music Fri & Sat from 9.30pm. Closed 25 Dec & Good Fri. Amex, MasterCard, Visa, Laser.

Directions:

From Blessington, take Baltinglass road. After 1.5.miles, turn right to Ballymore Eustace.