This famous old 19th century coaching inn has been owned by Ronan and Jennie Sweeney since 2004 and, since then, they have achieved their ambition to restore Balloo’s reputation as one of the finest country dining pubs in Northern Ireland with spectacular success.
Downstairs operates as a full licensed bar daily and it is extremely busy all week; the place has oodles of genuine character and the old kitchen bar, with its flagstones and traditional range, makes a great setting for excellent pub dining.
Leading chef Danni Barry joined the team in spring 2019, and is now in charge of all the food operations at Balloo Inns - including, notably, the strikingly atmospheric Overwood restaurant (see below).
In tune with the well-established Balloo philosophy, menus are sprinkled with local, seasonal and free range foods like Portavogie prawns (in a 'cocktail' starter with little gem lettuce, tomato chutney and sourdough crouton, perhaps), 35-day dry-aged Glenarm Shorthorn steaks (with beef dripping chips among the accompaniments), home-made beef burgers with Cashel Blue, and Balloo House classic fish and chips with mushy peas and tartare sauce. Dishes offered will vary, of course, but the same great cooking of simple, hearty and flavoursome food applies.
The lovely relaxed ambience and outstanding pub dining at very reasonable prices are a credit to all involved, and Balloo’s ever-growing reputation is well earned.
Restaurant: Overwood
It's all about the grill at the aptly named Overwood, where the focus is kept where it belongs - on the very best quality ingredients, especially the local seafood and the superb meats that have earned Northern Ireland such a well deserved reputation for its produce.
A separate entrance from the bar leads up to the first floor, which was treated to a major revamp in spring 2019 and emerged as a beautiful new restaurant with a seriously cool tented terrace area.
The scent of woodsmoke entices arriving guests into a snug reception / dining area, where there's a smart glass-fronted log-burning stove (a welcoming presence) and a well stocked bar with many interesting bottles on display... Friendly, well trained staff are quick with greetings and an invitation to enjoy an aperitif on the terrace while choosing from the menu.
And this is definitely not a place to opt to go straight to your table - the terrace, with its dramatic glassed-in stove (big brother of the one inside, in the bar), is the only place to be.
So enjoyable, in fact, that you may feel no urge to leave your comfy sofa to head back in again, but there may well be new arrivals eyeing your seat - and in truth it's no hardship to move in to the handsome restaurant with its leather banquettes and chandeliers when the time is right. Meanwhile, enjoy the moment - and Danni Barry's menu. Quite short and very straightforward, it may surprise first-timers who know her as a fine dining chef - and demonstrates perfectly the confidence of a top chef to keep it simple.
Mill Bay Oysters, Ballyhornan Scallops, Portavogie prawns, Finnebrogue Wagyu Sirloin and Salt aged cote de boeuf may all feature, and very good they are too - but vegetables such as purple sprouting broccoli (grilled, with Hegartys Cheddar and toasted sunflower seeds) and scorched Padron peppers (with smoked sea salt) share equal status. And then there are the sauces (anything from Seaweed, lemon and dill butter sauce to Beef and bone marrrow gravy), the secret weapons in this carefully honed collection of apparent culinary nonchalance.
Dead-on cooking, simple presentation and great flavour combinations explain the success of the simple formula at Overwood - and it's all down to a great team, including the outstanding front of house staff who make it all seem so easy and always have time to chat with guests.
All this, and great value too - every town in Ireland should have somewhere like Balloo House.
* A visit to Overwood is highly recommended, but booking in advance is essential and an overnight Dine & Stay offer is well worth considering. A partnership between Balloo and several good local B&Bs, it offers good value at around £70pps midweek (4-course, dining downstairs) and a little more at weekends (Overwood).
*See sister establishment, The Parsons Nose in Hillsborough and also The Poacher's Pocket, Lisbane.
