• About
    • About Us
    • Assessment Process
    • Contact Us
    • Quotes & Testimonials
    • Award Winners »
      • Awards Presented
      • Awards Received
    • Info for Owners »
      • Info for Owners
      • Industry Register/Login
  • Awards
  • Eat
  • Drink
  • Stay
  • Buy
  • Learn
  • Producers
  • 10 of the Best
    • Eat
    • Drink
    • Stay
    • Buy
    • Learn
    • Producers
  • Articles
  • Blog
  • Recipes
    • By Georgina Campbell
  • Special Offers
  • Competitions
  • Shop
    • Recipe Cards
    • Buy Guidebooks
    • Buy Cookbooks
    • GPS POIs for Garmin
    • « Ireland Apps
      • iPhone App
      • Blackberry App
      • Samsung App
      • Nokia App
      • Ireland for Food Lovers App
    • « Cooking Apps
      • iCook - Recipes & Cooking with Neven
      • APPetiser - Recipes & Cooking with Derry Clarke
      • For the Love of Food – Kevin Dundon
  • More+
    • Gardens
    • Golf
    • Self Catering
    • What's On
    • Tourist Attractions
    • Wedding Venues
Ireland Guide
Ireland Guide

- ireland -

Graphics Version | 
Ireland’s Leading Independent Food & Hospitality Guide
  • LOGIN/SIGNUP
    • My Ireland Guide
    • Industry
Home > Eat & Stay > Vaughan Lodge & VL Restaurant

Eat & Stay

Comments(0) Add Comment

Vaughan Lodge & VL Restaurant

Hotel / Restaurant

Dislike Like
11 votes (100%)
Print page Send to a friend
For cooking and service well above average Denotes genuine Irish food culture, ie special Irish food products/companies/producers, and highlights the best places to shop for regional and artisan foods; the selection excludes obvious 'non-Irish' elements regardless of quality, eg ethnic restaurants and specialists in coffee, wine and other drinks, unless relevant to local production or history. Eat & Stay establishments are chosen for their commitment to showcasing local produce and Irish hospitality. Highly Recommended as a Special Place to Stay Serious About Seafood

VIEW OUR MENUS

  • A la Carte

Vaughan Lodge & VL Restaurant

Michael and Maria Vaughan's hotel - purpose-built to high specifications, mainly with the comfort of golfers in mind - offers peace and relaxation within easy walking distance of the town centre. And their VL Restaurant is one of the finest in Co Clare.
Rooms 20 (1 junior suite, 4 executive, 6 ground floor, 1 shower only, all no smoking). B&B from about €115pps, from €160 with D. All-day room service. Lift. Restaurant: seats 60. D Tue-Sat 6.30pm-9.30pm. Wine from about €27. Small weddings (70). Drying room. Ample parking space. EV charge point. No Pets. Closed Mon, Nov-Mar. Amex, Diners, MasterCard, Visa. abbreviations

Opened in 2005, this modern, attractive lodge features very comfortable bedrooms, a fine-dining restaurant and a spacious lounge, perfect for relaxing with a snifter or two after a round of golf. The manicured lawns lead down to the Ennistymon Road, a straight run to Lahinch village, the beautiful golf course, and of course, the famous beach.


The building was purpose-built, the embodiment of a dream held by Michael and Maria Vaughan, both experienced powerhouses of hospitality and marketing. You don't have to be a golfer to enjoy a stay here but it was designed with golfers in mind, and true to plan, the rattle of trolleys can be heard regularly as new visitors check in with their precious clubs in hand.


Unlike older hotels, the rooms are large, designed to provide ample space for families and guests with luggage or mobility challenges.  Of particular note is the superior room featuring a balcony; golfing guests in particular may enjoy watching their fellow aficionados traverse the course from the comfort of this sunny perch.


Having built up an appetite on the green or down by the beach, guests can look forward to an excellent dinner onsite at the fine-dining VL Restaurant (see below). Offering fresh local produce, a comprehensive wine list and a refined style of cooking courtesy of chef Pawel Giasiorowski (formerly of the Wild Honey Inn and Trump International Golf Links and Hotel, Doonbeg), this destination restaurant is one of the best in Co Clare.

 

Afterwards, if a digestif is on the menu, the bar offers eclectic antiques, comfortable armchairs, and a fireplace to curl up and enjoy the hotel's collection of local books.  It’s ideal for golfers to rest their weary legs, or to warm the cockles of those brave enough to have taken a dip in the Atlantic. Eagle-eyed guests might even spot photographs of the hotel’s proprietor with some famous faces, including a former US president.


The hotel staff are maestros of multitasking: the same friendly faces appear in various guises in the reception, the bar or the restaurant. The fifth generation of Vaughans is tasked with taking breakfast orders, his youth belying a high standard of service, executed with a confidence borne from many summer holidays spent pitching in to help, like his father, grandfather and great-grandfather before him.

 

Breakfast is served in VL Restaurant and it's a highlight of a stay at Vaughan Lodge, memorable for authentic Irish food, cooked with a generous hand. The menu offers every kind of morning sustenance guests could want, from a continental buffet to whiskey-soaked porridge, all the way to toasted bagels and grilled kippers. Health-conscious diners will find themselves with plenty of choice too, with a range of fresh fruit, superfood ingredients and gluten-free options.


This is a thoroughly modern hotel, imbued with reassuringly traditional hospitality. It offers all the comforts expected by the modern guest, along with excellent local food, commanding views and a warm welcome from the Vaughan family, stalwarts of Lahinch hospitality.


VL Restaurant:


Run as a stand-alone restaurant specialising in seafood and welcoming non-residents, this spacious and elegantly appointed room sets the tone for some fine cooking by Head Chef Pawel Giasiorowski (formerly of the Wild Honey Inn and Trump International Golf Links and Hotel, Doonbeg) and an accomplished team.


As is the custom here, Pawel's menus are refreshingly to the point and fresh local seafood usually accounts for over half of the à la carte menu in summer, with the selection offered typically including line-caught mackerel as well as seabass, hake, monkfish, mussels, scallops and organic salmon.


Interesting artisan foods from the area also feature strongly, some of them from named producers, and valued suppliers are listed on the menu.


These fine ingredients are used in a creative modern style, with key starters based on local seafood, notably Liscannor crab claws, and St Tola goat cheese. Main courses also offer a lot of local fish, delicious Burren lamb and perhaps Skeaghanore duck from West Cork; foraged ingredients may feature in season too - as, perhaps, in a fine dish of whole Dover Sole with samphire.


To accompany, the wide-ranging wine list (grouped by price) includes a strong house selection, useful tasting notes and a good choice of half bottles.


The dinner menu offers less choice (and probably a lower proportion of seafood), but it is very good value and includes a well chosen local cheese selection. The aim is to offer a balance between fine dining and popular local choices, attracting a good mix of residents and local diners.  



Quality food plus excellent service and hospitality (Michael Vaughan is an attentive and charming host), have made this one of the area's most highly regarded restaurants - and a favourite destination for many.

 

Less
Read More
  • Activities
  • Facilities/Features
  • Restaurant/Dining/Pub
  • Equestrian (nearby)
  • Fishing (Sea Angling nearby)
  • Scuba Diving (nearby)
  • Surfing nearby
  • Walking (established walks)
  • Banqueting
  • Breaks - Short
  • Broadband WI/FI (No Charge)
  • Ground Floor Bedrooms (accessible for less able)
  • Location - Beach <1km
  • Location - By the sea
  • Location - Peaceful
  • No Smoking Establishment
  • Private Parties
  • Wedding Venue
  • Contemporary Irish
  • French (Modern)
  • Coeliac Friendly
  • Informal
  • Vegetarian Friendly (always at least 1 starter & 1 main course)
Last Updated: 28-10-2022
Author: Georgina Campbell
Click here if you are the owner or marketing manager
array(13) {
  ["numpages"]=>
  float(2)
  ["firstpage"]=>
  int(1)
  ["lastpage"]=>
  float(2)
  ["pages"]=>
  array(2) {
    [1]=>
    int(0)
    [2]=>
    int(6)
  }
  ["current"]=>
  int(1)
  ["maxpages"]=>
  NULL
  ["prev"]=>
  NULL
  ["next"]=>
  int(6)
  ["remain"]=>
  float(6)
  ["to"]=>
  int(6)
  ["numrows"]=>
  int(12)
  ["from"]=>
  int(1)
  ["limit"]=>
  int(6)
}

Might also like

Eat & Stay

Oar Doolin

Doolin, Co. Clare

Restaurant / Restaurant with Rooms
Denotes genuine Irish food culture, ie special Irish food products/companies/producers, and highlights the best places to shop for regional and artisan foods; the selection excludes obvious 'non-Irish' elements regardless of quality, eg ethnic restaurants and specialists in coffee, wine and other drinks, unless relevant to local production or history. Eat & Stay establishments are chosen for their commitment to showcasing local produce and Irish hospitality.

Promising 'rustic fine dining' and situated on the edge of bustling Doolin village, Oar Doolin has all the advantages of association with this tourist hotspot while also being in a quiet location with plenty of private parking. Formerly the highly regarded Roadford Hous ...

Read more
Eat & Stay

Ballinalacken Castle Country House & Restaurant

Doolin, Co. Clare

Country House / Restaurant
Highly Recommended as a Special Place to Stay Outstanding Location, building or atmosphere The "Best of the Best" - Only the very best establishments across various categories have been chosen for this accolade

Well away from the bustle of Doolin and Lisdoonvarna, with wonderful views of the Atlantic and the West coast, Declan and Cecilia O'Callaghan's unusual property is easily identified from afar by the 15th century castle standing on it. With its welcoming fire, well-propo ...

Read more
Eat & Stay

Gregans Castle Hotel

Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare

Country House / Hotel / Restaurant
For Cooking & Service Well Above Average Has Good Hotel Guide Url Denotes genuine Irish food culture, ie special Irish food products/companies/producers, and highlights the best places to shop for regional and artisan foods; the selection excludes obvious 'non-Irish' elements regardless of quality, eg ethnic restaurants and specialists in coffee, wine and other drinks, unless relevant to local production or history. Eat & Stay establishments are chosen for their commitment to showcasing local produce and Irish hospitality. Highly Recommended as a Special Place to Stay Outstanding Location, building or atmosphere Previous Georgina Campbell Guides Award Winner The "Best of the Best" - Only the very best establishments across various categories have been chosen for this accolade

In addition to offering simple joys like warming turf fires and unparalleled views across the Burren landscape, this quietly luxurious country house has earned a reputation in recent years as one of Ireland’s top food destinations. The present house dates from the ...

Read more
Eat & Stay

Hylands Burren Hotel

Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare

Hotel

Open fires in public areas create the welcoming atmosphere for which the Hylands Burren Hotel is famous - and, owned by the Quinn family, who are local with many years in business in Ballyvaughan village, it has the personal touch that only hands-on family management can ...

Read more
Eat & Stay

Old Ground Hotel

Ennis, Co. Clare

Hotel
Highly Recommended as a Special Place to Stay The "Best of the Best" - Only the very best establishments across various categories have been chosen for this accolade

This ivy-clad former manor house dates back to the 18th century and, set in its own gardens, is an oasis of calm in the bustling centre of Ennis. The Old Ground was bought by the Flynn family of hoteliers in 1995 and has been sensitively extended and renovated by them, ...

Read more
Eat & Stay

Carrygerry Country House

Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co. Clare

Country House / Restaurant
Highly Recommended as a Special Place to Stay Outstanding Location, building or atmosphere The "Best of the Best" - Only the very best establishments across various categories have been chosen for this accolade

Only 10 minutes from Shannon airport and in a beautiful rural setting, Carrygerry is a lovely residence dating back to 1793. It overlooks the Shannon and Fergus estuaries and, peacefully surrounded by woodlands, gardens and pastures, seems very distant from an internatio ...

Read more

Contact details

+353 65 708 1111
EMAIL
PLEASE MENTION IRELANDGUIDE.COM WHEN ENQUIRING

Address

Vaughan Lodge & VL Restaurant
Ennistymon Road, Lahinch Co Clare
Show me where this establishment is on the map.
Directions About Lahinch Trip Planning Tools
On N85 just at the edge of Lahinch on the left
  • Add to my Favourites +
  • View my Favourites
  • Local Recommendations
  • Hospitality
  • By Distance
    • All
      • Eat
        • Drink
          • Stay
            • Buy
              • Learn
                • Producer
                • By Category
                  • Comments

                  There are currently no comments

                  Leave a comment

                  You must be logged in to leave a comment
                  Not a member? Register for your free membership now!
                  Or leave a comment by logging in with:
                  Sign up with Twitter
                  Georgina Campbell's ireland-guide.com
                  Tweets by @IrelandGuide
                  © Copyright Georgina Campbell Guides 2023
                  • Disclaimer
                  • T & C
                  • Privacy Policy
                  • Site Map
                  • Links
                  • Advertise
                  • Ireland Hotels |
                  • Northern Ireland Hotels |
                  • B&B Ireland |
                  • Accommodation Ireland |
                  • Dublin Airport Hotels |
                  • Dublin Hotels |
                  • Dublin Restaurants |
                  • Belfast Hotels |
                  • Belfast Restaurants |
                  • Cork Hotels |
                  • Cork Restaurants |
                  • Galway Hotels |
                  • Galway Restaurants |
                  • Killarney Hotels |
                  • Killarney Restaurants |
                  • Kilkenny Hotels |
                  • Kilkenny Restaurants |
                  • Limerick Hotels |
                  • Limerick Restaurants |
                  • Sligo Hotels |
                  • Waterford Hotels |
                  • Westport Hotels
                  • My Ireland Guide - Log in
                  • My Favourites
                  • My Itineraries
                  • My Comments
                  • Special Offers
                  • Hire Cars
                  • Ferry Tickets
                  • Competition
                  This website uses cookies to help provide you with a better online experience. By continuing to browse this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Cookie Policy