Just Ask Restaurant of the Month - Coopershill House

“Just Ask!” is a public awareness campaign that aims to encourage consumers when eating out to look for information on where the food (particularly meat) on their plate comes from, and encourages chefs to provide this information on their menus. The programme supports both large and smaller artisan suppliers, encouraging both Irish diners and visitors from abroad to support restaurants that are in turn supporting their suppliers.

Here at Georgina Campbell Guides we have always been avid supporters of the ‘eat local’ concept, and we always enjoy reading menus that have a real sense of place. The dining experience is greatly enriched by knowing that the food on your plate is inspired by the produce and traditions of the area, and sourced nearby – and we would love to see more chefs sharing that precious information with their guests. 

If you are a visitor to the area, learning a little about local food and the people who produce it adds a special extra dimension to the visit – and, for residents, it reinforces a natural pride in the good things of their locality and makes a meal all the more enjoyable.

So, we are delighted by the high standard of menus that continue to be submitted for our ' “Just Ask!” Restaurant of the Month Competition', menus that really speak of the best of Irish foods – and the dedication of both the people who make them, and the chefs who select them to create wonderful dishes with real Irish flavour for our enjoyment.

The “Just Ask!” Restaurant of the Month winner for September is Coopershill House, Riverstown, County Sligo

The  “Just Ask!” Restaurant of the Month winner for September is Coopershill House at Riverstown Co Sligo. One of the most delightful and superbly comfortable Georgian houses in Ireland, this sturdy granite mansion was built to withstand the rigours of a Sligo winter but it’s a warm and friendly place.

Home of the O’Hara family since it was built in 1774, the house still has the original 18th century furniture and some fascinating historical features.

Simon O’Hara has now taken over management from his parents, Brian and Lindy, and the house runs with the seamless hospitality born of long experience; this includes the kitchen which is now in the capable hands of Cristina McCauley, who had worked alongside Lindy O’Hara since 2004.

There is a longstanding tradition of using the best of local produce at Coopershill – extremely local in some cases as, in addition to their own beautifully maintained vegetable garden, the O’Haras have a deer farm, so venison features regularly on the dinner menu – roast loin of Coopershill venison with red wine sauce is a favourite - along with other deliciously wholesome country house dishes based on ingredients which mainly come from the local area.

Meals are served in the lovely traditional dining room, where non-residents are welcome by reservation and the family silver is used with magnificent insouciance (even at breakfast). There’s also a surprisingly extensive wine list, which offers many treats and includes four house wines and an exceptionally good choice of half bottles.

There is an immediacy to the simple menus at Coopershill that many more ambitious restaurants could learn from, and this lovely house is ideal for a short break: well placed for exploring this unspoilt area, it makes a good base for golfers too, with several championship courses, including Rosses Point within easy range.

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Breakfast:

"The bread, muesli, porridge, yoghurt and jams are all home made and they, together with a fresh fruit salad, stewed apricots, prunes and a wide range of traditional breakfast cereals, await you after a peaceful nights sleep. In addition you will be offered freshly squeezed orange juice, grapefruit juice, whole grapefruit, smoked Haddock and any combination of a full Irish breakfast. Juices, coffee and breakfasts are all squeezed, ground and cooked to order to guarantee freshness!"

Dinner:

'Dinner is an elegant five course meal with a choice of Starter and Main Course served at one sitting at around 8:15 each evening. The menu changes daily and is dictated by the ripening of the produce in our vegetable and fruit gardens and the recommendations of our local butcher and fishmonger.

The beauty of having a limited choice menu is that in season, you can be
assured that most of the vegetables on your plate were still growing in the ground that same morning, and that your meat and fish are fresh.

On a day when Venison is served, we can boast that the distance from farm to plate for 75% of the ingredients is about 200 metres! We would describe the food at Coopershill as high quality Irish Country House cooking.

Don’t expect food piled in precarious pillars and as dazzling to the eye as the Peacocks in the grounds. Rather you will find startling fresh flavours, generous portions and the kind of simple elegance and style that never go out of fashion."


SAMPLE MENU

Donegal Crab Tart

or

Melted Carrigbyrne Cheese with a Cranberry Relish

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Spinach & Rosemary Soup
(straight from the garden)

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Rack of Coopershill Venison with a Creamy Juniper Sauce

or

Donegal Black Sole on the bone with a White Wine Sauce

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Selection of Irish Cheese

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Coopershill Rhubarb Compote & Meringues

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Tea & Coffee


All salads and vegetables were picked from our own gardens today. If you choose the Venison you should know the distance from farm to fork is about 300 metres!