Just Ask Restaurant of the Month - West at The Twelve Hotel

“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.

VIEW ALL JUST ASK RESTAURANT OF THE MONTH WINNERS

The “Just Ask!” Restaurant of the Month winner for November is West at The Twelve Hotel, Barna, Galway

A former winner of our annual Wine Award, this contemporary hotel has had quality food at its heart from the outset and their motto “True to The Region, True to The Season” sums up the philosophy which can be seen at work in every aspect of the operation, including their excellent bar food as well as the fine dining restaurant, West.

The menu at West is not only extremely tempting (it would make you want to rush straight to the west of Ireland to dine there ASAP!), but it’s also a model of consumer information. Suppliers are listed, together with a welcome statement on seasonality – which, refreshingly, also encourages guests to ‘Just Ask’ if there are any questions on any product. Coeliac friendly dishes are highlighted, and guests with other dietary restrictions are invited to advise staff of any special requirements.

The menu kicks off playfully with a choice of imaginative ‘Tapatisers’ offering ‘small fun bites’ of dishes based on delicious local foods such as Oughterard butcher James McGeough’s renowned air-dried lamb; St Tola goat cheese from across the Bay in Co Clare; and wood pigeon from the Dromoland Estate – all of the dozen or so dishes are available at a flat rate of €4.40, or (a recessionary bargain) you get a sociable selection of six at €24 – and, of course, wine mad proprietor Fergus O’Halloran will be only too happy to suggest wine pairings.

West also offers ‘Small Plates’ which are all €8.50 or less and include an innovative house salad using ingredients of your choice to be blended for you at the table; an oat-crusted black pudding made in-house by Head Chef Cedric Bottralini, using a traditional recipe from Alsace; and an intriguing ‘Not The Usual Fish Cake’ that lives up to its name by including ingredients such as scallops and crabmeat.

Main courses – described as Large Plates – offer some unusual choices including a game plate, West’s ‘Signature Braised Beef’ (James McGeough beef, cooked for 12 hours) and some delicious locally caught seafood such as Connemara Monkfish & King Scallops; and it is good to see that, not only do they offer Cloonacool Farm Arctic Charr on the menu, but explain briefly what this special fish is - and where it comes from.

And, if you prefer to round off your meal on a savoury note, West offers a rather quaintly named ‘Irish Cottage Cheese Menu’ – a well-balanced selection of five of Ireland’s finest artisan cheeses which, unusually, are priced by weight (€3.60 per oz); and they can be accompanied by a ‘Port and dessert wine flight’, ie three tasting shots of a port and two sweet wines.

All round, this soundly-based and innovative menu offers a great taste experience which will be relished by local diners and visitors like.


C H I L L, S I P & T A S T E

T A P A T I S E R S
small fun bites all €4.40 each
platter of Chef’s choice of six €24

GALWAY’S FAMOUS JAMES MCGEOUGH AIR DRIED LAMB
roasted with black figs, served on raisin mustard blini

ORGANIC ST. TOLA GOAT’S CHEESE
heirloom tomato, gram and Sechuan pepper crisp

DROMOLAND WOOD PIGEON
on wild rice succotash, hazelnut and blackberry vinaigrette

ERNEST SOULARD FOIE GRAS AND SMOKED TUNA TERRINE*
organic smoked salt and brioche crust

CONFIT OF IRISH SMOKED SALMON
with wasabi pasta roll and organic Irish yoghurt

CONNEMARA OXTAIL
with morel and Glenilen Farm sour cream

SEARED NORTH ATLANTIC KING SCALLOP
with girolles and butternut squash velout?

CRAB AGNOLOTTI
with leek and lemongrass in a seaweed consommé

MATURE CROZIER BLUE CHEESE
on our own homemade quince jam

CHESTNUT GLAC?
with homemade winter spice ice cream, palet Breton

RHUBARB AND LAVENDER
on organic goat’s milk rice pudding

BAIANO CHOCOLATE
with avocado and coriander ice cream, chilli snap

Don’t hesitate to let us help with a wine pairing



C L E A N, H O N E S T, I R I S H

S M A L L   P L A T E S

WEST’S SALAD* 8.00
you will be presented with a selection of rare and organic condiments to choose from by your server who will blend them for you at your table

OAT CRUSTED BLACK PUDDING 6.50
Cedric makes his own black pudding using a
traditional recipe from Alsace

IRISH ‘CROQUE MADAME’ 7.00
brioche topped with local air dried pork, organic poached egg from
Valley View and Cork Gabriel cheese

NOT THE USUAL FISH CAKE 8.00
Atlantic scallop with fish cake of cod, crabmeat and sea trout

ERNEST SOULARD FOIE GRAS AND SMOKED TUNA* 8.50
terrine with our own ginger bread and 100 year old balsamic jelly

ORGANIC VEGETABLE SOUP OF THE MOMENT* 5.70
served with homemade buckwheat brown bread


Dishes with an * are/can be coeliac friendly
Please inform us of any dietary restrictions
and we will be happy to oblige



C L E A N, H O N E S T, I R I S H

L A R G E   P L A T E S

WE USE ONLY THE FINEST OF MEAT FROM BORD BIA APPROVED SUPPLIERS.
ALL OF OUR BEEF IS IRISH AND MATURED FOR A MINIMUM OF TWENTY EIGHT DAYS
AND COOKED ON OUR SPECIAL GRILL. OUR COASTAL LOCATION GIVES US ACCESS TO THE FRESHEST OF FISH

WEST’S SIGNATURE BRAISED BEEF* 19.50
Cedric cooks this very slowly for 12 hours in its own sauce

HEREFORD DRY AGED STEAK* 25.50
dry aged for not less than 6 weeks by James McGeough

WARNING – MAY CONTAIN SHOTS !* 26.50
Dromoland wood pigeon with a wild rice succotash, venison and
chestnut salad, wild boar and confit of organic kale

CONNEMARA MONKFISH & KING SCALLOPS* 26.50
with girolles, crushed butternut squash, vermouth

HALIBUT* 26.50
almond crust, salsify, wakame butter

CLONACOOL FARM ARTIC CHARR* 24.50
Brought to waters in Sligo during the ice age, this ancient fish has recently been developed into a small industry by Clonacool.
Served with watercress mascarpone cream and
smoked Black Forest ham

VEGETARIAN HUMMUS CAKE 15.50
Greek salad, feta, pickled beetroot

ALL LARGE PLATES INCLUDE AN ASSORTMENT OF
FRESH SEASONAL VEGETABLES



O U R  S U P P L I E R S

Meat - James McGeough Butcher
Game - La Rousse Foods
Fishmonger - Galway Bay Seafoods, Shellfish de la Mer
Fruit and Vegetables - Total Produce, Celtic Organic Salads,
Green Earth Organics
Dry Goods - Pallas Foods, La Rousse, Odaios, Musgraves

All of our produce is as local as possible and always based on being at the optimum of seasonality. Should you have any questions on any product, please Just Ask and we would be delighted to tell you more


West is also available
for the most stylish of Private Parties,
Corporate Launch Nights and
Oyster, Champagne and Guinness Evenings



Chef: Cedric Bottarlini Baker: Julien Dupin.
Service: Kalman Mezzei  Wine: Fergus O’ Halloran













I R I S H C O T T A G E C H E E S E M E N U

Take a gourmet tour of Ireland’s finest examples of hand crafted cheeses.
Served with rye sticks, oat crackers or caraway seed grissini
€3.60 per ounce

Complement with a Port and dessert wine flight
Quinta do Noval Tawny Port / Concha y Toro Late Harvest / Les Clos des Paulilles
€8 for 3 tasting shots

CASHEL BLUE CHEESE – Co. Tipperary
with quince jam

Cashel blue cheese is Ireland’s first farmhouse blue cheese. It has a crumbly texture when young but as it matures it becomes semi soft with a strong flavour.

ORGANIC St TOLA GOAT CHEESE – Co. Clare
with pickled pear

A creamy textured and sweet flavoured organic goats cheese which develops a very specific golden rind upon perfect maturity. It has recently been a winner of a World Cheese Award as well as many other awards.

St KILLIAN CHEESE – Co. Wexford
with cranberry jam

Produced by Carrigbyrne Farmhouse in Wexford, this cheese is a Camembert type cheese with a bloomy white rind. It is mild when young and as it matures the cheese softens and develops an aromatic clean flavour.

ADRAHAN FARMHOUSE CHEESE – Co. Cork
with red onion marmalade

A mature Ardrahan which exhibits all the classic characteristics of a semi soft cheese. It’s pronounced aroma indicates maturity and correct development.

MOSSFIELD ORGANIC CHEESE – Co. Offaly
with apple and raisins chutney
Mossfield organic cheese is a handmade farmhouse hard cheese. It is a multiple award winner, including a World Cheese Award.