2024 Award Winners IRISH BREAKFAST AWARDS 2024 - HOTEL

Gregans Castle Hotel, Ballyvaughan, Co Clare

One of Ireland’s top food destinations for many years, Simon and Freddie Haden’s quietly luxurious and restorative country house hotel offers simple West of Ireland joys like warming turf fires and views across the Burren landscape - and there is a long tradition of taking pride in showcasing the wonderful foods of the locality in memorable dining experiences. For most guests that means heading into the formal restaurant in the evening for the Burren-view fine dining that has become synonymous with this lovely place – and which is now thriving under new head chef, Jonathan Farrell - or perhaps enjoying a tasty lunchtime bite in the bar. But for many the biggest - and possibly unexpected, for first time guests – pleasure may come at breakfast time. A short, carefully considered menu offers half a dozen equally desirable hot dishes, but the star of the menu is the wonderful suppliers list which makes as cheering a start to the day as anyone could wish. And then there’s the beautiful cold buffet, where - laid out artistically, under Freddie’s direction no doubt - a whole range of carefully prepared (and, in many cases, unusual and labelled) specialities vie to attract your attention. A joy to behold as much as to eat, this magnificent feast will linger in your mind.