Hodson Bay Meal

four of the five-course hodson bay meal, roast duck, steamed veg, hake with mini lobster and pear cheesecake

What you see above you are a few sample photos I took last night during a 5-course meal at the Hodson Bay Hotel here in Athlone.

I really must get around to writing something on this luxury hotel poised just north of Athlone on the shores of Lough Rea, but for the moment I shall content myself with detailing what the meal I had last night with my coworkers was like.

coworkers at the hodson bay gazebo enjoying their meal First off, it was lovely. Seriously, I started with a minestrone soup (more creamy than I expected, but delicious nonetheless) and then was served my favourite part of the evening’s fare: some sort of crispy roasted duckling leg over a sweet compote of . . . plum? I dunno, but it was melt-in-your-mouth gorgeous. Next came steamed veg, salad and the main course. I had the fish which was Hake with lobster - but the lobster was more of an overgrown crayfish. The fish was actually lovely, as was the lobster, it was just that the lobster afforded only a very small taste and left me wanting more. The dessert came with the only disappointment of the evening - the pear cheesecake I ordered tasted like soft, stale biscotti with overdried fruit beneath it. I had a mouthful of the chocolate tart served to my right though and that was divine.

Sitting in one of the Hodson bay Gazebo suites overlooking their shaded lawn that runs down to the lake is never a bad experience though. The wine flowed freely (although, thanks to the antibiotics I’m on it was a dry night for yours truly) and the atmosphere was lovely. Definitely a great place for a nice dinner.