A Nice Dinner in Cong Ireland!

Having experienced a rude bartender in the restaurant/bar that had been our first choice for dinner, we asked our hosts at Ryan’s River Lodge where they would suggest we should go for dinner in Cong…

They suggested that we take a look at Lydon’s Lodge and its restaurant.  We liked the well maintained and attractive appearance look of the place so stopped in to see what was for dinner!

…loved the flowers in the hanging baskets as well as the window boxes full of blooms!

This photo shows a portion of the dining area at Lydon’s Lodge.  It had a nice warm feel to it and it was very well maintained.  They weren’t very busy as it was mid-week and it was late September…

They had a nicely stocked bar for their patron’s pleasure.  We did imbibe, ordered a couple pints of Smithwick’s (4.10E/$4.90 US) as well as a couple of glasses of Alameda Merlot. (5.90E/$7.10 US)

For a starter, Laurie ordered a salad that she’d never seen on a menu before.  This is Lydon’s Surf and Turf Salad. (9.50E/$11.40 US) This salad consists of calamari ‘strings’, St. Tola’s Goats Cheese and pickled beetroot.  She really enjoyed this flavor combination!

There was an interesting dinner salad on the menu too.  It was an Orange, Fennel and Pomegranate Smoked Salmon Salad. (12.50E/$15.00 US)

Bonnie and Bill decided to try the Duck Spring Rolls. (8.50E/$10.20 US) They would have made a better presentation on a smaller slab of stone but they were very good.  They were served with honey and whole grain mustard dressing.

Bill and Laurie both ordered the same thing for their entree…the 10 oz. Sirloin Steak Dinner. (24.00E/$28.80 each) These steaks from grass fed cattle were excellent and they were cooked perfectly to order.  They were served with rosemary sautéed potatoes, shallots and mushrooms then topped with a nice fried onion ring.  The steaks were accompanied by a cup of Mical Poitin pepper sauce.  It was also excellent!

While in Ireland and near the sea, I decided to stay with a seafood option.  This was the Honey Glazed Atlantic Silver Hake (18.50E/$22.20 US) It was paired with chorizo and summer vegetables.  It was a nice mild fish and I really enjoyed my dinner.

An order of tasty boiled Irish potatoes as well as a nice stack of mashed potatoes also graced our table.  I did note that homemade brown bread and sides of potatoes were an extra 3.00E/$3.60 US.

Bonnie wasn’t feeling too experimental and steak didn’t grab her either.  She went with an old standby, a Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich with French fries. (8.00E/$9.60 US)

To satisfy those who don’t want a full dinner, Lydon’s offers a Club Sandwich as well as a number of Ciabatta’s…and one of the latter is a vegan version. 

We all decided that we should try a dessert that we’d never seen before.  Both couples shared a slice of Banoffe with ice cream. (5.50E/$6.60 US) FYI, Banoffee pie or “bananoffe” is an English dessert pie made from bananas, cream and toffee, which are combined on either a pastry base or one made from crumbled biscuits/cookies and butter.  This was a fine way to conclude a very nice meal!

Our only semi-negative comment was that they wouldn’t spit the bill.  Only one credit card could be used per table.  This is the only time we encountered this policy in Ireland or Scotland. 

I couldn’t find a website for the Lydon’s Lodge Restaurant but I’ve provided a link to customer reviews on TripAdvisor.  90% of the 268 reviews give the restaurant a very good or excellent.  Only 2 % were negative… https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g663560-d1918416-Reviews-Lydon_s_Lodge_Restaurant-Cong_County_Mayo_Western_Ireland.html.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.  Only 4 more blogs left from our visit to Scotland and Ireland…!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave