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14 Sept 2025

REVIEW: Unique fine dining in The Bay Leaf restaurant at the Keadeen Hotel 

    The multi AA Rosette Award-winning The Bay Leaf restaurant in the Keadeen Hotel was recently the subject of a lavish €3m refurbishment so KildareNow was eager to see how everything turned out.      And I wasn't disappointed when I reserved a Table for Two for a unique fine dining experience at the weekend.  Anne was front of house when we arrived and warmly greeted us and showed us to our table.     The table was located in an intimate corner of the beautifully-decorated restaurant.    We immediately felt at ease in the relaxed surroundings as we perused the extensive Wine List and Menu.    To firstly accompany our meal, we sampled and selected a beautifully crisp Chilean sauvignon blanc from the De Martino Estate.   Before our Starter arrived, we received a very pleasant surprise with a complimentary Asian-style Chicken Ball seasoned with a miniature salad of diced tomato, peppers and cucumber.   Starter   I chose the Smooth Chicken and Port Paté which was served with a Toasted Brioche and a Spiced Apple Chutney.       My companion opted for the delicate Golden-Fried Mixed Seafood Asian Style Fish Cake (above) which arrived garnished with a crispy Tempura tiger prawn and served on a pool of red Thai curry cream.   Main Course    With my appetite sharpened, for my Mains I selected the Organic Salmon - award-winning Loch Duart salmon steak set on creamy chive mash with a fantastic Bonne Femme Sauce.      My companion couldn't resist the Crispy Boneless Half Duck with Garlic Potato Puree and a Soy and Ginger Essence.    Dessert    The Dessert menu really tickled our taste buds and ideally we would have liked to have sampled them all!         However my companion selected the Warm Apple and Berry Crumble Tartlette and Glazed Apricot which came with vanilla ice cream and old English custard and berry coulis.      I went for the Assiette of Hearts which comprised a Raspberry Swirl Marshmallow, Blackcurrant Pastille, Passion Fruit Jelly and Raspberry Sorbet.    As our dining came to an end, we remarked how the food portions were perfectly sized and oozing with freshness and flavour.   At all times the service was fast, friendly and efficient.    All in all, we had a very satisfying experience in the new-look Bay Leaf restaurant and will certainly be back!   The Wow Factor at The Bay Leaf is bigger than ever!   Local Produce    Executive Head Chef Kevin Curran and his team source fresh produce from award-winning local suppliers such as Nick's Fish in Newbridge, Newbridge Meats, CJ O'Loughlin in Gorey, Pallas Foods in Newcastle West, La Rousse Foods in Dublin, Leinster Fresh Produce, Rathangan, Corrib Foods in Galway and McConnon Meats, Rathangan.  About Keadeen Hotel   Keadeen Hotel is a 71-bedroom, 4-star hotel that has been in business since 1970. It was originally opened by Joe and Rose O’Loughlin, both graduates of Shannon College of Hotel Management where they met. The hotel is now being run by the second generation of O’Loughlins, Kate, Anna and Joseph O’Loughlin. The most eye-catching part of The Keadeen Hotel is the eight-acre manicured gardens which contain a huge array of flowers gathered from all over the world and from every corner of Ireland. The Keadeen Hotel is very well known for weddings and conferences and can cater for both large and small events, conferences and weddings in an elegant manner. The Ballroom can host up to 350 people and features crystal chandeliers and colour mood lighting. The stunning setting of the Garden Room offers guests a view of the breath-taking gardens all year round and can cater for up to 110 people. The hotel has recently undergone an extensive refurbishment in 2016 and 2017 which has seen €3 million invested in the property to improve the facilities. The Atrium Lounge & Cocktail Bar leads the way to the Bay Leaf Restaurant, the fine dining restaurant in the hotel. The hotel also includes a health club, gym, swimming pool and Beauty Rooms and is a popular destination for both business and leisure guests due do its location, classic Irish hospitality and excellent food.   Want to feature your business? Would you like the Kildare Post to feature your business in a Review?  Contact us at (045) 408 200 or email: editor@kildarepost.com.

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