Last time I was in this restaurant it was called the “Fillet of Soul”. It was the brainchild of Master Chef Anthony Armstrong who opened it to much acclaim in ’04 but, according to the waitress, it has been through two reincarnations before settling down as the Manor Restaurant.
I was on my back from Sligo with my designer Kelly, where we had been measuring up a lecture theatre in Sligo IT. This had involved clambering amongst scaffolding and rubble as, true to form, the contractors promise that it would be completely cleaned out was a myth. So by 3 p.m. we were in dire need of sustenance!
It has much the same décor and layout as the last time I was there. Divided into two rooms with comfortable high back fully upholstered chairs it has a welcome feel about it, even on a Monday afternoon.
There were two young ladies at the reception/bar, one of whom I took to be the chef. Her credentials were the wall in Polish. We had the choice of tables as it was probably the least busy time of day.
The waitress took our drinks order and brought the menu which was pretty extensive and would cater for all tastes. There were three “specials”. One was Special Meatballs and one a tortilla wrap with sautéed potatoes; I forget the other. I queried the constituents of the meatballs and was informed that they were made from minced beef with carrot, rice and herbs served with a garlic sauce, mashed potatoes and vegetables. In for a penny, in for a pound!
Kelly chose the Tortilla Wrap. This turned out to be most substantial and was accompanied by about a kilo of sautéed potatoes. She reckoned that the sauce was splendid and that there was a mass of meat, mushrooms and salad.
The meatballs were delicious and the sauce a perfect complement. The mash was as good as I have had anywhere. If one was to look for a fault then the carrots were a little overdone for my taste but then the cauliflower was just firm.
They do a very good line in red wine by the glass and a glance at the wine list showed that they offer a reasonable selection, none of which are overpriced.
We finished up with instant coffee, not bad at all, accompanied by “After 8s”.
All in including soft drinks for under €30,00.
If you in North Leitrim (about 2 1/2 hours drive from Belfast) visit the beautiful Glencar Waterfall, made famous by Yeats in the poem “The Stolen Child”, and call into the Manor Restaurant to finish the experience.