The Dunloe Hotel & Gardens is located in the heart of County Kerry in a region rich in culture and less than ten kilometers from the historic town of Killarney. Amidst the gardens stands not only the hotel, but also the ruins of Dunloe Castle. The River Laune flows through the hotel grounds.
Horses from the hotel’s own riding stable graze decoratively in a pasture in front of the restaurant. If you let your eyes wander, you’ll be stuck on Ireland’s most famous gorge, the Gap of Dunloe. There’s plenty to marvel at inside the hotel, too, as The Dunloe Hotel & Gardens is one of Ireland’s Best Designed Hotels. As if that weren’t enough, it’s worth taking a look at the hotel’s gourmet restaurant.
Chef Jupp Osterloh – connected to the region
The head chef at The Grill is Jupp Osterloh. For more than 25 years, the Hamburg native has been working as a chef at The Dunloe Hotel & Gardens. He feels that living on Ireland’s coast is an absolute privilege. Fish and seafood are his passion. In conversation, he raves about turbot, St. Peter’s fish, oysters, lobster and scallops. He gets everything for his cuisine in top quality and from close by. A logistical dream for the high demands of a gourmet restaurant: There are no long delivery routes, neither for fish and seafood, and certainly not for lamb, sheep and beef.
Thanks to the extensive terrain, the lush green of the pastures and the usually mild temperatures, there are excellent conditions for animal breeding around the hotel. Sheep and Black Angus cattle are kept almost year-round in the surrounding pastures. This means that Chef Osterloh can also offer guests the very best quality when it comes to meat. His trusted butcher also supplies him on Sundays if necessary. The pastures are only ten minutes away from the Irish Sea as the crow flies. Lambs grow up in the salty air. Not only the sea but also the river Laune gives excellent freshwater fish. There are pike, zander, tench, carp and salmon. It is also these paradisiacal conditions for a top chef that have made the chef take root.
The Grill – The hot centerpiece in the restaurant
The Grill restaurant opens spectacularly to the Gap of Dunloe with a picture window and a ceiling height of six meters. Running almost the entire width of the room is the open kitchen. The kitchen style at The Dunloe is Irish-influenced with accents of French cuisine. The namesake in the newly designed restaurant and visible to guests is a Josper Grill.
The Josper Grill is the favorite of the chefs in the gourmet restaurant. It is a combination of a grill and an oven. The grill does not require electricity or gas and is fired only with high-quality charcoal. The perfectly directed hot air brings out the best flavors not only from meat and fish, but also from vegetables.
Right in the entrance area to the restaurant, guests pass the Dry Aging refrigerators. Here, the meat of the Black Angus cattle matures for up to 28 days. At the bottom of the refrigerator is a tray of Himalayan salt. The menu features a separate section for Josper Grill’s Dry Aged Beef. To open the season in April, there will be Black Angus and fish, as well as Easter lamb from the restaurant’s own pastures, in keeping with the season. Jupp Osterloh’s plans include a slow-cooked leg of lamb with flavors from his own herb garden.
Indulgence at Ireland’s most famous gorge
The Dunloe – especially family-friendly
The variety of leisure activities reveals The Dunloe Hotel & Gardens already in its name. Because the green surroundings in the form of gardens, park and extensive meadows are the basis for an extensive program for the whole family. Long before The Dunloe received the Best-Designed Hotel award, the hotel’s family-friendly concept and ambience were already being recognized.
Early in the morning, a kids program starts at the hotel, allowing parents to have breakfast in peace and enjoy the rich buffet along with the view and pleasant atmosphere in the restaurant. For children there are many outdoor and indoor amusements that take place on the premises. From Kids-Zumba to Indoor-Soccer for rainy days to the fairy-tale to adventurous outdoor activities, all family members will get their money’s worth.
Recommended deceleration: “A walk in the park
Within just one hour, you can travel once around the world in the gardens of The Dunloe. There are Chilean firs, Australian gum trees, South African lilies, New Zealand cabbage trees, Japanese maples, North American dogwoods, South American fuchsias, and believe it or not, a strawberry tree from Killarney. Plant expert and broadcaster Sir Roy Lancaster oversees new plantings and has cataloged the plants in a brochure. The brochure is available at the front desk. Guided tours are also available.
Fairy tale trail and outdoor sports
For the younger guests who have not yet developed a particular interest in exotic botany, there is an enchanting fairy trail in the truest sense of the word. With the help of a drawing, children can discover the elves’ dwellings scattered in the park.
Other outdoor activities include kayaking on the Laune River, which flows across the hotel property. Fishing on the riverbank is also possible. Tennis can be played indoors and on the outdoor court. Horseback riding on the good-natured Haflinger ponies or use of the swimming pool, sauna, steam bath and fitness room are other recreational options. All family activities and the Kids Club are included at The Dunloe.
Every spring, usually around Easter, The Dunloe Hotel & Gardens kicks off the new season. Culinary means salt lamb from its own pastures. Botanically, the rhododendrons are in bloom and the magical greenery of the island invites you to go hiking, biking, horseback riding or boating.
No matter how beautiful a day in the area was, no matter whether the weather was sunny or there was a bit of Irish rain, at the end of the day guests are still rewarded with the beautiful view of the Gap of Dunloe, Ireland’s most famous gorge.
The cost of half board was not charged by the hotel
