Having had to stay over in Mayo on a delivery of our fabulous products I booked a room at Swinford Gateway Hotel two months ago.
When I had lived in Mayo I had been once or twice for the standard Sunday lunch.
This visit was a pleasant surprise. The restaurant has had a makeover and a new Chef from Germany who is now living here in the region for a number of years. This chef brings a wealth of experience with him.
The Gateway Hotel in Swinford, is a charming, three-star hotel situated only 15 minutes from Ireland West Airport Knock. The hotel is located just off the main N5 on the main road to Castlebar or if you are heading to Westport.
The new interior - new to me - is a dark purple and silver and the lighting is great and does not strain your eyes. Perfect for an evening meal. Where you can relax and chill. The staff are great and very attentive.
This shows the new management really know what they are doing.
I ordered a roast beef expecting the same standard as before but this was a whole new ball game.
My plate arrived hot and this is a sign of attention to detail.
When guests later arrived from Sligo and asked what I thought of the food, I said you really need to give it a try. They both ordered steaks and these came on a hot plate and with the nicest onion rings, fresh gravy and vegetables.
I should know a thing or two about onion rings as my family of origin owned two chippers and a pub at one point. Well if the onion rings were anything to go by the standard was going to be high.
The steaks were brilliant and cooked perfectly to the taste of my two guests.
The staff could not do enough for you. There was constant service. They kept an eye on guest's needs. If you needed table service it was not long before you got it. This reminded me of pre-Celtic Tiger ere service in an Irish Hotel.
So it was lovely to have a trip down memory lane of how things used to be.
So I returned once again this week. This time I had the steak and the Architect had a sirloin - both came on hot plates once again.
I know hot plates might not mean a lot to others but they mean a lot to me. They project that whoever is in the kitchen knows what they are doing.
Of course he does. The hotel seems very shy about promoting him. If I knew someone of Tobias's calibre was their Chef I would have been down to try the food ages ago.
Chef Tobias is a national award winner by being Senior Chef of the Year in Ireland and he also came first nationally in cooking duck.
Oh, and this chap has a Master's degree in cooking from a German university bestowing on him the title Master Chef. Imagine?
So this Master Chef and his food is a gift to the whole region.
Having travelled as much as I have around Connaught during my training it makes you really appreciate a reliable place to eat. The restaurant of Chef Tobias is such a place.
You can be guaranteed quality food and quality ingredients.
Despite all his years cooking for people, his passion for food, it's presentation and your enjoyment of it is not less, if anything it is more.
He takes these standards personally.
So if you are up in Mayo in that neck of the woods why not book a table? There are lunch and dinner options.
You won't be disappointed. They even do takeaway menus check it out here https://gatewayswinford.clickandcollection.com/menus/sunday-lunch-menu
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