We've just recently returned from our trip to Ireland and I still cannot get over what a wonderful experience we had during our time in Cong. While there were many amazing components of our trip, the absolute highlight was our experience -- or experiences, rather...-- at Pat Cohans. First off, the space is perfect and your quintessential Irish pub, but almost more of a classier, cozier feel to it. The drinks were fantastic and it was the perfect spot for our first Guinness of the trip. Nothing could have prepared us, however, for how absolutely incredible the food was! It was nothing short of a five star experience, and we were blown away by every dish. The flavor, execution and presentation were all 10/10 -- we were shocked at how the dishes came out looking like we were in a 3 Michelin star restaurant. Everything was beautifully done. We ended up actually canceling our reservation at George V (we were staying at Ashford Castle) to come back the following night, as we were so impressed by the food. My husband and I live in New York and are big foodies, so we definitely appreciate good quality, eclectic menus, and minor details. Pat Cohans nailed each of these - we tried the duck wings, goat cheese tart, all of the risotto dishes, the filet, the monkfish curry, fish and chips, and the world's best sticky toffee pudding. I can honestly say there isn't one dish we still don't crave now that we are back stateside - everything was SO delicious.
As wonderful as the food and ambiance was, our favorite part of our time at Pats was the people. The chef, Paul, is an absolute gem. Not only has he worked in Michelin star restaurants and insanely talented, he is a truly lovely person who we are now so fond of. He knew we were torn on what to order our first day and took the liberty of just ordering for us, which we loved. We spent quite a bit of time speaking to him, despite him being so busy and even brought the handsome Hugo, his dog, to meet us! That made our night, as we were missing our dog so much, so it was a really special touch. Ciara and Michelle were also really great, and we had so much fun chatting with them and getting to know them. They introduced us to some fun new drinks and we shared many laughs. Altogether, the greatest group of people we met during our trip to Ireland - and there were many!
I would say this place is a must, especially if staying in Cong...we loved Ashford Castle, but the food, service and overall experience we had each night at Pats was by far the best part of our trip. I couldn't recommend more!More