Here in the Panorama Restaurant, the designer has allowed the amazing vista to deliver awe. Each table, whether directly at the window or two rows away, has captivating views. There was an era when ‘dining rooms’ in the finest hotels had palatial ceilings and tumbling chandeliers.

 

Breakfast: Breakfast is a veritable feast. The same most minute detail of efficient design is immediately apparent. It is very clear that breakfast is indeed considered to be the most important meal of the day at The Europe Hotel & Resort. Choose from an abundant breakfast buffet or a myriad of a la carte dishes. As you arrive you encounter two gleaming antique silver samovars with The Europe Hotel & Resort’s own coffee blend and the finest teas – the scene is set for a splendid feast.

 

You meander on through tables of plenty – chilled juices including Apple Juice from Co Traas’ Tipperary’s Apple Farm; sliced fresh fruits and berries; a table with at least a dozen choices of bread and rolls from The Europe Hotel & Resort’s own bakery, freshly baked scones, croissants and pastries; a separate table with an impressive selection of gluten-free bread and cereals; countless popular cereals including an individual pot of crunchy granola. Yoghurts are from Glenilen, supplied by the Kingston family farm in West Cork. Cheeses include, also from West Cork, Gubbeen and Waterford’s Smoked Knockanore Cheddar. The Europe Hotel & Resort’s oak-smoked salmon is smoked locally in Kerry to their own specific process – mild smoking with a soft sweetness.

 

To the right you may encounter the hotel’s Egg Master – the principal Egg Chef has been offering eggs ‘any way you like them’ for well over two decades – all served with a beaming smile and Kerry banter. The free-range eggs are from the nearby farm of Mary & Pat O’Connor in Beaufort. To accompany your eggs the choices include proper generously sized hand-made sausages from local Killarney Butcher Tim Jones, Rosscarbery Black & White Puddings, fine Irish Bacon, grilled flat Mushrooms and so on.

 

A la carte menu choices are vast from Eggs Benedict to fluffy Blueberry Pancakes. The service team at breakfast has to be one of the hotel’s ace teams. Cheerful, smiling, unfailingly efficient.

 

Dinner: In today’s era of ever-changing food trends one is reminded in The Panorama Restaurant why fine dining is so very special in the correct skilled hands. The cooking here has a modern lightness firmly informed by classic tastes and savoir-faire. The polished service is smiling, discreet and deferential – a contemporary interpretation of tradition, a joy to experience.

 

In this room, each table has its own microclimate. This is a generously proportioned space with softly pitched lighting, no needless background music, just the gentle hum of individual parties cocooned in their own private enjoyment.

 

The Panorama Restaurant’s Dinner Menu is a model of seasonality and locally sourced food. Paudie Spillane’s seafood premises in Fossa is closer to The Europe Hotel & Resort than the town of Killarney, Chef Alex Nahke has been known to drop by Spillane’s early morning to make his selections.

 

The dinner experience starts with the arrival of two mini loaves of bread: Caraway Seed White Yeast, Guinness & Walnut and a freshly baked fluffy roll – these are accompanied by a swirl of Lemon & Chive Butter made with West Cork Glenilen Farm Butter and a top-quality Olive Oil. The Caraway seeds are a subtle nod to tradition – generations ago they were often added to soda bread.

 

The menu may include the first courses of scallops landed in Dingle and oysters from the clear waters of Cromane Peninsula. Turbot, Halibut and Seabass from the nearby Atlantic are regular main courses. In season, local Venison is of course included and throughout the year Sean Moriarty’s Angus Beef and Lamb from The Europe Hotel & Resort’s own farm. Vegan and Vegetarian choices have included Caramelised Parsnip Risotto and Dingle Goats Cheese Ravioli.

 

Wicklow, Cork, Kerry and Co Down feature on the Mature Irish Cheese Plate.

 

The dessert menu leads out with an Apple Brûlée with Calvados Caramel, followed closely by a pitch-perfect Hot Chocolate Fondant with Tia Maria & Coffee Ice Cream – making one’s selection is known to have caused bouts of indecision.

 

There is clearly a very special cellar deep below this temple of goodness – the wine list is world-class with value for money at its core.

 

The Brasserie is very conveniently just off the main lobby, it buzzes from 11.00 am to 11.00 pm. This is a place very much enjoyed by resort guests and locals alike. One could not be blamed for wondering if ‘half of Kerry is in there’ from the amount of friendly waving and greetings between tables. Again, there is a wonderful outdoor terrace with uninterrupted views of the lake and the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks.

 

Indeed, the views are stunning but the star in this room is the vast menu and the authenticity of the cooking.

 

At lunchtime, the rather understated Signature Brasserie Burger is a case in point .. first of all, the flavoursome perfectly seasoned beef is from the resort’s farm and the melting cheddar is none other than Hegarty’s Cork Cheddar – Supreme Champion of Irish Cheeses 2021. This continues throughout the menu a range of dishes including a Croque Monsieur worthy of the Champs-Élysées, The Europe Seafood Sandwich – a celebration of Kerry Seafood and crispy Beer-Battered Fried Fish & Chips. This is a Kerry Restaurant without a doubt with its four selections of potatoes.

 

The Evening Menu is introduced late afternoon. Dishes from far and wide abound. Whilst Burrata Bianca with Heirloom Tomatoes is hard to resist when dining on the Terrace, the Kerry Lamb Croquettes are firm favourites. There is a choice of three burgers including a Buttermilk Chicken Breast Burger. The grill offers Seán Moriarty’s Sirloin and Rib Steaks and a Rack of Lamb with Dauphinoise Potatoes. In all, the menu offers 16 main courses and 17 various sides! You are advised to plan to have the Brioche Bread & Butter Pudding with Chocolate & Raisin, Custard and Caramel Ice Cream, however, there are five other delicious choices.

At Riva, you could well imagine yourself in the Dolomites. Here Italian flavours abound. Riva at The Europe Hotel & Resort emphasises the resort experience of this wonderful hotel.

 

The Italian Pizzaiolo delights in making fresh pizzas to order. The scents of the rapidly baking dough waft out into the Kerry air. Margherita leads the choices with eight others. Listed toppings are many – Nduja Sausage, Gamberi, Quattro Formaggi, Parma Ham and Mozzarella. There are also Flat Bread & Fresh Pasta. Very reasonably priced light lunch dishes include an Antipasto Plate, Cozze sale e Pepe with fresh local mussels, a classic Caprese Salad & Calamari Alla Romano.

 

Dinner in Riva adds further tastes of the wider Mediterranean region. Bistecca Fiorentina, Vegan Moroccan Chickpea & Squash Stew served with Cous Cous, a Souvlaki of Pork with Tzatziki and Flatbreads, Catalan Seafood Stew – Zarzuela de Mariscos and Fresh Gnocchetti Sardi – Malloreddus Alla Campidanese with ground pork and pecorino cheese.

 

Italian, Greek, French and Spanish favourites await for dessert including a Chocolate Crema Catalana.

The Lounge is another of The Europe Hotel & Resort’s places of calm. An all-day menu of light snacks and sandwiches is ideal for that between time bite to eat. The Lounge is also a preferred place for whispered chats and a post-prandial drink after dinner in The Panorama Restaurant. A hotel with too many notions of itself (which The Europe Hotel & Resort does not have) might well label The Lounge a retiring room. This space benefits from the morning sun and has a wonderful flaming fire in the evening.

 

 

The Library a sanctuary of civility. Softly lit with endless shelves of knowledge. Discreet service will deliver your choice of drink, coffee or tea in moments.