Sometimes it’s nice to step away from all the hustle and bustle of daily life and retreat to a tranquil environment where you can relax while enjoying good fun and wine.
Temple Spa, in Horseleap, Moate, Co Westmeath is an adult only destination which revolves around the simple philosophy; eat healthy, drink wisely, and sleep well.
This philosophy can be found in every aspect of the Spa, including its restaurant.
The Green Room at Temple Spa has perfected the art of creating a comfortable and soothing atmosphere around healthy and delicious food.
This is the perfect location to retreat to if you’re fed up with the monotony of your usual Saturday night of rushing to a jam-packed restaurant where you’re against the clock to eat up before the next sitting arrives, and sent packing to the nearest pub afterwards where you sit uncomfortably for a couple of hours before heading home. Only to wake up the next morning feeling guilty about the previous night’s gluttony....
The Garden Room offers you something a little different.
We arrived at Temple Spa just before lights out for Earth Hour. The building was beautifully it by candlelight as we were led into the lounge area. Surrounded by comfy couches we were greeted by our waiter who asked us if we would like a drink; he then gave us our menu and allowed us ample time to go through it before taking our order.
The menu itself is wide-ranging yet simple, and surely caters for every taste. The French chef, who has a Michelin Star background has created a menu that can be best described as clean, fresh, and packed with flavour. There is a wide choice of low-fat, gluten- free, wheat-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian options.
The starters range from a delicious chicken liver parfait with red onion and blueberry compote to seared scallops wrapped in Black Forest ham and served with pea puree. And of course there is a freshly-made vegetable soup which is served piping hot and comes with a selection of breads for your choosing.
Between the starter and main course we were served an apple cider sorbet which was beautifully refreshing, and cleansed the palate before the main course.
There is a wide selection of mains including a lamb shank confit stuffed with wild mushroom mousse, seared sea bass and scallops on home-made tagliatelle, pan-fried chicken breast, and a mouth-watering char-grilled Irish beef fillet.
At no time during the meal were we rushed or plagued by our waiter, who instead left us to enjoy the good food and beautiful dinning room which is comfortable, atmospheric, and non-invasive.
For those with a sweet tooth there are delicious homemade desserts on offer including a highly recommended Bailey’s creme brulee and a seasonal fruit platter which comes with a zingy fruit sorbet.
It’s all about the extra touches at The Garden Room, from the comfortable lounge to the table settings, to the beautifully presented food and ample portions.
Everyone deserves to get away from it all from time to time. The Temple Spa surely offers you a self-indulgent atmosphere to allow you leave your worries at home and enjoy some good food and company.
