Restaurant at Nuremore

For many guests at this classic country-house hotel in the rolling Monaghan countryside, the name of the game is golf. That's hardly surprising since it is home to one of Ireland's premier league championship courses, but it is also a swanky bolt-hole for anyone who's up for a bit of downtime in the luxurious spa, or simply tinkering about in its acres of parkland. And then there's the gastronomic treat in store in the restaurant, a sober venue with a split-level layout that means everyone gets great views across the gardens and lake. The man directing the culinary endeavours is head chef Ray McArdle, who brings an impressive pedigree to the job, and keeps his team's know-how up to speed by sending them for stints in top London kitchens. It is a wise tactic, as the food arriving on the table is creative, contemporary stuff, with a fondness for modish treatments involving sous-vide cooking and low-temperature poaching, backed up by sharp classical technique. No corners are cut here, and meticulous attention to detail shows in expert butchery and bakery, which is all done in-house. Tight-lipped menu descriptions don't give much away: to start, smoked belly pork arrives crisp and caramelised with perfectly seared scallops seasoned with coral dust, a sauté of wild mushrooms, and sweetcorn purée; next comes a modern take on a mixed grill of new season lamb, bringing together a herb-crusted rack with lamb sausage, seared sweetbreads, buttery garlic mash, black olive jelly and minted lamb jus. Finally, lemon cheesecake sounds simple, but the title belies the work that goes into a virtuoso dish including cubes of lemongrass jelly, strawberry and hibiscus sorbet, and lemon curd.