December 2015
Myrtle and Ivan Allen opened Ballymaloe House, their home, to the public as a restaurant in 1964 and later as a Hotel. This historic Irish country house is located in beautiful East Cork (southern Ireland) and is still managed by the Allen family and continues to be celebrated internationally as the home of Irish Country cuisine and warm hospitality.
Condé Nast Traveller Magazine has acknowledged Ballymaloe House hotel and restaurant on their Gold List, and it was the only Irish venue on this prestigious list of the World’s top 100 hotels. The McKenna Guide 2018 listed Ballymaloe House as one of Ireland's 100 Best Restaurants. The Ballymaloe House restaurant continues to receive International recognition as home to the best modern Irish cuisine.
Set deep in a 300-acre farm, the menus are written daily around the seasonal vegetables grown on the farm just as Mrs. Allen always did. Although times have changed, the essential spirit of Ballymaloe House and Castle is rooted in the relationship from the farm to the table which underlies the elegance of Irish Country House cooking.
