Funny review on tripadvisor for castle Leslie estate in Monaghan: :pac:
Had a very open mind when visiting Leslie..friends and media and tripadvisor reviews were all very positive and I wasn't expecting or had particularly wanted the 'Country House & Spa' luxury treatment . Unfortunately Castle Leslie is priced up there if even higher than the best. I accept that it was August bank holiday weekend when we visited and was prepared to pay high rates and put up with overworked staff and busy kitchens etc. I was looking forward to splashing out for 'something eccentirc and very different from the usual country house retreat' which i was lead to believe Castle Leslie was according to reviews and their own literature .
However I was not prepared for the following:
(1)Pressing an intercom on arrival and being greeted with 'Hello Castle Leslie' by a very friendly but inexperienced spotty teenager who didn't even know when the house( which is not that old) was built!
(2)It's guests (that weekend anyway) were mostly young people from Northern Ireland (I suppose sterling exchange makes it seem less of a rip off) dressed in Topman and Ben Sherman outfits..lots of Grant Mitchell lookalikes. ( I got a little nervous as i pulled into the carpark in front of the house which was cluttered with blingy SUVs and BMW's with tinted windows.) I thought that I was arriving at one of those new 'G Hotel' places.
(3) I would have loved a GnT before dinner but all they had was 'Beer or Wine' as I was told by a delightful wee teenage girl with orthodontic braces.!! Some guests were drinking Budweiser from bottles in the main reception room!
(4)We opted for the surprise menu (upgrade from 52 euro to 60 euro at you peril) and also the surprise wine menu(24 euro). I am shocked at the reviews about Leslie's fabulous food . My companion was brought 'Pistachio (sic) of Venision' ...We forgave the waiter (strong local accent) this one for it was the poor spotty teenager who greeted us so specially at the front door who was later doubling up as one of our many waiters. Why do chefs still serve venision in Summer? My scallops were lovely but the wine chosen for me arrived with my scallops now gone cold and it was a big red Bordeaux (with scallops) hmm..??? very eccentric indeed Leslie.
Nice little amuse bouches and what- have - you's to follow but then arrived a stinking plate of 'gone off unseasonal venison' as my main course! I love my game 'high' but this was awful ..it was tough so not hung properly ,smelled like Tesco's reduced Value chicken just as its turning. At this stage I was't even going to complain as I was tired and disappointed. I have to admire the middle aged lady who immediately spotted my sadness (perhaps it was the stink of rotten defrosted deer meat) and immediately removed my plate and asked me what would I like ..She was so nice that I felt compelled to continue with the 'surprise menu' ...the food and wine ,port sand coffee that followed was fine if unremarkable. The dining room is beautiful and has a lovely atmosphere but let down by inconsistent food and untrained staff on this occasion..what a pity..(The sort of food Mr Fearnley Whittingstall cooks up would be amazing in such a setting..)
(4) Off to bed then..very comfy with unpretentious blankets but would have expected higher quality non repro antiques (again to match the price charged). Lovely having no TV and phone and very quiet too..HOWEVER what is inexcusable was the dirty toilet...I love Shabby Chic but this was altogether downright laziness and unhygienic..dried brown splashes around the rim !!! And it doesn't take much to use a little carpet shampoo as the room had been recently decorated. ( Note no lockable doors either or had they just forgot to give us a key..it didn't bother us but some may find this strange esp. with all the SUV.blacked out window BMW's outside.)
(5) I still was willing to forgive Leslie all this until breakfast...Pancakes tasted of greenmould..juices possibly from ASDA and my cooked breakfast was a 'poached' egg that was basically just a dry overcooked mess something a student would attempt after a night on the town..Again I couldn't complain to anyone as the only person on wait was another smily teenager who couldn't be expected to take responsibility for such an awful fare.. ( Subsequently the same girl ,Irish and local accent,informed me that it would take 3 hours to get to Maherfelt from Leslie..it took 45 mins!!!)
Again all this 'quirkiness' (I am trying to be nice here) would be welcome change ,funny and perfectly acceptable for 100 euro a night (at a push) but we had little change of 500 euro for 1 night at Leslie...AND NOBODY EVEN SAID GOODBYE TO US..HAVE THEY NO MANNERS IN MONAGHAN.?
..No wonder Jack can afford to be off in Italy (laughing at his silly guests) for 6 weeks ....I suggest he put some of these high rates back into training his very young staff and keeping the place reasonably clean... Please don't get me wrong.. I love muck and wellies and dust and shabiness as long as its all in the name of authenticity and heritage but Leslie is just a very expensive ,dirty hotel you might come accross on a Victorian sea front in Torquay in the 1970's.!!!!
TLDR - jumped up twat comments on spotty teenagers and lovely girls but they have braces in discust.
I wish the world was rid of vermon like this
