Girlfriends, glam and gourmet - Inside our sophisticated hen party at Cork's Fota Island Resort
'You get to a stage where a spa, culinary weekend beats fake willy straws and overrated cocktails. We had exhausted those boozy affairs in our 20’s and for the next chapter of celebratory weekends, five-star luxury beckoned.'
Step up our classy hen party at Fota Island Resort. My best girlfriends from school were after a bit of glam and reprieve from the corporate and mammy world to celebrate one of our best friends getting married.
We opted for sophistication and rented a house on the Fota Island Resort to wine dine and relax together in front of the fire. Since our teens, my group of girlfriends have been obsessed with dining. So a foodie experience was a big draw and the Cove fine dining at Fota Island Resort is a mecca for foodies.
You get to a stage where a spa, culinary weekend beats fake willy straws and overrated cocktails. We had exhausted those boozy affairs in our 20’s and for the next chapter of celebratory weekends, five-star luxury beckoned.
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If you are after zen vibes, great food, a state-of-the-art spa, and the most beautiful subtropical climate Fota Island Resort in Cork is your only man.
The luxury self-catering lodges are just perfect whether you are a group of girls, golfers or a family searching for the great escape. The lodges ooze class, situated in a beautiful private estate with stunning views of Fota. The fully equipped kitchen meant we didn’t have to leave our pad and had a few nice girly meals in.
We treated ourselves to the hotel culinary experiences of course. The hotel restaurant serves the most swanky lunch, round booths offering a New York vibe.
We had salads and fries to save our appetite for the nighttime tasting menu. The White Ballycotton crab, green apple, buttermilk foam is just gorgeous with fries for a light lunch.
The super thing is as a lodge resident we had full access to the leisure facilities, the spa, the indoor swimming pool and fully equipped gym. After a swim at the peaceful pool (not a child in sight), it was time to prepare for the piece de resistance, the tasting menu.
The Cove restaurant is something to behold at Fota, fine dining at its best and smart attire is required. We are ushered into a stunning alcove and a tasting menu paired with the most delicious wines is served. As such we are keen to try this delectable menu.
Dressed up to the nines we pose for a snap before heading to the restaurant.
The Cove is intimate fine dining drawing on fine local and foraged ingredients in the heart of East Cork. The Cove experience is all about celebrating the produce of this authentically food-rich, food-focused part of the country.
A luxurious and intimate dining experience using local produce showcasing some of the region’s talented and dedicated artisan producers.
With its own wine cellar, the sommeliers at The Cove have curated wine pairings designed to complement the flavours of the food which use ingredients foraged by the Head Chef on Fota Island. We are in heaven.
Amuse Bouche to begin, next it’s Murphy’s Red Ale bread. Handcrafter Lough Hyne Salt Rossmore native oysters slip down too easily. Goatsbridge trout caviar, apple yuzu all sound so posh but are so melt in the mouth and are local to the region. Scallops are up next, followed by a mushroom or in posh nosh language Shitake with homemade black pudding and egg yolk.
My favourite is the Celtic sea halibut served with Ballintubber Farm Vegetables. Austrian Country Cork Venison shortcrust is up next followed by Carrigaline Smoked Cheese. Desert is a chocolate slice with Honeycomb with salted caramel ice cream.
This menu suited our needs as we wanted to treat ourselves. The portions are perfect for the ultimate tasting experience.
The beauty of the luxury cottages is you have the freedom to explore the resort, but still have a girly weekend feel at the luxury lodges.
The spa treatments at Fota are a must too and once you step inside one of the 18 treatment rooms it’s a complete switch off. The Urban Longevity Facial was ideal for me to tackle dullness, dehydration, and expression wrinkles by using AHA acids and different masks depending on your skin's condition.
My therapist used a combination of skin regimen natural aroma, Macro Waves Sound, and massage techniques such as unique Qigong and Rolling Roullage, it was fabulous.
I love Voya products used at Fota. Voya are experts in seaweed bathing and organic skincare. Using cutting-edge marine-based science, combines sustainable innovation with a respect for tradition. VOYA takes pride in authentic heritage and hand-harvesting this local resource from the fresh waters of the Atlantic coast.
The relaxing heated mosaic loungers were a big hit with us and we almost napped here! For me the hydrotherapy pool, walking river, outdoor sauna and thermal suite were world-class.
But Wildlife Fota Park is a stone's throw away from the resort as is Cork city. But for us ladies who love to lunch, Fota Island resort screams pure perfection.
For more information see www.fotaisland.ie.
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