Afternoon Tea at Eala Bhan

I was delighted to be given the opportunity to sample Eala Bhan's delightful Afternoon Tea today along with my mum. The award-winning Eala Bhan is one of my favourite restaurants in Sligo town, situated beside the Garavogue river. I've eaten here a few times before for lunch and have never been disappointed but as their Afternoon Tea is relatively new to the menu I was excited to try it - I do love a good Afternoon Tea. 

Immediately upon arrival a lovely waitress was quick to hold the door open for us and show us to our table, perfectly situated in front of the window and overlooking the river. One of my favourite things about the restaurant is the decor - it's beautiful in its simplicity and would impress anyone visiting with the selection of W.B. Yeats poem extracts on the wall and the soft lighting woven through the dividing curtains - making it ideal for a quiet, romantic dinner or lunch.

When we were seated we were offered tea or coffee (served in the most adorable china) and a complimentary glass of Prosecco to start us off. We were then presented with the most delicious amuse-bouche of courgette and butternut squash soup - I could've eaten a whole pot. Soon after our waitress and Anthony Gray, the owner of Eala Bhan, carried over three 3-tiered stands piled high with sandwiches, cakes and confectionery. Everything was so beautifully presented and lovingly made I almost felt bad eating it - almost. We didn't know where to start so we decided to sample the sandwiches first. There was a generous selection of fillings including salmon and cream cheese, smoked ham and cheddar, goat's cheese and pepper and a scrumptious chicken and pesto. The sandwiches were served on a selection of different breads; soda bread, bagels and wholemeal bread. 

I started getting full very quickly but of course I had to try some of the sweets on offer: cookies, macaroons, chocolates, cheesecake, marshmallows and scones were among the selection, all locally sold at Le Fournil in Tobergal Lane, Sligo. I had a bit of everything and they were all absolutely decadent. The cookies and the macaroons were my favourites. 

We were so full we couldn't eat half of it but the lovely waitress was happy to package up our leftovers so we could enjoy them at home, a nice touch considering I didn't want to waste a bite of the delicious food.

It was genuinely one of the most impressive things I've had the pleasure of eating and I'd highly recommend the Afternoon Tea for anyone celebrating a birthday, special event or just if you want to treat yourself with something different - why not!

A big thank you to Anthony and all at Eala Bhan for being so accommodating and letting me come along. Check out Eala Bhan on Facebook and their website.