I LOVE chocolate. That is my truth. I try to always eat dessert first because I might die before dessert is served. Raise your hands if you feel the same! I missed multiple opportunities to buy and eat chocolate in Killarney due to my tight schedule and I regret it. That means I’ll need to return to shop and eat. I always choose chocolate but then I was introduced to this strawberry dessert and I was not prepared for how good it was.

The ice cream was basil based and I couldn’t imagine what it would taste like but it was rich, as Irish ice cream is, but also light. The fruit was raspberries and they were the right combination for the ice cream. It was sweet and savory and a perfect accompaniment to the strawberry dessert.

Puff pastry with a layer of sweet, rich, egg-based custard so firm it could almost stand by itself then topped with plump strawberries and a clear glaze. WOW. Each bite of the strawberry dessert was a new surprise. The first bite was strawberry then custard then pastry. The next was cream then pastry and ended with strawberry. The addition of a spoonful of the ice cream elevated to a new level! The sweetness of the strawberry dessert was tempered with the basil in the ice cream and the firm iciness of the raspberries seemed to be waiting on the custard. This was so wonderful I asked for another and I enjoyed it just as much. Yes, I ate two desserts and I have no shame.

Where’d it come from? It was another hit from the Gleneagle Hotel! Ireland is doing ALL the right things when it comes to food. The parings were surprising and consistently delicious and must be a destination for all of you food adventurers reading this. Add this dessert, plus chocolate, as another reason to visit Killarney.

Who’s ready to go?