Restaurant review: With a few tweaks The Old Bank could be Michelin-starred in a few years

The Old Bank Ferrero is a monster chocolate and hazelnut bombe — and check out the swish cocktail bar here too

The Old Bank was the talk of the town even before it opened as local man Michael Ryan, erstwhile property developer and stud farm millionaire, opened his war chest for an extensive makeover of the handsome Bridge House — a 19th-century Palladian edifice that casts a patrician eye on the Dungarvan’s delightful harbour.

On launch day, in October 2019, all and sundry agreed the restoration was of the highest order, no expense spared in creating stylish, salubrious interior spaces while respecting entirely the heritage building’s historical and architectural integrity. The superbly equipped kitchen is one of the best in the country and the restaurant’s Al Eile Farm, a few miles out the road, provides fresh produce.