Fodor's Expert Review Mustard Seed at Echo Lodge

This is the small country hotel of your dreams: a Victorian yellow-stucco jewel set atop a small hill overlooking Ballingarry, a village that time forgot, deep in rural Ireland, yet only 13 km (8 miles) southwest of Adare. And if you take the trouble of getting off the beaten tourist trail here, you'll be rewarded by being pampered. What was once the parish priest's imposing house has been decorated with flair and wit, placing Chinese inlaid lacquer cabinets and Georgian satinwood wardrobes in the beautifully furnished bedrooms. But for all its finery, this is a fun, down-to-earth place. Much of the food served in the restaurant is produced in the 7 acres of gardens, so the kids can have fun collecting eggs for tomorrow's breakfast.