Grove House is one of those old houses that captivates.
Well, if you’re into old houses with creaky wooden floors and antique furniture.
For those of you who prefer modern styles this may not be your spot.
But for those who appreciate worn wood, creaky stairways and houses with history, then you’ll love Grove House.
Location
One of the best things about Grove House is its fabulous location just a couple of blocks from the main street in town.
The house sits up on a hill and overlooks the Schull harbor so you have wonderful views.
It’s a short walk to the main street in town where you’ll find pubs, restaurants and shops along with the Centra market (a small supermarket).
Yet it’s just far enough away from the hubbub of town so it’s quiet and peaceful.
The best of both worlds which — for me — is a plus.
It’s also in an ideal location for making the drive around the Mizen Head peninsula which you can’t miss on your stay in this part of County Cork.
The view of Schull Harbor from the front of Grove House. Lovely!
Grove House on a gorgeous West Cork day!
Grove House is NOT a B&B
The one thing that I want to point out is that Grove House is not a B&B — bed and breakfast.
You won’t get breakfast each morning.
There’s a restaurant that serves dinner. I’ll get to this later.
But there is a common kitchen on the upper floor where the rooms are.
It has all the dishes and cookware you need to make your own breakfast, lunch or dinner.
There’s a refrigerator, a stove and a dishwasher — which is awesome!
And this kitchen is stocked with tea, coffee, sugar, milk and a few other basics such as oil, salt and pepper.
Because I’m not a huge breakfast eater I didn’t mind not having breakfast.
Also since I was traveling for several weeks, I liked being able to make my dinner — especially since I had a market nearby to get what I needed.
However I know many of you do want that typical B&B experience with the full Irish breakfast. So Grove House won’t be for you.
And that’s okay.
This kitchen is a wonderful spot to meet other guests. I met some incredibly friendly fellow travelers here.
One thing I want to point out is that my room was not cleaned daily. And while this is okay for me for a long-term stay I found it a bit unsettling that I had to ask to have someone come in to empty the trash and wipe up the bathroom a bit.
While dirty towels were easily exchanged for clean ones, the lack of coming into my room to tidy up a bit over the 10 day stay bothered me. It would have been nice to have someone come in at least every few days to empty the trash and perhaps clean the bathroom.
For shorter stays of a couple of nights, this isn’t going to be an issue.
The upstairs kitchen that guests share. It has all the modern conveniences and is a wonderful spot to meet other guests.
My room, the Ross Room, at Grove House. Beautiful room!
Rooms
Old world charm.
That’s how I would describe the rooms at Grove House.
They’re large, have good-sized bathrooms and loads of character with old wardrobes and desks.
The windows are large and have beautiful views – especially the rooms at the front of the house that overlook the harbor.
I stayed in the Ross Room and loved my room with its 3 big windows (2 facing the front), wooden wardrobe, writing desk next to one of the front-facing windows and the nice-sized bathroom.
For a 10-day stay for someone who also needed to do some work on her laptop, it was the perfect room.
There are 4 other rooms one of which has twin beds.
All the rooms are antique-filled, have en-suite bathrooms and have windows that bring in the lovely West Cork light.
The Ross Room, the room I stayed in for 10 nights. It has brilliant views out to Schull Harbor.
I loved that my room, Ross Room, had a desk for me to do my work. And I love all the light coming in the windows!
The Yeats Room, a twin, that was bright, warm and perfect for those needing twin beds.
Your host
Katarina Runske is the transplanted Swede that runs Grove House.
While not a native of Ireland, she has lived in this area for many years and is definitely a part of the Schull family.
And she is a wonderful person with a friendly smile and a willingness to share her favorite places in West Cork.
She’s also an amazing chef AND she runs Anna B’s Bookshop in town — so she is busy.
But if you need anything at all, she will help you out.
Katarina definitely gave me some good advice on things to see and do in the area.
Because she doesn’t serve breakfast, you may not see her in the mornings as you would a host at a B&B.
But never fear as she is typically somewhere nearby such as in her garden, the kitchen or at the bookshop.
The beautiful, fun and welcoming town of Schull.
Grove House Restaurant
Katarina’s passion is definitely her restaurant which is on the main floor of the house.
Dinner is served Monday through Saturday, spring through early autumn.
On Sundays they’re open for lunch until about 4pm. Check the website or contact Katarina to confirm hours.
I ate in the restaurant twice — and both times I had delicious meals.
The ingredients are local and fresh.
The dishes are simple with the tastes of the local meat, seafood, cheese and veggies coming through.
I had fresh asparagus as a starter one night that was cooked perfectly.
Prices are also very reasonable and portions are of a good-size without being overwhelming.
What I like best about Grove House restaurant is there is something for everyone — even vegetarians — and the wine list is pretty damn good!
The other aspect is that the restaurant has a warm and inviting ambiance to it. It’s a bit eclectic in style with the piano and even a cute summer dress hanging on the wall.
It extends out into the conservatory which is a bright, sun-filled room — when the sun is out. It is Ireland!
The main room at Grove House restaurant. I love the warm colors, eclectic style and the dress behind the piano! It has such a warmth to it. And Katarina’s food tops it all off!
Perfectly cooked asparagus at Grove House Restaurant. Yum!
This meal was delicious. I don’t remember which Irish whitefish this is, but the sauce was lemony and a bit creamy but not heavy. The veggies and potatoes where superb as well.
A lovely old home
As I mentioned in the beginning this is an old house.
And as an old house it’s going to have some quirks — which I find can be appealing or annoying — or both.
With tall ceilings it is a bit difficult to keep warm. So be prepared to be a bit cold if you choose to stay here.
There were a few mornings that I had trouble warming up as the heat is not running 24/7.
The heat was always on in the evenings but not so in the mornings.
This is the annoying part.
Floorboards creak and doors squeak.
This is the appealing aspect — at least for me.
I like accommodation that has character and that’s not “sterile.”
The common rooms are inviting with old photos, antique furniture, and an eclectic style.
There’s plenty of parking which is great.
And there are outdoor tables if you want to sit outside and take in the harbor view with a cup of tea or a glass of wine on a nice day.
Did I mention all the books?
The house is loaded with books — up and down the hallways and in some of the rooms.
If you’re an avid reader, you’ll probably find something to strike your fancy.
The sitting room at Grove House which is a lovely spot to sit and read, have tea or a glass of wine.
This is one of the bedrooms at Grove House. Even though this room doesn’t face the harbor it has lots of light — and there’s a wall of books opposite those windows (not pictured).
The verdict on Grove House
I would definitely recommend Grove House with a few caveats.
One is that I wouldn’t recommend it for those who want a traditional B&B — because this is not what it is and it doesn’t advertise itself as a bed and breakfast.
It’s a restaurant with rooms — and a common kitchen.
The other caveat is you aren’t going to have the daily cleaning and bed-making you’ll get from most B&B’s or guesthouses.
And this may be okay for you for a stay of a few nights.
In this way it’s a bit more like an Airbnb private room.
But the positives of Grove House outweigh these negatives.
The location really is fab.
The rooms are big, inviting and filled with character.
You’ll have access right down the stairway to an incredible restaurant for scrumptious dinners.
And you have your own kitchen to use.
Finally, Katarina will be there to offer up suggestions on where to go and what to do.
Grove House really is an excellent place to stay in West Cork.
This is part of a series I call Charming Places — a series in which I talk about the places I stay. From B&B’s, hotels and guesthouses to apartments and farm stays, I’ll give my honest thoughts on these spaces. I’ve found that the accommodation I choose to stay often directly affects how I feel about a particular destination. And how I connect with that location and its people. So I want to share these places with you by dishing out a bit of info and some of my opinions.
Disclaimer: I was a guest of Grove House so my stay was discounted. However all opinions are my own.
