Page 328 - Lonely Planet Europe’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

Eating & Sleeping

piW) Belfast’s most flamboyant Victorian
Dublin 1 building (the old Ulster Bank head office)
has been converted into the city’s most
5 Fade Street Social Modern Irish €€ flamboyant boutique hotel, a fabulous fusion
(%01-604 0066; www.fadestreetsocial.com; 4-6 of contemporary styling and old-fashioned
Fade St; mains €19-32, tapas €5-12; h12.30- elegance, with individually decorated rooms.
10.30pm Mon-Fri, 5-10.30pm Sat & Sun; W; Luxe leisure facilities at its gymnasium and
gall city centre) Two eateries in one, courtesy spa include an eight-person rooftop hot tub. Its
of renowned chef Dylan McGrath: at the front, restaurant, Great Room (mains £19.50-28.50;
the buzzy tapas bar, which serves up gourmet h7am-11pm), is magnificent.
bites from a beautiful open kitchen. At the back,
the more muted restaurant specialises in Irish
cuts of meat – from veal to rabbit – served with Giant’s Causeway 3
home grown, organic vegetables. There’s a bar International ££
IRELAND 23 THE LONG WAY ROuND
upstairs too. Reservations suggested. 5 55 Degrees North
(%028-7082 2811; www.55-north.com; 1
4 Westbury Hotel Hotel €€€ Causeway St; mains £10-19; h12.30-2.30pm
(%01-679 1122; www.doylecollection.com; & 5-8.30pm Mon-Fri, to 9pm Sat, noon-8.30pm
Grafton St; r/ste from €240/360; piW; gall Sun; vc) Floor-to-ceiling windows allow you
city centre) Tucked away just off Grafton St is to soak up a spectacular panorama of sand
one of the most elegant hotels in town, although and sea from this stylish restaurant. The food
you’ll need to upgrade to a suite to really feel concentrates on clean, simple flavours.
the luxury. The standard rooms are perfectly
comfortable but not really of the same theme as
the luxurious public space – the upstairs lobby Dunfanaghy 4
is a great spot for afternoon tea or a drink.
5 Cove Modern Irish €€
(%074-913 6300; www.thecoverestaurant
Belfast 2 donegal.com; off N56, Rockhill, Port-na-Blagh;
dinner mains €17-25; h1-4pm Sun, 6.30-9pm
5 Ginger Bistro ££ Tue-Sun Jul & Aug, shorter hours rest of year,
(%028-9024 4421; www.gingerbistro.com; 6-8 closed Jan–mid-Mar) Owners Siobhan Sweeney
Hope St; mains lunch £10-12.50, dinner £16-24; and Peter Byrne are perfectionists who tend to
h5-9pm Mon, noon-3pm & 5-9.30pm Tue-Thu, every detail in Cove’s art-filled dining room, and
noon-3pm & 5-10pm Fri & Sat; v) Ginger is on your plate. The cuisine is fresh and inventive.
cosy and informal, but its food is anything Seafood specials are deceptively simple with
but ordinary – the flame-haired owner/chef subtle Asian influences. After dinner, enjoy the
(hence the name) really knows what he’s doing, elegant lounge upstairs. Book ahead.
sourcing top-quality Irish produce and creating
exquisite dishes such as tea-smoked duck
breast with ginger and sweet-potato puree. Sligo Town 5
4 Merchant Hotel Hotel £££ 5 Lyons Cafe Modern European €
(%028-9023 4888; www.themerchanthotel. (%071-914 2969; www.lyonscafe.com; Quay
com; 16 Skipper St; d/ste from £200/300; St; mains €7-15; h9am-6pm Mon-Sat) Sligo’s

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