[Review] The Eddison, Dylan Hotel, Eastmoreland Place, Dublin 4

The 5* Dylan Hotel, located just off Upper Baggot Street has recently had a significant refresh. The vibrant jewel colours and velvets of the Celtic Tiger era are gone, replaced by a sleek and stylish modern interior full of light and wood which suits the gorgeous redbrick exterior. The original building was built in 1901 as a home for nurses from the nearby Royal City of Dublin Hospital. Miss Edith Anne Eddison held the position of Matron from 1909 - 1917, during which she oversaw the treatment of soldiers and casualties from the 1916 Easter Rising, and the revamped Eddison Restaurant is named in her honour. 

The dining room itself is absolutely stunning with bright white walls, sage green seating and a eye-catching plant installation at the far end. The room whispers that good things happen here, and I gladly settle in on the comfortable seats with an excellent gin martini from the adjacent Ruby's Room bar. The stated focus of Chef Paul Quinn is to create food which is seasonal, fresh, Irish and clean, and this is reinforced by the menu which changes monthly to take full advantage of seasonal ingredients.

Pre-dinner martini at the Eddison

[Review] Samphire at the Garryvoe Hotel, Garryvoe, Co Cork

UPDATE: The Garryvoe Hotel has undergone extension renovations since the writing of this review.

Over the last couple of years, we have developed a habit of booking ourselves into a hotel for Good Friday. It's usually a day off from work, so we can usually head to the hotel early and relax for day. Staying as a hotel resident means that we can bypass all the Good Friday palaver that grips the country and finally, it's a chance to relax before spending some quality time with the family. In fairness, it's an all round, win-win situation. 

This year, we were in Cork for a family wedding, so we chose Garryvoe Hotel as our destination. We made sure to book a front-facing sea view room, which turned out to be a good idea in the fresh and bright Spring weather. What wasn't such a good idea was leaving a bag of ice in the car boot for a few hours, but there was still enough left to chill our pre-dinner cocktail. (Yes, I am one of those people who is so particular about their alcohol that I bring my own).

Our overnight package included a 3 course dinner in Samphire restaurant, under the command of Chef Kevin O'Sullivan. A wild mushroom chowder with tarragon cream was deceptively simple but revealed some rich and meaty flavours. Pan seared Castletownbere scallops were served with corals still attached (I'm sure I've said before how much I love the coral of a scallop) along with sweet potato puree and samphire.

Castletownbere scallops with sweet potato and samphire

Wild mushroom chowder

The main courses continued to deliver more of the same big, strong flavours. Seared monkfish on the bone came with a generous portion of shellfish flavoured risotto, with fennel, orange and rocket salad. A tender piece of slow cooked beef short rib was accompanied by a riot of parmesan potato puree, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, wild mushroom fricassee and a Madeira reduction. But somehow it all worked.

Monkfish on the bone with shellfish risotto

Short-rib of beef with wild mushroom fricassee and asparagus

A selection of Irish cheese was just perfect, accompanied by a pressed fig and almond slice, while the house variation on the classic Tiramisu involved a mini shot of Irish coffee. Thankfully, a brisk walk outside in the cold night air under the bright moon helped kickstart our digestion before an early bedtime. 

Selection of Irish cheeses

Tiramisu with Irish coffee shot

Service throughout our dinner, and indeed the entire stay, was welcoming and refreshingly honest and local. Because it was the Easter weekend, the hotel was literally full of families taking advantage of the Easter break offers. A screening of a children's film in the evening kept the kids occupied, but in the morning, the dining room was packed with families having the usual breakfast breakdowns. But even in the face of all this bedlam, the servers kept their cool and dealt with it all with grace. They were a real credit to the hotel.

Garryvoe Hotel, Garryvoe, Co Cork

Tel: + 353 (0)21 464 6718

URL: www.garryvoehotel.com

Twitter: @Garryvoehotel

[Review] Tankardstown House and Brabazon Restaurant, Slane, Co Meath

Ever since I first visited Tankardstown House back in 2011, I have been waiting to return. I had fallen in love with the 18th century manor house and the old stables which had been converted into self-catering cottages. On our first visit, we really enjoyed our dinner in Brabazon restaurant, but since then Chef Rob Krawczyk has reputedly turned up the heat in the Brabazon kitchen and I was keen to investigate. 

We arrived on a bright Sunday afternoon and following check-in, we immediately headed to the honour bar to watch the Irish Six Nations match. We weren't alone in this idea as several other couples were also in the bar, pouring their own drinks and cheering on the men in green. Following the match, we walked outside to our stableyard cottage to relax before dinner. The cottages are really finished to the highest standards with lovely sofas and chairs, fitted kitchens with Belfast sinks, a Nespresso machine and the loveliest bedrooms tucked in under the eaves. For a few extra Euro, we could have upgraded to a room in the main house, which I'm sure would have been just beautiful, but I was delighted with our cosy cottage.

Interior of our cottage at Tankardstown 

Kitchen area in our Tankardstown cottage

Having a pre-dinner drink

Drawing room at Tankardstown House

Our stay at Tankardstown was courtesy of a Pigsback.com voucher which included a 5 course dinner at Brabazon. This turned out to be based on the 7 course Tasting Menu from Land & Sea, so we definitely got to experience a wide range of the cooking on offer. We started with an amuse bouche of light-as-air pork crackling, followed by crusty mini-loaves of home-made bread with smoked butter. 

Amuse of crackling at Brabazon

Selection of breads

A starter of scallops, sand, seaweed and gold oxtail vinaigrette was beautiful to behold and exquisite to eat. The scallops were cooked to absolute perfection and were the star of the show, supported by the delicate flavour of the oxtail. Beef tartar was innovatively flavoured with smoky, mineral charcoal and served with pickled shallots, hen's egg and watercress. 

Scallops, sand, seaweed and gold oxtail vinaigrette

Beef tartar with pickled shallots, hens egg, charcoal and watercress

Both our main courses featured pastry in one form or another and both were perfectly suited to a menu that was waving goodbye to the end of winter. A perfectly pink piece of trimmed hay-smoked duck breast came with a Wellington, charred leeks, parsnip and a plentiful drift of artistic snow. My only complaint was that I would have liked the duck fat to have been slightly more rendered.  His pork loin was gently spiced and served with a little pithivier, burnt apple and sunchoke (also known as Jerusalem artichoke) and some fermented cabbage. 

Hay smoked duck breast with Wellington, parsnip, leeks and duck jus

Spiced pork loin, pork pie, burnt apple and sunchoke, fermented cabbage and granola

A chocolate parfait and crispy chocolate lattice was restrained from too much sweetness by the use of 70% chocolate, olive oil and yogurt. If you haven't already tried it, the pairing of dark chocolate, salt and olive oil is one of life's treasures. I really enjoyed the use of textures in this dessert, making it about more than sweetness and taste. A 20 minute wait was required for the creme fraiche soufflé which came served in the now-mandatory tea-cup. It was a perfectly made soufflé, with the typical buttery sugar crust, but the creme fraiche flavour just didn't really come through for me. The preserved blackberry sorbet was the highlight. A little plate of petits fours followed, with my favourite being the toffee in a clever edible cellophane wrapper. 

Parfait and lattice of chocolate, yogurt, honey, olive oil, rose petals and pistachio crumb

Creme fraiche soufflé with preserved blackberry sorbet

Petits Fours

The next morning, we woke up to a light scattering of snow, which made the Tankardstown grounds look even more beautiful. Breakfast is served in Brabazon, but this time it was full of bright daylight, rather than the intimate atmosphere of the previous night. A buffet offering is available, and this is supplemented by a selection of fresh-cooked items. A portion of scrambled eggs and smoked salmon was perfect for a Monday morning before we packed up and headed back to Dublin for a late working start. 

Morning sunlight in Brabazon restaurant

Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs

Chef Robbie Krawczyk smokes his own meats and makes charcuterie to be served at Tankardstown, (his father is an experienced charcutier making it a family tradition), so I must admit that I was a little disappointed not to get some charcuterie in our meal or at breakfast. It seems a bit of an omission to leave out something that is individual to to Krawczyk and Brabazon. 

Tankardstown House was every bit as charming and gracious as I remember from our first visit. Every aspect of the main house has been beautifully restored and the tempting honour bar ensures that guests feel relaxed and at ease. Robbie Krawczyk's clever and artistic food definitely merits a visit to Tankardstown, and the Brabazon gin bar will ensure that you float to sleep in your comfortable bed. 

Absolutely recommended for a gourmet break and relaxation.

Tankardstown House, Slane, Co Meath
Tel: +353 (0)41 982 4621
URL: www.tankardstown.ie
Twitter: @Tankardstown

[Review] The Old Convent, Clogheen, Co Tipperary

Things often never go to plan, which is why we were late leaving Dublin and why we subsequently found ourselves deep in the Tipperary countryside stuck behind a tractor with a trailer-full of round bales. As a farmer's daughter, the "stuck behind a tractor" is a story I've used many times to explain tardiness, but this time I wasn't trying to dodge my mother's ire. Instead, we were trying to arrive in time for dinner at the Old Convent in Clogheen.

The Old Convent (photo by Joleen Cronin)

Snuggled is a very cute word, not one I use too often, but I really can't think of a better way to describe the closeness of the Old Convent to the Knockmealdown Mountains. The austere lifestyle of the Sisters of Mercy has given way to a gourmet retreat, under the ownership of Dermot and Christine Gannon. From the minute that you set foot on the classic black and white tiled floor, everything has been thought of. The individual bedrooms are beautifully decorated, and unoccupied rooms are left open for a sneak peek. In fact, there's even a treat room, stocked with teas, coffees, snacks, toiletries, books and DVDs. 

Our bedroom at the Old Convent

We were staying overnight on a Hideaway Summer Special, which included an overnight B&B stay plus an 8 course artisan Irish tasting dinner  for €250. After a quick refresh upstairs, we descended for a pre-dinner drink and a chance to relax. Thanks to an earlier wine tasting, there were more wines available by the glass than usual, giving us a little extra to choose from. 

One by one, the various couples were taken into the dining room, which was the former chapel of the convent, and still has several stained glass windows. We would be dining from the Chef's tasting menu, normally costing €65 per head. 

Table setting at the Old Convent

Connemara smokehouse salmon tartare, Goatsbridge trout caviar, creme fraiche, beetroot & smoked almonds

Butternut squash veloutee, cep oil and smoked sea salt

Crowe Brothers rare breed barbecue pork, Crozier blue, poached pear, candied pecans

Lemongrass and marscapone sorbet, pineapple pickle, black sesame

Nenagh Hereford Aga roast beef, confit potatoes, Ballyhoura shitake mushroom puff pastry, veal jus

Lemon curd, raspberries and flamed meringue

'Cacao Berry' chocolate pot, Irish Cream ice-cream, crushed hazelnuts

Tea/coffee with strawberry pecan fudge

Our meal started with a picture perfect glass of Connemara smokehouse salmon tartare topped with bright Goatsbridge trout caviar and edible flowers. The use of vividly coloured flowers continued throughout the meal, adding a touch of whimsy and prettiness. The Crowe Brothers rare breed pork dish could have done without the heavily spiced pear but otherwise was a masterclass in how to cook pork. The cleansing lemongrass sorbet was one of the best courses I've ever enjoyed, intensified by the pineapple pickle and crunchy black sesame seeds. Nenagh Hereford beef was simply superb, barely requiring a steak knife. I ventured on with a sharp lemon curd, but I eventually admitted defeat with the exquisitely rich cacao pot. 

Afterwards, we ventured out into the beautiful grounds for an evening walk to cool ourselves down and start the digestion. It never really gets dark in the country during the summer months, and we could still see the dark shapes of the Knockmealdown mountains watching over us. To the rear of the house, the chickens were cooped up for the night, hopefully safe from neighbourhood foxes and minks.

Salmon tartare with trout caviar

Butternut squash veloutee with cep oil

Rare breed pork with Crozier blue and pecans

Lemongrass and marscapone sorbet

Nenagh roast beef with shitake mushroom puff

Lemon curd with flamed meringue

Cacao pot with Irish Cream ice-cream

We slept with all windows open in an effort to keep some cool air moving through our bedroom, and we awoke to the delighted crows of the cockerel. The usual eating rules don't apply when away from home, so I was looking forward to a generous breakfast, despite still feeling pretty full. And the breakfast experience definitely didn't disappoint. 

Fresh granola, yogurt and local apple juice started us off, while we waited for our cooked breakfasts. We had both chosen the boar breakfast, a variation on the Full Irish which uses local boar-based products, with the sausages deserving particular praise for being juicy and succulent. A plate of toasted farmhouse breads would have provided enough sustenance to see a man clear through to evening, but the overkill came in the form of a little sampler of buttermilk pancakes. These were airily light, capable of flying out through the window, topped with strawberries and lemon. 

The boar breakfast fry

Buttermilk waffles with strawberries and lemon

A selection of homemade toasted breads

The sunshine of the previous day had disappeared behind grey clouds and occasional rain, but that didn't stop us from taking another walk around the grounds. This time the chickens were out in their run, strutting their stuff and occasionally dropping an egg. A trio of rescue donkeys live in a paddock towards the rear, and Christine was keeping an eye on the pregnant females, who were all expecting at the same time thanks to the adventures of a randy rescue male donkey. 

The Old Convent is a perfect little oasis, suitable for a restful weekend or a romantic interlude. Dermot is a chef who passionately cooks with the finest of local and Irish ingredients, while Christine is an attentive and considerate hostess. This lovely couple have crafted something really special and they transfer that passion to their guests. I've heard that it can be hard to get a reservation at The Old Convent, and now I understand why. A perfect gourmet hideaway.

The Old Convent, Clogheen, Co Tipperary
Tel: +353 (0)52 746 5565
URL: www.theoldconvent.ie
Twitter: @TheOldConvent

[Review] The Step House Hotel, Borris, Co Carlow

Something miraculous happens in Ireland when the sun shines. Our collective mood lifts, farmers start to haul machinery and round silage bales and the perfume of forced BBQs rises from suburbia. After all, Irish people are natural weather skeptics and we firmly believe in the adage of making hay while the sun shines. After all, it could be hailstones and business as usual again tomorrow.

Getting out of Dublin on a sunny Friday evening would test the patience of a saint, but the promise of weekend sunshine does much to temper the experience. We were heading south to Borris in Co Carlow, where we would be the guests of the Step House Hotel for their "Taste of Friday - Dine & Stay" offer. It's easy to find the Step House (it's located right on the main street after all) and we were soon parked outside. 

One warm welcome later, we were checked in and given our directions for the night. Upstairs, our elegant bedroom was large with diffused sunshine flooding in from outside. The best part though was the Juliet large balcony outside with views over the garden and surrounding countryside. With nothing but blue skies in sight, you could pretend that you were in some magnificent palazzo in Italy. All that was missing was a bottle of something cold and bubbly. 

Our spacious and elegant bedroom

View from our room's balcony

As part of the dinner experience, guests are invited down to the richly decorated and luxurious Cocktail Lounge for an aperitif prior to being seated in The Cellar dining room. As some guests were running a little late, this gave us time to have an extra aperitif (or two) in the sunshine.

Beautiful interior at the Step House

The Cocktail Lounge

Aperitif to start the Friday relaxation

Downstairs in the comfortable and calm Cellar restaurant (formerly known as Reubens), we started with a basket of warm breads. Vibrantly coloured curry and apricot loaf was the clear winner amongst a selection of excellent and crusty breads. Bonus marks for softened, salted butter.

Bread basket

The kitchen at family-owned The Step House hotel is manned by head chef Alan Foley. Not only is he the son of the owners, but he has an impressive CV with time spent at Peacock Alley, Sheen Falls Lodge and Chapter One. Alan's 6 course tasting menu incorporates local ingredients, organic where possible and features lamb from the town, Tamworth pig from Ballon and produce from the Goresbridge Community Garden. The menu costs €50 per head, or €70 with wine pairings. On our visit, we dined from the following menu. 

Kilmore cod with clams, mussels and wild garlic leaf

2012 Pazo Barrantes Albariño (Spain)

-

Local lamb shoulder with fresh peas, broad beans and home made mint jelly

2006 Pezat Bordeaux Superieur (France)

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Lobster with bell pepper, basil and asparagus

2010 Trimbach Reserve Riesling (France)

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Tom Salter's free range pork with artichoke and sage gnocchi

2008 Walnut Block Pinot Noir (New Zealand)

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Triskel cheese with organic beetroot, walnut and brioche

2012 Hunter's Estate Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand)

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Gariguette strawberries and consommé

Cá Masetti rosé prosecco frizzante (Italy)

Kilmore cod with mussels and clams

Local lamb shoulder with peas and broad beans

Lobster with bell pepper

Tom Salter's free range pork

Triskel cheese with beetroot and walnut

Strawberries and consommé

The evening sunshine moved through the room, settling eventually into lantern-lit nighttime as we worked our way through the courses. As the entire room was dining off the tasting menu, we were all served in sequence. At times the timing of the service didn't feel smooth, but the generous glasses of accompanying wines and the extremely friendly staff did much to keep the atmosphere convivial. We each found particular favourites amongst the dishes - the cod for him, the cold lobster for me. But we could both agree that the entire experience, starting with prosecco cocktails and finishing with strawberries was superb. 

After dinner we took a little nighttime stroll around the quiet streets of Borris to help counteract some of the meal. Before going to bed, I sat outside on our Juliet balcony in the cool air, enjoying the quiet of the countryside. As I sat there, I could see the staff members finishing up and heading to their cars. In fact, many of the staff are local, making the team feel more like a family.

Full Irish breakfast

The next morning, as we descended for breakfast, we could see that the fire was already lit in the main foyer. I was quickly learning to expect this attention to detail from the Step House where everything is, frankly, immaculate. Drapes are fluffed, freshly cut flowers fill vases and the entire place gleams. Our breakfast consists of a selection of fruit and cereals served in large Nicholas Mosse bowls with the option of a full Irish available (if you still have some room left over from the night before).

Stitch and Bear were invited guests at the Step House Hotel, where our stay was complimentary. As always, my opinion is 100% my own. The real question to be asked is if I would spend my own money to eat and stay at the Step House. The answer is a resounding YES. It's utterly charming with beautiful decor, local staff, fine dining and just a bit over an hour from Dublin. It's a perfect getaway.

The Taste of Friday offer runs on selected Fridays and costs from €100 per person sharing including champagne reception, dinner and overnight stay. 

The Step House Hotel, Main Street, Borris, Co Carlow
Tel: +353 (0)59 977 3209
URL: www.stephousehotel.ie
Twitter: @Stephousehotel