Radisson Blu Royal Dublin, Ireland - Our second stay

Having stayed two years earlier at the Radisson Blu Royal in Dublin and it had been a positive experience, we decided to try a new room type before flying the next day to Amsterdam, so this will focus more on the room and what has changed between April 2014 and April 2016.

Check in was very quick and friendly.

We booked a Business Class Room and received one on the 5th floor overlooking Dublin and it's landmarks, like the Central Bank, Dublin Castle, the Convention Center, the Spire and Liberty Hall. The views were beautiful.

The design of our upgraded room was beautiful, modern and inviting.

The Business Class Room was slightly larger than our Standard Room we enjoyed in April 2016.

The stylish coffee table/ottoman was a feature in both room types.

2 bottles of free Deep River Rock water were provided on a wooden tray on the ottoman. It looked attractive and stylish.

The arm chair and the large bed were very comfortable.

A wardrobe offered some storage space and the writing desk was suitable to work for longer hours.

On the credenza was a Nespresso coffee machine, Ronnefeldt teas and Tchibo hot chocolate.

The flat screen TV offered regional channels. News channels included BBC and Sky News. We would prefer a slightly more international choice and believe a business channel like CNBC or Bloomberg and one international news channel incl. CNN for 24h coverage are a must.

During our previous stay the minibar had been fully stocked, which was empty now and could be used to store your own items.

The 24 hours in room dining menu had changed too. It was now modernized and divided into different sections called Graze, Plants, Grains, Sea, Land and Heaven.

Starters, like the Great Irish Board with pulled ham, relish prawn cocktail, crumbled Porter Cheese and crusty bread, cost from 12.50 Euro (ca. 13.75 USD).

Vegetarian dishes, pizza, pasta and curries were from 15 Euro (ca. 16.50 USD).

Main courses began from 17.50 Euro (ca. 19.25 USD) and desserts from 6 Euro (6.60 USD).

We didn't use the in room dining since we had a reservation at V'n V, the hotel's restaurant, for dinner. A review will follow for the restaurant, which was equally our 2nd visit there for dinner.

The bathroom was good sized. The bathtub and shower were separate. There was a sink and toilet. Amenities were by "This works". Water pressure was good. We didn't encounter any temperature changes.

After a good night's sleep we went to V'n V for breakfast. In our opinion it was even better than before with more items added, we hope the hotel keeps this up in the longer term future ahead. There was a wide selection of cold cuts, fish, cheese, pastries and bread, fruits, cereals and much more. At the egg station hot items could be ordered and were freshly made, which was a big plus.

All the staff encountered was friendly and efficient at all times.

Check out was warm, correct and efficient.

We like the Radisson Blu Royal in the heart of Dublin, Ireland. It's a beautiful, modern and memorable upper upscale hotel, located near St. Patrick's Cathedral and within walking distance to many attraction Dublin as to offer.

©2016

Sophie's @ The Dean, Dublin

During our second stay at The Dean Hotel in October 2015 we also had dinner and breakfast at Sophie’s, their memorable roof top restaurant.

 

This time around there were a few changes. The service was much better organized and smoother.

 

The views over the city were as always stunning.

 

We were brought to our table, located in one of the corners.

 

Soon afterwards our waiter introduced himself and was responsible for us for the duration of the meal.

 

He was very attentive. Our previous experience was that staff was extremely busy and whoever had time, took care of us.

 

Tap water was brought to our table in a carafe and a glass of Olmeca Fusion Chocolate Liquor for him.

 

We ordered the whipped goats cheese with pine nut crumbs, red pepper, beetroot and raw tuna with watermelon and peach yogurt dressing. As a main course we both chose the veal meatballs with orzo pasta and shared an avocado salad. The salad was bigger than last time and came in a white bowl instead of a dark one. We shared a dessert, the iced raspberry mousse with milk chocolate ice cream, caramel sauce and crushed raspberries. All was delicious and plate licking good. It was also innovative.

 

The bill was ca. 80 Euro or ca. 87 USD.

 

Breakfast the next morning was quite. We ordered two green tea, two orange juices, one French Toast, a cream cheese bagel with smoked salmon and two fruit bowls. I’m glad the waitress advised me that a fruit platter would be quite large and maybe too much, since the bagel was generously sized too. I took the advice and she was right. A large fruit platter would have been too big. There were no reasons to complain at all and we felt fit and refreshed, ready to go to the airport for our flight to London. The bill was ca. 39 Euro / ca. 42.40 USD.

 

Will we return? Definitely. The food is too good to be missed.

 

©2016

 

Sophie's Restaurant @ The Dean Hotel Dublin, Ireland

Sophie’s Restaurant is located on the rooftop of The Dean Hotel, Dublin, Ireland.

We had heard only good things about it from Hotel Chatter and after checking the menus online, we decided to reserve a table for brunch, dinner and breakfast during our stay at The Dean. Please see also our review.

Arriving at the landing on the 5th floor we were intrigued by the swings.

When entering the restaurant the rest rooms are to the right and the open kitchen to the left.

The interior design was modern. The bar was the center piece with some bar stools to sit around it, booths to the left and tables at every floor to ceiling window, which covered three sides. 

The views were stunning. 

There is also a heated rooftop terrace, where cocktails are served for those, who don’t want to have a meal.

Our brunch

The Maître d’ welcomed us, but had at first problems finding our reservation. We learned it had been booked under my fiancé’s name. As soon as it was cleared we were brought to our table.

It was buzzing on the Sunday afternoon. There were families with small children, a birthday party and couples. The noise level was amazing, but conversations could be still had.

Sometimes it was difficult to get the attention of the waiters, because they were so extremely busy. When we got hold of them they were friendly and accurate.

We ordered two carrot, ginger, apple and kale juices, two cappuccinos, two Eggs Benedict, one homemade granola with Glenilen natural yogurt and honey and one French Toast with Canadian Buckwud maple syrup.

The syrup came in a squirt bottle – a good idea, because customers can decide how much they need.
The coffee and tea are from Clement & Pekoe. The cappuccinos were smooth and milky, just as we like it.

All was very delicious. 

We also liked that the Eggs Benedict came with a grilled tomato and herbs. 

The cost for our brunch was 49.15 Euro (ca. 51.95 USD).

Our dinner

The atmosphere was different when we arrived in the evening. The music was upbeat and the lightning reduced. It might looked like you wouldn’t be able to see what was on your plate. The lightning was cleverly placed, for example over the bar, creating a bright island and over the tables too.

This time around the guests were couples and a small group, celebrating a birthday. 

A waiter soon arrived and took our order.

We had a large bottle of water, a Capone cocktail, an orange juice, the corn fed chicken with charred leeks, potatoes and chorizo foam, the baked hake with kale, brown shrimps, potatoes and tomato dressing, an avocado salad to share, the pana cotta with blueberry jelly and the frangipane with rum raisin ice cream and prunes. 

The cocktail was refreshing and similar to the one I had at the Merrion’s Cellar Bar during brunch there earlier in the year (See also our review).

The chicken and the fish melted in the mouth. The flavors of each dish were very balanced, light and healthy. 

Of course the highlight was the dessert. The pana cotta wasn’t sweet at all, but tasty. The frangipane was fragrant and the contrast between hot cake and cold ice cream was nice.

The staff was attentive and always there when needed. Somehow dinner seemed slightly better organized than brunch. 

We enjoyed our experience and thought the meal was a good value at 82 Euro (ca. 87 USD).
The meal had very high standards and was comparable to our dining experiences at other hotels in Dublin, like The Merrion or the Westbury.

We believe Sophie’s management team has higher ambitions and there is maybe a Bib Gourmand on the horizon in the future.

Our breakfast

After a good night’s rest we arrived for breakfast. Originally we had reserved a table for 08.00 hours, but were running late. It wasn’t a problem. We were the only ones at this early hour on a Monday morning.

In room dining was also in high demand, though, and by the time we left the restaurant had filled up a bit, but wasn’t that busy.

We were given the best table in one of the corners of the restaurant, allowing an at least 180 degree view over Dublin including Dame Street, the Central Bank, St. Patrick’s and Christchurch Cathedral amongst others.

We had also “spies” during brunch and breakfast. Curious seagulls flew by, looking what we humans were up to.

The breakfast and brunch menu were identical. They offered enough choice to try something new.
In this case we had two cappuccinos, carrot, ginger, apple and kale juices, two bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon, two bowls of fruit salad and a pancake stack with orange butter. Originally we had intended to have a portion of porridge each, but felt this would stuff as too much, so we shared the pancakes. There were three and they were big. The orange butter was melting and all smelled delicious. Buckwud, which means maple syrup in native Canadian, was supplied again.

The juice this time around contained more carrot and ginger than the day before. 

The bagels were delicious and easy to eat. The amount of salmon was just right and the presentation was creative.

The bowls, where the fruit salad came in, were vintage looking with chipped enamel. The other plates, cups and saucers were by Ras Al Kheimah Porcelain. The crockery fit well with the ambience.

Our waitress was one of the members of staff we had the previous afternoon. She recognized us immediately, which was a surprise and pleasure, considering how many guests she had encountered. She was very attentive and took good care of us.

Breakfast came in at 45.45 Euro (ca. 50 USD).

Our take: We liked the contemporary interior, the friendly staff and the different atmospheres during our meals, plus the wonderful views over Dublin from the rooftop.

Brunch, dinner and breakfast were of a very high standard.

The value was good.

We will return later in the year.

©2015

Domini & Peaches Kemp @ The Restaurant, Brown Thomas, Dublin, Ireland

Before checking into the brand new Marker Hotel we had breakfast at The Restaurant @ Brown Thomas, a famous department store in Dublin. Brown Thomas is owned by Galen Weston, a Canadian Tycoon.
The Restaurant is managed by Domini and Peaches Kemp and located on the third floor. The interior is contemporary.

When we arrived there was quite a buzz. Fortunately we didn't have to wait for a seat and were brought immediately to our table.
Having informed ourselves online about the menu, we already knew what we were going to order.
We had the Toffee-Nut-Latte, a cappuccino, two orange juice, one French Toast with bacon and maple syrup, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, the raw fruit salad and two slices of toasted sourdough bread with butter and jam.
We were told by our waitress that we had ordered quite a lot, so she pushed our and the neighboring empty table together to make more space. I didn't appreciate the comment. More space was definitely needed. The tables were on the smaller side.
The meal was very enjoyable and the quality high. I only wished my salmon portion would have been slightly larger. One slice more would have been nice. The eggs and chive were plenty. Maybe I was spoiled from the breakfast at Wilde's a week earlier, where I had a similar dish.
The French Toast was yummy too. The fruit salad was fresh and ideal to share, because the portion was large. The bread and jam was of high quality too.

Even though the staff was very busy, they were attentive and quick to respond.

The bill came in at slightly under 50 Euro (ca. 66 USD).

We spent around an hour at the Restaurant and were ready to walk to the Docklands for our stay at the Marker.

Of course we are going to return.

©2013