V'nV @ The Radisson BLU Royal Dublin, Ireland

When we had booked our 2nd stay at the Radisson BLU Royal Dublin, we also reserved a table for two at V'n V for our 2nd dinner at this memorable restaurant.

The restaurant interior hadn't changed since our stay in 2014. It was modern with a high ceiling and large windows to let in the light.

The menu changes regularly, so it was very different from what we had enjoyed earlier during our 1st stay.

We ordered a large bottle of still water to go with our meal and we received a serving of warm breads, butter and fresh roasted garlic.

Our starters were the Celeriac Carpaccio with Pecan and Pear, followed by Seared Salmon, Honey Lime and Soy, Sautéed Spinach and Fennel. Our desserts were 70 % Chocolate Mousse and Pineapple and Chilli Salad with Honey Mint Syrup.

Staff was attentive and the food wonderful in terms of quality, taste and presentation. Service didn't suffer even when a larger group of business men arrived.

We felt welcomed and relaxed immediately. Due to this, the quality of the food and the good value (76.40 Euro / ca. 84.95 USD) we will dine here again when we stay again at the Radisson BLU Royal Hotel in the heart of Dublin, located near the St. Patrick's Cathedral.

©2016 

The Lobby Lounge @ The InterContinental Dublin, Ireland

After visiting the 3rd National Classic Car Show at the RDS Simmonscourt in March 2016 we stopped at the InterContinental Hotel Dublin Lobby Lounge for our lunch.

We were lucky and the lounge wasn't too full, so we could have a table at the large floor to ceiling windows of the conservatory overlooking the garden and fountain.

The staff was friendly and overall efficient.

We ordered a large bottle of still water, two hot chocolates, one Luscious Bliss cocktail, one Chicken and Mango Salad Wrap with salad and one salmon fillet with green beans, tzaziki and Quinoa, the 70% dark molten chocolate dessert and a trio of crème brulees.

While the drinks and main courses arrived pretty quickly and were delicious, the desserts took their time.

We weren't in a rush, so it didn't matter. The wait was well worth it. The presentation was beautiful. My dessert looked like a piece of art. The cake was shaped like a Guglhupf from Austria and there were edible flowers on both plates. It was very tasty indeed.

The raspberry, chocolate and vanilla crème brulees were intense in flavor.

We received a few apologies for the delay and didn't have to pay for the desserts, which was a nice touch, but not expected.

The bill was 58.25 Euro (ca. 63.85 USD).

Having visited now the Seasons Restaurant for brunch and the Lobby Lounge for lunch we will return to both and at some stage stay at the InterContinental.

©2016

The Junction Restaurant & Bar, Holiday Inn Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

During our stay at the Holiday Inn Belfast we had dinner at the Junction Restaurant & Bar.

The space has two sections: Near the entrance is the bar - there is sometimes live music - and the restaurant.

When we arrived the bar was busy with a large ladies group. The restaurant was only occupied with a family.

Since there was no Maître de, we chose our table in the contemporary space.

There were floor to ceiling windows along one side allowing day light to flood the room.

At first we had some difficulty getting the attention of one of the waitresses, because they were kept busy by the group. The wait was worth it, though and the service attentive from then on.

The menu was a mix of classic, modern, local and international dishes.

We ordered two orange juice, one glass of Chilean Rose, a glass of Tia Maria without ice, two salmon fillets with mango salsa and a salad consisting of green leaves, sun dried tomatoes and anchovies, a sticky toffee pudding and a fruit salad.

The presentation was very nice, for example the mango salsa came in its own little steel bucket.

The wine was surprisingly dark colored. It was more red than rose. It was dry with fruity notes and to my liking.

The salmon was cooked to perfection and the salsa finger licking good.

The salad was nicely balanced between being sweet and salty.

The toffee pudding was very good too.

The bill came in at slightly under 57 GBP (ca. 72.40 Euro or ca. 91.90 USD).

Would we recommend this restaurant to a friend? YES!
Would we eat at The Junction Restaurant again? YES.

©2014 

The Fusion Bar & Restaurant Florence, Italy

On the last evening of our stay at the Gallery Hotel Art in Florence, Italy we went to the Fusion Bar & Restaurant, located on the ground floor of the hotel.

The interior was contemporary and airy. There is also an outdoor terrace with plush sofas in earth colors and dark wooden tables.

The music in the background was upbeat.

The bar is the center piece, where guests can also enjoy the drinks and watch cocktails being made. The rest of the space is set up restaurant style.

We were warmly welcomed and handed the bar menu. We not only wanted a cocktail - we also were looking for dinner, so we asked for the restaurant menu.

We had a large bottle of still water, two Violetta Valery cocktails with Stolichnaya vodka and Francacorta Bellavista Cuvee, salmon fillet with green beans, tortellini with burrata cheese, Italian sausage and fennel and strawberries with goat’s cheese mousse.

With the cocktails came wasabi peas and other nice snacks. The presentation was unusual. The Violetta Valerys came in their own cooler - another glass filled with crushed ice and a lime. It looked stylish and the drinks tasted devilishly good.

We loved our main courses too. Everything was very upscale and delicious.

The dessert was interesting. The strawberries were marinated in balsamic vinegar. The mousse was velvety and creamy. It wasn't sweet at all and a great finish to a fantastic meal.

The service was unobtrusive and there when we needed it. We had an enjoyable evening.

The cost was 78 Euro (ca. 105.30 USD).

Only remembering the fine cuisine and drinks makes me drool and I'd love to go back immediately.

©2013

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