It had been a while since I’d been to Dublin but when we arrived there on Thursday it felt very familiar, although of course lots has changed and there’s currently building going on all over the city. The Celtic Tiger may have stopped roaring for a while but according to our taxi driver things are definitely on the up, which is good to hear.
We stayed at The Merrion, which is utterly fabulous and without doubt one of my favourite hotels in the world. It’s not just that it’s proper five-star luxury (Asprey toiletries in the bathroom, for goodness’ sake)…
…or that it’s so elegant (this is one of the drawing rooms)…
…and that it does superb Irish breakfasts, complete with my favourite potato cakes, but it’s also about the service, which is second to none.
The Merrion is housed in a classic Georgian building (four houses knocked into one) – and Dublin is of course famous for its wonderfully elegant Georgian architecture and doors, like these ones (my favourite is the pink). 
For lunch we decided to visit the food market in Merrion Square park – this is held every Thursday lunchtime in summer and has all kinds of stalls, selling everything from pulled pork sandwiches to irresistible French toasties (best not to think about the calories); everyone sits on the grass, there’s live music playing and it’s a great atmosphere. While we were in the park we stopped by this chair, designed to commemorate Father Ted himself, the actor Dermot Morgan. I had the privilege of interviewing Dermot years ago at the Irish Club in London: he was a great character and the chair seems a fitting tribute for a true King of Comedy.
That night we had dinner at the spectacular Fire restaurant, where I had this rather splendid Razmopolitan…
…and some delicious Irish hake…
…followed by the zestiest Lemon tart. Perfection.
The following morning it was raining so we decided to hit the shops on Grafton Street, stopping at Bewley’s Cafe for lunch (OK, food featured HEAVILY on this trip, but honestly, it’s impossible to resist.) This is one of the beautiful stained glass windows at Bewley’s, which is a real Dublin landmark…
…afterwards we had a walk along the River Liffey and through Trinity college…
…before going to Fallon and Byrne for dinner, where I had a Basil martini – a new one on me, very refreshing…
and this Peach Melba crumble was rather delicious, too.
And on Saturday it was gorgeous and sunny again, so we went to charming St Stephen’s Green for a walk…
…before catching the flight home – 55 minutes to London, which means there’s no excuse for not visiting more often, really, is there? We’ll have to try not to leave it so long next time.