Ireland most romantic restaurants
FOR FUN, FLIRTING AND FALLING IN LOVE
Lucinda’s top 20
Haven’t found the perfect place to take your Valentine this year? Don’t panic. Whether it’s dinner aboard original carriages from the Orient Express, an Indonesian rijsttafel by the Liffey, or even a secluded getaway in your own private castle, there’s a wealth of atmospheric eateries out there, says Lucinda O’Sullivan, who has chosen her top 20 romantic dining spots for Valentine’s night AQUA
Perched over the water at the end of Howth’s West Pier, you can pretend you’re starring in The Crown and on your own private royal yacht. Have a drink in the clubby bar, and bag a window table with views of Ireland’s Eye. Aqua serves the very finest shellfish, with a la carte mains ranging from €23 to €65. aqua.ie
AVALON
One of Dublin’s best restaurants is also one of Dublin’s best-kept secrets. Avalon is named after the mystical island where King Arthur pulled the sword Excalibur from the stone. What could be more romantic? A big, classy room with ample romantic corners. A la carte mains, €19 to €34. avalonrestaurant.ie
CHAMELEON
You’ll find Chamelon just beside the Liffey, in a quirky old house bedecked with exotic fabrics and south-east Asian artefacts. Take your amour to experience the colours and senses of the Indonesian
rijsttafel (rice table), a mezze/tapas-style selection of dishes. Set menus from €30 to €40. chameleonrestaurant.com
CHAPTER ONE
When Greek shipping billionaire Aristotle Onassis was wooing Jackie Kennedy, he always ensured they were toute seule by booking out a restaurant. I can’t promise you a billionaire, or sole occupancy of the Michelin-starred Chapter One, but I can promise an experience you’ll remember for the rest of your lives. Try the tasting menu (€100). chapteronerestaurant.com
DAX
Olivier Meisonnave’s atmospheric basement bastion of fabulous French food in Dublin’s Georgian quarter is totally classy, while chef Graham Neville delivers on exquisite cuisine. Mains, €28 to €34. dax.ie
DYLAN HOTEL
Treat yourselves to an overnight stay in D4’s chic five-star Dylan Hotel. The rooms are luxurious, the cocktails are great, and the buzz is brilliant. Enjoy a six-course tasting menu in their Tavern restaurant. Indulgent Valentine’s Package, €289 to €569. dylan.ie
LUNA
Luna encapsulates retro 1950s-Soho glam on Drury Street. Schiaparelli-pink neon lighting winks as you head down the steps, through the red-velvet curtain into a world of plush booths, tux-attired waiters, a big Campari bar and damn good food. Mains, €22 to €38. lunarestaurant.ie
NIGHTMARKET
Inspired by the Thai markets of Chiang Mai and Hua Hin, Nightmarket in Ranelagh could be the perfect setting for you and your Valentine. The tiled al fresco dining area is a perfect spot for romance
— it’s like being in some kind of classic Parisian tunnel of love. A la carte mains, €16 to €24. Great cocktails. nightmarket.ie
PEARL BRASSERIE
Michelin-starred chef Sebastien Masi and Kirsten Batt’s restaurant is truly a pearl, serving classy, contemporary French food that never loses the ethos of top-notch traditions. Bag one of their romantic booths for their three-course Valentine’s set menu at €65pp. pearl-brasserie.com
TALAVERA
Why not ‘dinner and duvet’ in five-star Georgian elegance of the Radisson Blu St Helen’s Hotel on the Stillorgan Road, which has a great package on February 14 only, at €155 per person sharing for one night’s bed and breakfast plus a five-course dinner in their lovely Talavera Italian restaurant. They also have a Valentine’s dining package on the 16th and 17th, with a five-course dinner at €45 per person. radissonblu.com/en/sthelenshotel-dublin
BANSHA CASTLE
Your princess will be glowing like Meghan Markle if you whisk her away to your own private castle in the lush lands of Co Tipperary. Bring the friends too, and play the country squire. It’s an exquisite castle, with seven bedrooms. €900 per night for
the entire castle (minimum two nights). banshacastle.com
CASTLE LESLIE
Not many can trace their history back to Attila the Hun, but Samantha Leslie can. What she has done for the 1,000-acre family estate — located in Co Monaghan — in the past 20 years, is amazing. Their Valentine’s special of one night’s bed and breakfast, plus dinner, from €165 per person sharing in the Lodge, or from €180 per person sharing in the Castle, includes romantic goodies and a candlelit dinner in the Castle’s Snaffles Restaurant. Applicable February 1 to 28. castleleslie.com
ECCLES HOTEL
With its romantic, historical wrought-iron balconies, the Eccles Hotel in Glengarriff, Co Cork, overlooks Bantry Bay and Garnish Island. It’s where our grandmothers spent their honeymoons during World War II, and where Pippa Middleton stayed last summer with her new husband, James Matthews. Open weekends in February. Double rooms from €120. eccleshotel.com
THE LAKE ROOM
The glorious lake views at the Kingdom’s Aghadoe Heights Hotel are inspiring — I saw a chap drop to his knee here and propose to his blushing girlfriend. You’ll find superb food prepared by the new head chef, Alan McArdle. Five-course Valentine’s dinner, €39 per person. One night’s bed and breakfast, plus one dinner, from €139 per person sharing midweek; €154 per person sharing at the weekend. Applicable February 9 to 18. aghadoeheights.com
GLENLO ABBEY
“Old Fashioned Romance” is the theme of the Valentine’s package — two nights’ bed and breakfast, plus one dinner — at Galway’s five-star Glenlo Abbey; midweek, €239 per person sharing; weekend, €269 per person sharing. Their Pullman restaurant — open weekends only — set in original carriages used in the 1974 movie Murder on the
Orient Express, is fabulous. Midweek dining is in their River Room restaurant. glenloabbeyhotel.ie
LADY HELEN RESTAURANT
The Michelin-starred Lady Helen Restaurant at Mount Juliet Estate in Thomastown, Co Kilkenny, is exquisite, with seven-course and nine-course tasting menus at €85 per person and €99 per person, respectively. They also have a Be My Valentine one-night stay for two in a Manor House room from €299, to include the signature tasting menu and a glass of Prosecco. Ends February 28. mountjuliet.ie
NO1 PERY SQUARE
Enjoy a Side by Side Full Body Massage or a Voya Ocean Fresh Facial. When you’re both refreshed and beautiful, retire to the Drawing Room, overlooking the park in Limerick’s Georgian quarter, for a Sparkling Afternoon Tea, served on traditional stands with vintage china. €99 per person. Valid on February 14 only. oneperysquare.com
SEAFIELD HOTEL
Chic and contemporary, with a fabulous spa, the Seafield Hotel in Ballymoney, Co Wexford, has a Timeless Romance package on February 14, and on Friday, February 16, offering one night’s bed and breakfast, and a candlelit dinner, in their superb fine-dining Greenroom Restaurant from €250 for two people. seafieldhotel.com
THE LODGE AT ASHFORD CASTLE
Head for Co Mayo’s Quiet Man country and wallow in luxury. Overlooking Lough Corrib, indulge in Jonathan Keane’s cutting-edge take on traditional Irish cuisine in Wilde’s restaurant. One night’s bed and breakfast, plus Prosecco, and chocolate-dipped strawberries, is €447 for two people. Available every weekend in February. thelodgeac.com
VIEWMOUNT HOUSE
Viewmount is a glorious 17th-Century Longford manor house. Stroll in the Japanese gardens, and then dine in their superb restaurant, where chef Gary O’Hanlon has just handed over the reins to Robert Groot Koerkamp. One night’s bed and breakfast, with a five-course romantic dinner on Valentine’s night, a bottle of Prosecco and chocolates, is €270. Suite package, €300. viewmounthouse.com lucindaosullivan.com