Hotel Review: The Cliff Townhouse, Dublin
Monday 29 September 2014
Where: The Cliff
Townhouse, Dublin
Why: Have you
ever finished an amazing meal and wished that your bed was just that bit
closer? This Dublin hotspot may be the answer. The Cliff Townhouse is a
“restaurant with rooms”, combining incredible seafood in the elegant restaurant
with comfortable and chic bedrooms upstairs. All this in a beautiful Georgian
building on the edge of Stephen’s Green.
Highlights: The
food is as great as I had hoped it would be, with a predominantly seafood menu
offering up the best ingredients Irish waters can produce. We feasted on
perfectly cooked scallops with pork belly, creamy risotto, rich and tender
monkfish and juicy lobster. The townhouse itself is stunning, with a grand
staircase, tall sash windows and ornate furnishings creating a homely feel. In
a world of high tech bathroom gizmos and hotel room wizardry, it was a relief
to be in a bedroom which just worked – proper taps in the bath, windows you can
open and a cosy Donegal tweed blanket on the bed.
Lowlights: The
listed building does have a lift, but the rooms aren’t wheelchair accessible.
Best for: Serious
foodies, looking to satiate their appetites in a charming setting.
Concierge’s
Choice: The Little Museum of Dublin is just a few doors down, and came
highly recommended by the team at reception, who sometimes have complimentary
passes for guests. Other recommendations included the new bar Peruke and Periwig
on nearby Dawson Street, as well as The Hairy Lemon.
Ask for room
number: There are only nine rooms in the townhouse, some overlooking the
green and others facing the back. All have their own quirks and vary in terms
of size and shape. Room 205 is a particular stunner, with a park view and an ornate
fireplace.
Guests of honour: Samuel Beckett is one of the
most prominent former guests the building has seen, choosing to write in one of
the stately rooms, presumably by a roaring fire.
Rates: The
‘Cliff Townhouse Experience’ includes dinner for two in the restaurant, an
overnight stay, full breakfast and a welcome glass of champagne. Rates start at
€233 for a midweek stay in a townhouse room, in the winter. For accommodation only, a townhouse room
starts at €143 per night, midweek.
Contact: theclifftownhouse.com
/ 01 638 3939
This review originally appeared in the Irish Independent.
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