The Clarence Hotel

6-8 Wellington Quay,
Dublin 2.
The Clarence Hotel enquiries
www.theclarence.ie

• Key city centre location
• Outstanding Tea Rooms Restaurant.
• Ireland’s coolest Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel.

There are several reasons why The Clarence is a favourite Dublin hotel. First of all it is situated right on the River Liffey at the gateway to Temple Bar. It is home to one of the city’s top restaurants, it is owned by the world’s greatest rock band U2, and it serves the best tails in the world! We love it!
Of course, if you want the ultimate accommodation for your night in Dublin’s fair city, you would have to choose the penthouse suite, which has panoramic views of the city and is arguably the coolest address in town. We however, contented ourselves with a more modest room, but were well comfortable nonetheless.

What did we like best about The Clarence? We liked the understated elegance of the hotel, no big ornate furnishings or sweeping staircases or glittering chandeliers. The service was swift and friendly, we pulled up right outside the door, and our car was whisked away for valet parking as we effortlessly checked in.

We adored the Octagon Bar with its fantastic tail menu, and enjoyed a couple of great tails, Blue Champ (Bombay Sapphire, Blue Curacao, Lemon Juice and Pannier Champagne) and Very Berry (Grey Goose Vodka, Strawberry Liqueur, Fresh Strawberries and fruit juices). What an aperitif! Then when we made our way into the famous Tea Rooms for dinner, we were greeted with a glass of pink champagne with the menu!

DINING IN THE TEA ROOMS AT THE CLARENCE
And so to the food. Suffice to say that once you have visited the Tea Rooms at The Clarence Hotel you will know why it is one of the best restaurants in the city. Executive Chef Mattieu Melin has taken over the reins at The Tea Rooms and brought an excellent restaurant to even dizzier heights. We were warmly greeted and looked after by Restaurant Manager Martin Kleinfeld and shown a cosy corner table where we had full view of both the dining room and of Temple Bar outside the window. We sipped a glass of Pannier pink champagne and looked at the menu choices which were classic and very tempting. We opted for mainly fish with Turbot and Monkfish respectively, but other choices included Wicklow Venison, Loin of Veal, Squab Pigeon, Fillet of Sole and Sea Bass. There was also a vegetarian choice of Artichoke Tortellini. For starters we enjoyed really juicy pan fried West Cork Scallops and delicious White Asparagus with sweet little fried quails eggs and summer truffle hollandaise sauce. We had lovely home made breads with pesto, and a crisp bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.
The menu here is sophisticated chic, but not formal, so there is no amuse bouche or sorbet courses. This made us feel that we could indeed indulge in desserts! I had the most desicious Mille Feuilles of Rhubarb and Raspberry while my chocaholic friend enjoyed the warm Araguani chocolate fondant with guanaja sauce and stout ice-cream. The whole meal was wonderful, and we could think of nothing at all to crib about!

OUT AND ABOUT IN TEMPLE BAR
An after-dinner stroll through Temple Bar led to several music locations, and we settled for an excellent blues and jazz session at The Mezz.
Staying in the heart of the city has another great advantage. We stepped out the door of the hotel early the next morning and as Dubliners were making their way to work, we strolled along taking pictures of the urban landscape. With breakfast served until 11 at The Clarence, we were able to enjoy a great ‘almost-brunch’, which set us up for the day. Checking out was as effortless and friendly as checking in, our car was brought to the door and soon we were on our way.

I hear plans are afoot to extend The Clarence, taking in an underground spa and more rooms. I suspect it can only get better!