The best hotel dining experience in Ireland

Staying in a hotel for any period of time is generally a nice experience: service to your room, fresh sheets daily, a maid to pick up after you and nice surroundings!

One thing though which sets some hotels apart is their dining experience. Food is an increasingly important part of tourism in Ireland and the savvy tourist wants to be wined and dined impressively, as well as being well rested. Any top 4/5-star hotel worth its salt these days will have a great restaurant accompanying it. Many tourists even make their decision on where to stay based on the food and, particularly in more rural areas, it’s a vital consideration as there may not be other options around. Here are some of the best hotel-dining experiences in the country…

Gregans Castle Hotel
Consistently recognised as one of the best hotel restaurants in the country, this Co Clare hotel is smack bang in the middle of the Burren in Ballyvaughan. Winner of Best Hotel Restaurant in the 2011 Restaurant Association of Ireland Awards, its Finnish-born chef, Mickael Viljanen (30), also scooped overall chef of the year and Munster chef of the year. A signature dish contains smoked egg yolks, salsa, chicken liver, lobster and local sea vegetables. The hotel uses mainly local ingredients and seafood fresh from the Co Clare coastline. The food is a modern European take on Irish food and you’re sure to find some very exciting dishes on the menu – local traditions with a twist!

Tannery Dungarvan
Opened in 1997 by leading chef (and now celebrity TV chef) Paul Flynn and his wife Máire, the Tannery in Dungarvan was originally just a restaurant, but was followed in 2005 by the opening of the boutique-style Tannery Townhouse. With a cooking school also on site, the husband and wife team certainly have their fingers in many pies and the restaurant, located in a disused leather warehouse, is said to be one of the south-east’s best eateries. Sunday lunch is very popular, drawing diners from all around. €30 is a steal for this sitting and value is certainly a big consideration for Paul and the team. The Tannery is another award winner and Paul is recognised as one of the foremost chefs in the land. It’s rare that a restaurant has to open a guesthouse to house diners and not the other way around, but the Tannery obviously warrants it!

The Wineport Lodge
If you’ve ever seen popular Irish TV show The Restaurant, you’ll be very familiar with the layout of the Wineport Lodge. The show, which offers celebs the chance to be critiqued anonymously by three restaurant critics, is based at this breathtaking venue. The Restaurant opens with a shot across Lough Ree, which Wineport overlooks. On a summer evening, there’s no better place to enjoy a delicious al fresco dinner. You can also arrive in style by boat if you so wish! Chef Cathal Moran’s wholesome and innovative fare is delicious and there’s a big focus on organic food here too. If you do decide to stay here, be sure to visit the nearby Fatted Calf, which also provides great cuisine. For the hotel itself, relaxation is the main focus. You can choose from a variety of options, including rooms with a veranda overlooking the lake.

Dunbrody House Hotel
A small luxury hotel in Wexford located on the dramatic Hook Peninsula, Dunbrody is owned and operated by husband and wife team Kevin and Catherine Dundon. Kevin is best known from his many television appearances. This well-refurbished modern Irish country house is a lovely experience. Having garnered rave reviews from former Bond actor Sir Roger Moore and pop princess Pink among others, Dunbrody is very popular with foodies all around Ireland. The Harvest Room is less of a hotel dining room and much more of a stylish, atmospheric restaurant. Local seafood, Irish produce, brilliant coffee and deadly cocktails are all part of the experience. As well as this, Dundons’ Champagne Seafood Bar offers a fantastic alternative to the main restaurant.  Informal dining with a menu that offers some ingenious modern twists on traditional dishes are the order of the day here and you can enjoy your meal on the terrace overlooking the grounds of the hotel.

Ballymaloe
The most famous name in Irish cookery schools, Ballymaloe is a renowned Irish country house hotel and restaurant owned and run by the Allen family for over 40 years. Set on a 400-acre estate in East Cork, Ballymaloe has played host to countless budding chefs over the years and the hotel and restaurant is predictably good. Amenities include tennis courts, a pool, a croquet lawn and a massage and beauty area. You can also enjoy wine tasting and music, but the main draw is the award-winning restaurant, which is at the heart of the Ballymaloe experience. The extravagant dinner menu consists of five courses and is a real event. The family spend the afternoon preparing and guests enjoy mains from local farms including roast beef, lamb, pork, turkey and sometimes goose or duck, as well as delicious seafood. Just leave some room for the sweet trolley at the end.

Bellinter House
A boutique country house located in Co Meath, Bellinter House is home to Eden Restaurant, sister to the award-winning Eden in Temple Bar, Dublin, and numerous other dining options. There is also a bakery on site and you can purchase a loaf of the bread you enjoyed at lunch if you want! Numerous mythical sites are located within driving distance, including Newgrange and the Hill of Tara, while you can also enjoy come quality chill-out time at the Bathhouse Spa.