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Cavan Crystal Hotel

This modern hotel on the Dublin side of Cavan town is an asset to the area, with a health and fitness club, conference and banqueting facilities making it a focal point for local activities.

In common ownership with the adjacent Cavan Crystal Showroom and Visitor Centre, it offers guests the opportunity to tour the crystal factory - and even to cut your own crystal.

The striking contemporary design is not immediately obvious from the outside, but the tone is set in the foyer and public areas, including a three-storey atrium area which provides an impressive setting for the hotel's Atrium Bar.

Bedrooms are stylish and comfortable and, in addition to all the usual facilities, bathrobes, complimentary bottled water & newspaper plus iron & ironing board are in all rooms as standard.

In addition to a pool and good leisure facilities in the Zest Health & Fitness Club, there's also an impressive beauty salon and hair salon.

Conference/banqueting (500/350); business centre, secretarial services, video conferencing. Leisure centre (swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi, steam room, gym, treatment rooms, hair dressing).

Rooms 85 (3 suites incl. 1 Presidential, 66 executive; 2 family rooms, smoking rooms on request; 9 ground floor, 6 for disabled); Children welcome (under 4s free in parents' room, cots available free of charge, baby sitting). Lift; All day room service. B&B €90 pps, ss €25. Closed 24 & 25 Dec.

Opus One Restaurant:

The restaurant is on the first floor, off the central atrium area, and has a smart but comfortable feeling, created by native Irish wood and mellow brickwork combined with contemporary furnishings.

Chef Dave Fitzgibbon has been with the hotel since 2003 and, cutting a bit of a culinary dash, he balances traditional dishes with some epicurean adventures. Creativity abounds and the ever-popular steak is upgraded to become grilled 'rib eye steak with a shallot and bacon dumpling, confit of pearl onion, café de Paris butter and veal jus' - a dish that will satisfy most, traditionalist or not.

Other specialities include a starter of baked goat's cheese and pumpkin seed tartlet with white onion mousseline and beetroot ice, and creative vegetarian options are always on the menu.

An accessible wine list from the old and new world is mostly priced around the €24 mark but there are some real treats on offer too, as well as a very good half-bottle selection.

Friendly staff are well trained and informed, making dinner at Opus One a pleasure - though be warned that the lunch menu is quite different.

Seats 100; reservations recommended; air conditioning; children welcome before 9pm. D Mon-Sun, 6-10; L daily 12.30-3.30. Set Sun L about €25; set 2/3 course D about €28/€45, also a la carte L&D. Service discretionary. Amex, MasterCard, Visa, Laser.

Directions:

On N3, a few minutes from town centre in Dublin direction.