It feels as if it's in a peaceful backwater, yet this splendid Victorian building is just yards from one of Dublin's busiest city centre roads.
Arrival at the gates of Dylan is an experience in itself, especially in the evening, when it is magically lit by old fashioned lamps outside the main entrance, where doormen greet you.
A modern wing sits comfortably with the original building and the lobby offers a foretaste of the edgy design beyond: ultra-modern seating and creative lighting are just some of the quirky elements that create an atmosphere of decadent elegance.
The Dublin hotels edgy look continues in the individually designed bedrooms, which are fitted to a very high specification with all the latest technology, customised 7th Heaven Beds, Frette linen, air conditioning, under floor heated bathrooms, power showers, robes and slippers, Etro toiletries, mini bar and twice daily housekeeping.
Even the most demanding international traveller would be hard pressed to complain at this five star boutique hotel - and it is a popular dining destinationfor locals too.
Eddison Restaurant
This Dublin restaurants in keeping with the contemporary preference for relaxed over formal dining, and the Dylan team have positioned the restaurant at this boutique five-star as a casual daytime dining room that notches up the theatricality at night. Walking through the welcoming bar area with its bold colours and cosy corners you come to the bright and airy dining room of the restaurant proper, where natural daylight spills in from a street-side Front Terrace and interior Nurserie Terrace courtyard on either side. White walls contrast cheerily with rich green leather upholstery and dark wood tables of various configurations, with a dramatic installation of living greenery draping walls, and partitions and banquettes buffering any hard acoustics that come from a linen-free setting and tiled flooring. The bare wood tables are simply set with linen napkins, quality salt and pepper grinders, and bijou vases of dried winter berries and grasses, declaring a pared back informality that doesn’t skimp on things done well.
The same All Day Menu is available in both bar and restaurant featuring light bites, salad and sandwiches, through to a full a la carte menu. (At the weekend, a weekend three-course lunch menu is also available, and an extended breakfast/brunch until 1pm.)
Within the all day menu, their Light Bites section is clearly designed with decadent bar grazing in mind, and includes a blow-out friendly Oscietra caviar from Ars Italica served with classic blinis and cream cheese or with a spiced tuna tartare and potato hash. But for more modest indulgences, even the nuts and olives here are luxurious: with a choice of Sicilian Nocellara del Belice Olives, caramelized Spanish walnuts or a selection of Marcona almonds, smoked almonds and paprika-spiced Valencia almonds all available for high-end nibbles alongside Cantabrian brown anchovies in olive oil on grilled focaccia.
Moving into more substantial offers, a selection of salads might include a classic caesar or colourful superfood salad of quinoa, beetroot, avocado guacamole, pomegranate and mixed seeds, some with optional additions of chicken, smoked tofu, halloumi or smoked salmon.
A ‘Sandwich’ section ranges from a club sandwich to fish tacos via a burger in a brioche bun or a John Stone steak sandwich in toasted ciabatta, and a ‘Land & Sea’ section feature pub-grub classics like fish and chips, beef bourguignon, or seasonal treats like venison bangers and mash.
From the a la carte offer, starters are bold pairings of quality ingredients with flavours borrowed from sunnier climes. Think tempura of tiger prawns with a well-judged homemade kimchi of spiced carrot, daikon and cabbage and wasabi dressing; or a tangy ceviche of king scallop with pickled apple matchsticks, tomato ponzu dressing and pickled daikon; or fresh burrata paired with strawberries, pickled fig and aged Parma ham and balsamic.
There’s also a more extensive ‘Land & Sea’ section available a la carte by way of main courses. Think crispy pan seared sea bream with seasonal accompaniments like basil potato dumplings, roasted Mediterranean vegetables, black olive and Romesco sauce in summer moving in late autumn to Antica Corte culatello ham, salt baked celeriac and a Champagne velouté.
Desserts stick with the ‘classics done well’ approach, sometimes with interesting twists (as with a pistachio cheesecake with crunchy Graham Cracker crumble and a well-judged strawberry sauce) or some with no messing (warm dark chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream).
All in all the feeling here is of a confident kitchen that is comfortable pairing classic European culinary techniques with colourful influences from further afield, and knows how to layer complementary flavours and textures within a dish.
Service is relaxed and warm, and a well-considered cocktail menu is well worth retiring back to the bar to explore, with intriguing Dylan Creations like a Pineapple Negroni or Earl Grey Martini sitting alongside classics with a house twist like a Pomegranate Margarita or 1930’s Cosmopolitan.
The wine list is relatively short but has an unusually broad selection of wines by the glass, right up to some very special bottles available by the glass (thank you Coravin!) such as Tignanello, Ca' Marcanda Promis Gaja or Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia – and a broad selection of Pommery Champagne.
The result is a calm oasis of a hotel restaurant that serves its well-heeled residents well, but is also an easily overlooked, off-the-beaten track option for non-resident diners looking for a quiet setting for some well-sourced indulgence.
