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Dylan Hotel Dublin

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: leather padded walls, over-sized floral motifs and tactile wallpaper along with ultra-modern seating and creative lighting are just some of the quirky elements that create an atmosphere of decadent elegance.

The edgy look continues in the individually designed bedrooms, which are fitted to a very high specification. Standard rooms are laptop compatible and include a plasma screen TV, MP3 players, safes, cordless phones with voicemail and speakerphone, customised 7th Heaven Beds, Frette linen, air conditioning, under floor heated bathrooms, power showers, robes & 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.

Not suitable for children. Business centre, secretarial services, free broadband wi/fi.

Rooms 44 (6 suites, 38 executive, 15 shower only, 1 disabled, all no smoking); Lift; 24hr room service. Room rate from €199. Lifts. Non-smoking hotel. Open all year except 25-26 Dec.

The Still

This bright, white dining room is filled with glittering chandeliers, luxurious cream and white chairs, wildly curved furnishings, a pale padded wall and a baby grand piano.

The ambience is lavish 1940s Hollywood decadence and there are always plenty of big Irish names to be spotted here. Padraig Haydn’s cooking is still as stylish and flavourful as ever, but the story at this fashionable restaurant is the more customer-friendly approach, with good value pricing and a nicely honed menu.

The lunchtime line-up in the Still runs to a well structured choice of five starters and an equal number of main courses and desserts, all separately priced but comfortably within the €30 mark for two courses.

Fresh gazpacho is poured from individual jugs into chilled bowls at the table, and citrus cured salmon comes with a soft boiled egg and micro salad leaves. Grilled mackerel fillet and summer vegetables are complemented with tiny pools of tapenade and a golden-crusted mushroom pithvier garnished with a wreath of pickled wild baby mushrooms provides a non-meat choice.

Décor in both reception areas and the restaurant has been tweaked as well, with some of the wilder designer seating modified to be more user friendly, although the 18 crystal chandeliers still twinkle away cheerfully in the dining room.

Dylan remains very much a place to be seen, and provides an opulent stage setting for an exciting dining experience.
Bar food , which can also be served on the covered terrace,is now available from 12 noon to 5pm and includes some hot dishes like panfried cod fillet with ratatiouille and herb sausages with potato purée and onion jus, as well as oysters, a cheese platter, open s andwiches and fresh soup of the day. From €16 for hot dishes to €6 for soup. Afternoon tea €25.

The wine list is a huge encyclopaedic tome which requires long study, but there is a good choice in the €25-35 bracket as well as the stratospheric numbers. Five white wines, a rosé and five reds are well selected to cater for popular tastes, ranging from €6.40 to €12.70 by the glass; the Provencal rosé Ch. Vignelaure ‘La Source’ is particularly good, as is the Bisol prosecco, which appears alongside top label champagnes.

Restaurant: Seats 44 (private room, 12, outdoors, 20); air conditioning; L daily, 12.30-2.30pm, D daily 6-10.30pm ( to 11pm Thu-Sat); set 3 course L €38, also a la carte L&D. Average starter €21, main courses €35, desserts €15. Tasting Menu of 8 courses €110. House wine from €20.95. SC discretionary. Amex, Mastercard, Visa, Laser.

Directions:

Just off Upper Baggot Street before St. Marys Road.