Kilkenny River Court Hotel

Beautifully situated in a courtyard just off the narrow, bustling streets of the city centre, with only the River Nore separating it from Kilkenny Castle, this fine hotel enjoys the city’s premier location, and has a lovely big riverside terrace at the front.

While equally attractive for business or leisure - bedrooms and public areas have all been recently refurbished to a high standard and the Health & Leisure Club provides excellent facilities for health, fitness and beauty treatments - this Kilkenny hotels established a special reputation for conferences and incentive programmes, with state-of-the-art facilities for groups of varying numbers and plenty to do when off duty in the city, as well as outdoor pursuits - golf, fishing, equestrian - nearby.

Conference/Banqueting (260/180); free broadband wi/fi. Leisure centre (swimming pool, fitness room, sauna). Children welcome (under 3s free in parents' room, cot available without charge, baby sitting arranged). Parking (€2). Short breaks/special interest breaks offered.

Rooms 90 (2 suites, 20 executive, 4 family, 4 for disabled). B&B €55-85pps, ss €50. Lift. 24hr room service; turndown service. Closed 24-25 Dec.

The Riverside Restaurant:

This aptly named restaurant takes full advantage of the riverside setting and has lovely views of Kilkenny Castle and the River Nore; it is an elegant room, with tall windows, beautifully appointed tables, and very comfortable high-back leather chairs.

The atmosphere is that of a restaurant rather than a hotel dining room, and (although the wording is rather flowery) both the menus and chef Gerard Dunne’s good cooking reinforce that impression.

A frequently changed dinner menu begins with an amuse-bouche and a choice of popular starters, but main courses are more interesting - a dish of braised breast of duck, carved from the bone and served with wilted Asian greens and clementine & star anis marmalade is a speciality, for example.

And there are many other unusual dishes, some making imaginative use of local foods – including, perhaps, an appealing vegetarian dish based on the local Lavistown cheese; side dishes are also excellent, and desserts may include less usual treats like a delicious syllabub – a speciality which changes with the seasons to incorporate, say, rhubarb in early summer and hedgerow berries in autumn.

The early dinner and Sunday lunch menus are particularly good value, and charming service adds to the occasion.