Home & Away with Robert Walshe
www.robertwalshe.com
Weekend Hotspot – The Marker Hotel Dublin
Situated on Grand Canal Square in the heart of Dublin’s business and cultural quarter, The Marker Hotel combines urban sophistication with contemporary Irish hospitality. Featuring a ground-floor cocktail bar & brasserie, free WiFi and a spa with four treatment rooms and a state-of-the-art gym, the property also boasts a 23-metre infinity pool, sauna, steam room and fitness centre. There are six room categories, some with a Philippe Starck-designed lamp and an
Eames-style task chair. Each bedroom is decorated with French-blue, and heathergrey tones paired with an Italian Carrara and Black Nero Marquina marble bathroom complimenting pristine Villeroy and Boch sinks and indulgent rainforest showers all stocked with Malin Goetz skin care amenities. Upstairs the Rooftop bar & terrace features cityscape views which guests can enjoy with a drink & a hot water bottle to keep them warm if the weather dictates! Executive Chef, Gareth Mullins, formerly a Merrion Hotel stalwart and now TV3 regular runs five kitchens here. His overwhelming
n Le Drunch at The Marker Hotel Dublin.
focus is Irish locally sourced and seasonal produce while for artisan ingredients he looks to France and Italy. On Sunday ‘Le Drunch’ (the latest food trend to emerge from Paris, a later alternative to brunch) is an enjoyable occasion, with an animated result and people watching. The drinks menu includes a classic Bloody Mary cocktail, peach and strawberry Bellini, and passion fruit and mango smoothies while comfort food choices feature huevos rancheros, a scrumptious John Stone 8oz rib eye steak, black pudding croquettes and mouth-watering pulled pork. There is also a selection of dishes to share including a selection of Italian cured meats; chipotle spiced chicken wings, and slow-cooked sticky beef ribs. Mourne Seafood Bar a five minute walk away makes for a perfect alternative dining experience particularly if you are in Dublin for a two or three night stay. They offer the freshest of sustainable Irish seafood preferring simplistic cooking rather than complexity. Chef patron Andy Rea and husband and
For our best deals call 0044 28 9038 1111 or visit www.mooneyhotelgroup.com
wife team Joanne and Bob McCoubrey partnered to open Mourne Seafood Bar in Belfast in 2007. They are also behind Mourne Seafood Bar Dundrum in Co. Down and their arrival in Dublin is long overdue. The n The Marker Ho Marker is also the tel Designer Su ites. perfect pre-theatre destination located right beside the Daniel Libeskind-designed Bord Gais is ideal for Northern Ireland Energy Theatre, a touring or Ulster bound traffic. The space for ballet, opera, mu- ever smiling concierge teams sicals and concerts. Nearby deliver the latest on what to explore Grand Canal Square, do and see in the city with home to innovative high suggestions including Guinprofile companies such as ness Storehouse, Dublinia, Google, O2 and Facebook. Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin Grand Canal Dock & Pearse Castle, Temple Bar & shopStreet dart stations are both ping at the Abercrombie & less than ten minutes walk Fitch store on Dawson Street from the hotel all convenient or the iconic Brown Thomas. for Grafton or Henry Street For those interested in sport, shopping and the properties The Marker, a member of location just across the Liffey ‘Leading Hotels of the World’, from the Dublin Port Tunnel offers several nearby options
including “Aviva” stadium where soccer, rugby and other sporting and musical events take place, To make a reservation this March or April visit www.themarkerhoteldublin.com or call 01 +353 (0) 1 687 5100. Robert Walshe is a travel broadcaster with Q Radio & Citybeat 96.7FM in Northern Ireland and Travel Editor for River Newspaper titles across the island of Ireland. www.robertwalshe.com