Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Like all ILT properties, there is no TV.
One caveat:
The spiral stair-
case that corkscrews up the tower is not suitable for folks with ham-
pered mobility or children under age 5.
Wicklow, County Wicklow. Contact the Irish Landmark Trust
&
01/670-4733.
Fax
01/670-4887. www.irishlandmark.com.
€
440 ($530) for 4 nights in low season,
sliding up to
1,175 ($1,416) per week in high season.
Amenities:
Kitchen.
WHERE TO DINE
EXPENSIVE
Brunel Restaurant
MODERN COUNTRY This excellent
restaurant, which
Bon Appétit
magazine once called “a beacon to
restore hope to the traveller's heart,” has won as many accolades as the
Tinakilly Country House hotel, to which it belongs (see above). The
table d'hôte menu changes daily and is confidently balanced—sophis-
ticated without being fussy, elegant without acrobatics. The service,
too, is precise and intuitive, letting the ritual follow its own course. All
this makes for a meal you remember, like the chargrilled tiger prawns
and lemon grass with fennel oil, the cream of roast chestnut and cel-
ery soup, the caramelized scallops on saffron potato mash, and the
loin of Wicklow lamb. The wine list is vast and, while international,
focuses on France. If dinner here is out of your budget, consider com-
ing for a light lunch (1-3pm) or afternoon tea (3-5pm).
In Tinakilly Country House. Rathnew, County Wicklow (on R750, off the N11).
&
0404/69274.
Dinner main courses
€
24-
€
29 ($29-$35). AE, DC, MC, V. Tues-
Sat 7:30-9pm; Sun 1-8pm.
€
The Strawberry Tree
GOURMET ORGANIC Winner
of the Irish
Food & Wine
's Best Restaurant award in 2003, this place
has gone from innovative to iconic in a few short years. Only wild
and organic foods are used to prepare memorable meals and then
served up in a swish, dramatic dining room. Starters make for inter-
esting reading—and eating—and might include grilled asparagus,
confit tomato, and blue cheese cream or the unlikely sounding but
delectable combination of goat's cheese, focaccia, roast pears, and
red wine. Then try the beef filet with buttered beetroot, served in a
balsamic
jus,
or the wild guinea fowl served alongside dried fruit
compote. From Rathdrum, follow signs for Aughrim and then 3km
(2 miles) to Macreddin Village and the Brook Lodge Hotel.
Macreddin Village (between Aughrim and Aghavannagh), County Wicklow.
&
0402/
36444.
Fax 0402/36580. www.brooklodge.com. Reservations required. Fixed-price
dinner
€
55 ($66); Sun lunch
€
35 ($42). MC, V. Wed-Sat 7-9:30pm; Sun 1-2:30pm.
The Tree of Idleness
GREEK/CYPRIOT Chef Susan
Courtellas comes from a Greek Cypriot background—a fact she
