Award Winning Food, Drink & Travel Magazine

TheTaste.ie
The Dean Hotel & Sophie’s Restaurant & Bar Dublin by Kate Louise Barry
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on whatsapp
Share on linkedin

The Dean Hotel & Sophie’s Restaurant & Bar Dublin by Kate Louise Barry

So this weekend was a major treat weekend for me… I had numerous nights out in town with friends and tried some great new places! The one I was most excited for was the highly anticipated Dean Hotel on Harcourt Street. It opened just a few weeks ago and word was that it was spectacular…. I had to check this out! The hotel is not cheap… nor does it feel it. I booked the Hi-Fi room which is €230 room only. There are other options from the smaller Mod Pod and Punk Bunks to the standard double SupeRooms. It was a treat for me so I plumped for the Hi-Fi room. We arrived th The Dean Hotel & Sophie’s Restaurant on Saturday afternoon and as soon as we walked through the doors I knew the hotel would be fabulous. The lobby was unlike any hotel I’ve seen before – as was the check in desk …super cool and laid back.

We had a drink at the bar in the lobby while we waiting for our room to be ready… it’s impressive and quite clear that no expense has been spared.

I was eager to see the room so luckily we didn’t wait long and were shown to our room by the very lovely Kate. The uber cool vibe was consistent throughout the corridors we walked.

And onto the room! Yet again, you could see where your money was going with the likes of a Smeg fridge, record player, funky chairs and a bathroom to die for.

After 2 heavy nights in town, I badly needed a nap so hopped into that cosy bed for a couple of hours before hitting the famous Sophie’s bar for dinner and drinks.

With the week that was in it… so close to Christmas and a newly opened bar, they weren’t taking bookings for groups of less that 6 people. So we headed up early enough to grab a drink and wait for a table.

Upon leaving the lift on the 5th floor everyone seemed pretty enamoured with these swings – me included 🙂

img_3678

We checked out the outside area but I’m afraid even with the heaters and blankets it was too chilly for me – a fab space for a few summer drinks though.

And the view in the evening is a bit prettier than the grey day we had earlier!

img_3681

We went on back into the restaurant and bar area peeking into the visible kitchen area as we passed.

img_3693

We stuck our names down to wait for a table while we took a seat at the bar. If I was impressed with the lobby bar area I was stunned by Sophie’s. I haven’t experienced anywhere like this yet in Ireland – I absolutely loved it. We were right to get there early – the place was bustling and there was a great buzz.

We started the evening off with a couple of cocktails as we people watched (the fabulous people!) around us.

img_3682

Our wait for the table was surprisingly short and we had some great, reasonably priced food.

My only complaint with the food was a burnt apple tart with very little apple for dessert… the butterscotch ice cream and sauce were delish though!

img_3691

After a few Proseccos at the bar we headed off to bed relatively early for a decent sleep before our Brunch the next day!

Unfortunately for me as a light sleeper, our room was directly above the nightclub next door on Harcourt Street… this busy beer garden was my view for the evening and needless to say with music going till 5am I didn’t have a peaceful night 🙁

This is a busy street and some noise is to be expected but if you are a light sleeper like myself be sure to book directly with the hotel and ask for a room as far away from this as possible.

img_3641

Next morning we had brunch booked for 12 so it was back up to Sophie’s. Seeing it in the daytime was equally as nice… it’s such a bright and gorgeous space.

The Brunch menu is again well priced and the food was good… if slightly rushed. We were in and out in 35 minutes but to be fair to them there was a constant stream of people arriving and they are probably still finding their feet with timing etc. As I said though, the food was great and really set us up for the day!

We had a quick nosey at the outdoor area again – even nicer in daylight!

And then it was time to check out of this beautiful spot and head home to reality!

 

Location:

The Dean Hotel,
33 Harcourt Street,
Dublin 2
Phone: +353 1 607 8110
Web: http://thedean.ie/
The Dean Hotel Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDeanDublin
Sophie’s Bar & Restaurant Twitter: https://twitter.com/SophiesDublin

 

Review By Kate Louise Barry

 

Recently Added

 Receive regular updates, special offers, reviews, competitions and much more..