Paula’s Review Blog

Ever fantasized about living the life of a country gent?

One of my favourite places to stay in Ireland is the Inch Country House in Thurles.

Built in the 1700′s, this magnificent Georgian house managed to survive some of the most turbulent periods in Irish history.

Restored by John and Norah Egan sometime in the 1980′s, this country house is a delightful place to stay.

The Egan’s are great hosts. You almost feel you are a guest of the family. Upon arriving in the evening, you are welcomed with a drink in one of the large reception rooms which boasts large period fireplaces with big log fires.

The five bedrooms are each uniquely & individually decorated and are furnished with antiques. My preference is always for the room with the 4 post bed, while my colleague always takes the room with the cute, dinky bathroom.

The restaurant serves great food in the evenings and a generous Irish fry for breakfast.

Always worth a visit even if it’s off the beaten path!

I was sorely disappointed with Diep Noodle in Ranelagh. We dined there one Saturday evening and were in and out in literally 15 minutes!

Once seated in the overcrowded and cramped dining room, our main courses arrived within 2 minutes of us placing our order. We were stunned. Whilst normally a fan of good speedy service, this was just a little too slick for my liking. One had the feeling that our food was pre-prepared, bung in the microwave and reheated just before serving. In fact, our food arrived before the beers we had ordered even arrived at the table.

My dish was drenched in salt, to the point it was inedible. Our main courses whisked away, coffee served, bill stuck under our noses... we were out on the street in just 15 minutes.

Fast food eh? I was left confused, what a strange dining experience.

Think I’d prefer McDonalds any day of the week!!

I am always amazed when eating in The Unicorn that the place is packed no matter what day of the week.

I attribute this mainly to the excellent food it offers and to the fact that the place is always buzzing. The food is the best Italian I’ve had in Dublin.

While catering mostly to a business crowd both for lunch and dinner, it’s a popular spot for families and casual dinners also.

Having tried Cafe Bar Deli a number of times when it first opened, I was well impressed, a big fan in fact. Great concept - simple tasty fare, all reasonably priced, with friendly, good and no fuss service.

Having tried it more recently, I feel it’s standards slipping. Whilst the menu has not changed, the quality of the food seems to have, as has the service.

Having queued one night to be seated in their restaurant on Grafton St, we were asked to sit in the bar until we were called for our table. The only white wine on offer in the bar was vinegear straight from a bag in box container.. undrinkable. After spending 45 minutes waiting in the bar and seeing other people being seated in front of us, we complained and finally were seated. The food when it arrived was lacklustre and uninspiring.

Having subsequently eaten in their restaurant on George’s st, again the food did not inspire.

Hopefully this is just a small blip for this restaurant. As I said, the concept is great.. good wholesome food at a reasonable price.

After a few unfortunate attempts of wearing foundation over the years, I had avoided it like the plague.

Being a big fan of No7 products, I was out in search of cover stick one Saturday, when I spotted a new foundation they had launched.

No7 Intelligent Balance Mousse Foundation is a must buy. It smooths on flawlessly, without streaking or leaving you glow in the dark orange.