Knight’s Bar @ The Clontarf Castle Hotel

All I had was tea, so the four stars are based more on 1) how freakin’ NICE it is in here, and 2) my expectation that everything else here lives up to that quality. To proceed:
The carvery lunch options look delicious. I noticed people from all walks of life — from strollers to walkers to people who can actually walk — come here for their midday repast. The dining room is very tastefully decorated and well maintained. I kept joking I was going to make the place into my living room, but secretly I meant it.
The Guinness also looks beautifully poured, with nice, dense, creamy heads of goodness that just beg to become your new Guinness moustache.
The gents’ room is well kept as well, with fancy soap and all. That seems a good indication of the way things are run here too.
Finally, as to the tea I had: Bewley’s roobois tea. I’ve had a lot of roobois in my years, but damned if this didn’t actually taste better than any other I’ve had. It has a slight sweetness to it, yet is pure, unadulterated, and un-​messed-​with tea. So that was new.
I recommend y’all check this place out before I make it my living room.

Ate both lunch and dinner here today. Lunch menu much more flexible for our guests. Dinner menu both restricted and expensive. Good cobb salad at lunch, with nice choice of plates and sandwiches. Dinner much more formulaic, with stuff done in advance. Coleslaw sopping with bottled dressing and way too much vinegar in things.
Lunch has lots of locals while dinner seems to focus on package tourists staying at hotel.

My wife and I checked in yesterday and decided to eat at the hotel, rather than venture out. We ordered the combo snacks for two — meats, cheeses, artichokes and breads, and a bowl of cream of mushroom soup. One type of ham was a little too fatty for our taste, but generally everything was good. The enjoyment ended after my wife found a hair in the soup. The server was nice and friendly, but seemed to disappear about halfway through. So I mentioned the soup hair to another server, who didn’t seem overly interested. I expected at least the soup charge to be removed, but it wasn’t. I can’t really complain about the price, because it is hotel food after all, which is always more costly than elsewhere.

Had a great experience at the bar. The bartender started a Guinness pour for me and a butthole frat boy tried to steal it. I spoke up to the bartender and he saved my drink! Excellent service.
Snacked on haddock cakes and was pleasantly surprised at the side for a «small bite».