Sophie's

The Dean, Dublin

You might have noticed that things have been a bit quiet on the blog recently. That’s because I recently took a weekend break to Dublin and have been recovering ever since, “when in Rome….”

I have plenty to share from the trip, but first of all I thought I’d tell you about a lovely place my friend and I discovered while we were out enjoying some cocktails.

The Dean is a seriously cool boutique hotel with an equally cool restaurant and bar attached. It is set in a terrace of beautiful Georgian townhouses on Harcourt Street, in the heart of Dublin's vibrant nightlife district.

We started with a drink in The Lobby, a quirky space with an original Tracey Emin neon piece hanging on the far wall reading 'I Fell in Love Here’. iMacs glowed from the reception and a DJ played in the centre of the room. Despite the stylish decor, it had a really laid back atmosphere.

We noticed that lots of people were going up in the lift and followed suit. Up on the 5th floor we found Sophie’s, the rooftop glasshouse restaurant with fabulous panoramic views across Dublin. It was bustling with people enjoying wood fired oven pizzas and cocktails. 

We walked through to the outside terrace area, having a go on some wooden swings along the way. The terrace is the perfect place to wrap up in a blanket under an electric heater with fantastic views across the city.

Having grabbed ourselves a free table and made ourselves comfortable we got talking to a group of Dutch people who lived in Ireland. They suggested that we try “a great bar just down the street”. It was only once we had left and were stood in said bar that we realised they had tricked us into moving on so they could nab our table. Cheeky! We trawled the city’s bars all night but didn’t find anywhere as good as The Dean. 

If you’re sampling Dublin’s nightlife, it’s definitely worth a visit!