Romany Stone

Romany Stone is a delightful Café in Kilbride, Co. Wicklow. It doesn't matter what time of the day you drive past there, there will be a string of customers parked outside. In saying that, in my many visits to the Café I have always got a seat. It's cosy and warm, with exposed stone walls and fairy lights. It also doubles up as a furniture store, a lot of the pieces in use are for sale.

I love coming here for brunch, the Gourmet Breakfast Roll being one of my favourites. Fresh scrambled egg on a bed of rocket leaves, topped with crispy bacon & homemade tomato and pepper relish served on a lightly toasted olive bap. Another favourite is the Chicken Caesar Salad. Cornfed free range chicken on a bed of romaine lettuce & mixed baby leaves, bacon & homemade croutons. This is served with shaved parmesan, toasted pine nuts, semi sun dried tomatoes and a mild caesar dressing.

There are always two soups on offer, and they bake their own bread - which you can purchase to take away. They also serve various cakes, pastries, sandwiches, tartlets and salads.

On a Friday and Saturday night they open for dinner. The food is amazing. Unable to decide on a main we shared the 8oz dry aged fillet steak and the butterflied saddle of lamb. These were served with sides of potato gratin, shoestring fries, roasted parsnip and wilted spinach. I could not fault one single thing. There's also a fabulous Bordeaux on the menu, if your wallet can stretch to the fifty bucks.

Opening Hours:

Mon-Fri, 8.00am - 5.30pm

Sat - Sun, 9.00am - 5.30pm

Open for dinner Friday & Saturday nights

Romany Stone

The Old Tap Pub

Kilbride

Co. Wicklow

0404 48700

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Possibly the most amazing cake I have ever seen.

Yes, you read correctly. This is a cake. A six foot four inch cake.

Check out the Amanda Oakleaf blog here - http://blog.oakleafcakes.com/stormtrooper-cake/

The Woodenbridge Hotel

It's cold. It's wet. It's winter. What better way to spend the afternoon than sitting in front of the fire in a cosy hotel in the country - one with Wi-Fi! We popped up for some lunch earlier, I'd never been before which when I think about it is mad because I've always lived in Wicklow. It was miserable outside, cold with that frantic drizzle that soaks you even though it looks like there's nothing falling. Through the doors you enter hotel toastyness. I love it.

For starters I had vegetable soup. It was good, but your general run of the mill veg soup you'd normally meet at a wedding. The brown bread served with it was really delicious though. For main I went for the lamb which came with a mountain of veg; peas, carrots, cauliflower, mash, roast potato and of course delicious gravy and mint sauce. 10/10. If you are hungry and like your dinner, this is the place to go. I tried, but I just couldn't fit it all in. For dessert I went for profiteroles with a chocolate orange mousse. It turned out to be an orange mousse in a chocolate basket which I wasn't expecting which was very rich. Again, I had to ask for some help in clearing my plate! I was full of cream at that stage. Burp.

I'd definitely recommend it for lunch. There's plenty of seating and if you fancy something a bit more formal there's the Redmond Restaurant, which have won an AA Rosette award every year from 1995 to present day. Definitely worth checking out!

Woodenbridge Hotel & Lodge, Vale of Avoca, Arklow, Co. Wicklow.

(0402) 35146 www.woodenbridgehotel.com

Saba Dublin

I visited Saba for something quick to eat last Sunday evening, having just left 'Between Foxrock and a Hard Place' in The Olympia (2/10) and heading to 'Rhod Gilbert' in Vicar St (10/10). The restaurant was busy, yet the staff were attentive.

I had the Hoisin Duck Rolls to start. Aromatic duck wrapped in pancakes with julienne of leek, cucumber and hoisin sauce. Very tasty, if a little difficult to get out of the bamboo steamer in one piece! Roll one and two made it out in one piece but roll three somehow managed to fall in to an upside down mess. That's just me though. I'm getting clumsy with age.... being thirty and all! It's definitely one I am going to try this week, if that packet of rice paper sits in my pantry any longer it will report me for neglect!

For my main course I had the Phad Kraprow with Chicken (birds eye chillies, garlic, string beans, peppers, baby corn, tomatoes and holy basil). It was delicious. Just the right amount of heat. The portion size was generous too; I couldn't finish my main much to the delight of my partner! Where does one find Holy Basil anyway?

There is always room for dessert. I went for the Warm Chocolate Brownie with vanilla ice cream. It was only O.K., quite nutty and not very chocolaty. The vanilla ice cream was nothing to write home about either I'm afraid.

One of the reasons I love Saba is the drinks menu. Their cocktails are astounding. I've sampled The Flirtini and a Rudolph's nose something or other on a previous visit; however, as I was driving I went for the non alcoholic Lemon and Lime Bitters which was so tasty. I'm salivating just thinking about it. Yummy. I'll definitely be back!!

Saba, 26-28 Clarendon Street, Dublin 2. 01 6792000 www.sabadublin.com