Patricia Roberts’s stylish town house hotel sits in a row of Georgian terraces in the centre, nearly within paint-splattering distance of the art gallery. The Grade I listed building has been ‘attractively restored’: there’s an open fire in the bar; books and candles sit on window sills; exposed brick and original stonework bring atmosphere to the vaulted basement spa. ‘From the very pleasant first-floor restaurant, we enjoyed watching the world pass by.’ Bedrooms vary in size and style. Smaller Club Rooms with contemporary decor overlook the courtyard or the neighbouring red brick houses, but opt for one of the ‘elegant, spacious’ period-style rooms reached via the house’s original staircase. These have large sash windows, perhaps a roll-top bath or handmade brass-and-gilt bed. In the handsome bistro restaurant, chef Tim Harris puts a ‘tasty’ modern French twist on traditional Irish dishes, perhaps Burren oak-smoked salmon, beetroot, capers; braised pork cheek, fennel compote, apple purée, chicory. At breakfast, choose among sweet and savoury crêpes, egg dishes on potato farl, organic Irish porridge oats ‘served as you like’.