The Granville Hotel is a superb base for a 2-day dip into Waterford

 The Granville is a superb base for a 2-day dip into Waterford.

You can't avoid history in Ireland’s oldest Viking city. There’s a lot to see and do here, and the Granville Hotel, on Meagher’s Quay, is an ideal base as we discovered on a recent two-day trip.

Granville's Full Irish (slightly reduced by request!)

Flowers at breakfast

That history includes Thomas Francis Meagher. He is featured often in the comfortable and convenient hotel. The Granville has even named the bar after Meagher, the man credited with first raising the Irish tricolour.

We were in that bar for a bit. Like the hotel in general, it supports Irish producers, and I enjoyed a pint of O’Hara’s IPA with my dinner. CL favoured the Granville’s own session ale, brewed for them by O’Haras.

However, she was more inclined to enthusiastically discuss her main course. It was Fish of the Day and, unusually, featured trout.  Local trout, of course, from just up the road in Kilkenny. That Goatsbridge fish was amazing, and the veg was cooked well, not too hard or soft. I tucked into a decent curry, glad to get the option of half rice and half fries!

The bar is spacious and comfortable, and the service is excellent, as it was throughout the hotel. The main restaurant is the eye-catching and ultra-comfortable Bianconi, where we twice had breakfast. It is possibly the best hotel breakfast in Ireland. Watch out for their Eggs Benedict served on the local Blaa. Their Full Irish, packed with local produce, will set you up for the day. And you have the option of whiskey on your porridge!

The Granville offers free parking on the quay outside the door, and they’ll validate your ticket before you leave. The quay is undergoing massive works, so parking may not be as freely available in later months. But we had no trouble finding a spot.

In addition to the Granville and Bodega meals, we ate lunch at the well-maintained and friendly Fullers Bistro in Lismore. The following day, lunch was thoroughly enjoyed at the café in the House of Waterford. 

This is where you’ll find Waterford Glass and where you can book a tour that will get you up close to their expert craftsmen at work. So it’s no surprise that, while the prices were very reasonable, the water glasses in the café were Waterford, the cutlery was Royal Doulton, and the china was Wedgewood. My Tuscan Delight sandwich came in some style!

Also on this trip; 

Bodéga.

Exploring Waterford’s Viking Triangle.