Crossing the Dublin Ritz off the Bucket List

Over the last five years, I’ve been slowly crossing off the North American Ritz Carlton locations off my bucket list including: Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, South Beach, Orlando, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, Cancun, Marina del Rey, Laguna Nigel, Maui and Half Moon Bay.

I first saw the Dublin Ritz online a few years ago and instantly fell in love. It looked so green, lush and decadent -- my version of paradise.

I promised myself if I ever went to Ireland, I would stay at least one night on their estate. And what better way to end my week of cycling through the rainy Irish countryside than being pampered at a luxury 5-star hotel?

PAMPERED AND SPOILED
The Dublin Ritz knows what a girl needs to feel pampered and spoiled. From the moment I walked in the door, I felt like I was a princess.

Located in the county of Wicklow just outside of Dublin, the resort has two championship-calibre golf courses, a luxury spa and Gordon Ramsay’s signature restaurant (and wine bar).

Plus, they have really cool things to do like archery, croquet and pheasant shooting -- if you like shooting things.

It’s also close to Enniskerry Village, a Guinness Brewery and Jamison Whiskey Distillery.

I was going mostly for the scenic views of Sugar Loaf Mountain and the gardens. No cycling, golfing or sporty stuff for me. It was time to be pampered and indulge in good food and wine.

BEST WAY TO END THE TRIP

Sometimes it’s the things that aren’t on the menu that make the average meal memorable. This certainly was the case at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant.

Little things like almonds and olives before your meal, fresh bread that kept coming all night long and handmade chocolates at the end of your meal are just a few of the extras that add to the already exceptional service and food.

Then there’s the wine.

I love wine and I love having someone pair it up with food to give me the full experience. At the Dublin Ritz, they give you the option of choosing your own wine or you can have them pick a couple of glasses for you for €25 or  €35. I did this and was not disappointed.

Fabio Serafini, the restaurant manager, became my personal sommelier and chose three fabulous wines for me including a Riesling from Spain to go with my pea soup, a dry white from Italy to go with my scallops and a red Italian blend that went perfectly with my wild mushroom pasta. 

This one was my favorite. It was bold, slightly spicey and amazing.

The best part was he not only poured the wine, but explained where it came from, how it was made and why he thought it would go well with each course.

Just another little thing that made a night memorable.

PRIVATE TOUR OF THE KITCHEN

As I mentioned I loved my stay at the Ritz – and as you can probably tell from this blog, I love really good food. So at the end of my meal when they asked if I would like a private tour of the Gordon Ramsay’s kitchen, my answer was an immediate “yes!”

The kitchen was spacious, clean and modern. I was surprised to see they had a chef’s table inside where parties of 6 could enjoy their meal with extra special treatment.

I also was surprised to learn that the chocolates they give you at the end of the meal are really handmade – as the pastry chef was handmaking them when I came in.

The tour was short, but I was honored to be able to go behind the scenes and meet the people who made my meal and my evening so special.

It was also so completely unexpected -- which made it that much more wonderful.