Indigo Lounge

Beloved of Dublin’s smart set, this bar/restaurant ticks all the right boxes. Its part of the picturesque Clontarf Castle Hotel, an imposing Gothic Revival affair built in 1836. What strikes you first about Indigo’s fetching decor is that the colour indigo is actually underrepresented; it should be called the Plum Lounge. Pillars, handsome chandeliers and a great stripe running across the floor are all a deep plum colour. Among the menu’s temptations are fine wines, particularly the rosado Cabernet Sauvignon. While cocktails are conspicuous by their absence on the menu, fear not, the bartender’s repertoire includes all the classics. On the food front, from Irish Sirloin steak to designer fish and chips and postmodern bangers and mash, the food here is hearty and unpretentious.