Inside The Leinster – Dublin’s “First Luxury Lifestyle Hotel”

9th April 2024 | By Astrid Carter

A seriously good cocktail bar, dreamy interiors, Irish charm by the bucket load, and a world-class, Michelin-starred chef are what you’ll find at Dublin’s latest hotel opening. The Handbook’s Fashion & Lifestyle Editor, Astrid Carter, checked into The Leinster for 48 hours. Here’s what she thought…  

The Leinster’s USP

I don’t want to be sycophantic about this new opening but The Leinster have nailed the holy trinity of hotel standards. Great food. Dreamy interiors. Excellent service. They call themselves Dublin’s “first luxury lifestyle hotel,” and as much as that’s zeitgeisty hotel jargon, the proof is in the pudding.

There’s a brilliant cocktail bar on the ground floor with world-class molecular cocktail making, sultry live music and dark corners to knock knees at over a negroni. There’s artwork that runs throughout the hotel, with gems from over 80 local artists to a Damien Hirst that sits proudly behind the reception desk. Interiors by Irish design team O’Donnell O’Neill feel punchy but welcoming, with plenty of Instagram-worthy nooks, bold prints and sumptuous fabrics. 

jean-george restaurant interior at the leinster hotel

In the basement of the hotel, there’s a spa, gym, and steam situation, still currently being built. I had the chance to get a sneak peek and it looks like it will be inviting enough to get up for even after a night of one too many Guinnesses. They also plan to host PT sessions and Insta-worthy private classes, which I’m sure will attract many of Dublin’s cool crowd. 

And then there is the biggest pull The Leinster has to offer, a rooftop restaurant from 2-Michelin Starred French chef, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, whose world-class reputation has gained him restaurants all over the globe, from Miami to Marrakesh, Paris to Sao Paolo. More on that part of the hotel later as it’s worth the visit alone. 

The Location 

Nestled on the corner of Merrion Square, which is right in the heart of Dublin’s Georgian area, The Leinster’s neighbours are a bounty of beautiful, pillared townhouses set around the stunning green space – a quiet oasis in what feels like an affluent part of town.

It’s also the perfect location if you like to explore a city exclusively on foot as the famous Trinity College, the National Galleries, and the iconic shopping hotspot of Grafton Street are all within walking distance.  As well as traditional Irish pubs that feel authentic, local and less raucous than the infamous tourist trapped Temple Bars.

Food & Drink

Whilst a Guinness may feel like the natural drink order in the city that birthed it, I urge you to try the hotel’s Collin’s Club bar’s molecular and wondrous cocktail list. Their Banana Old Fashioned, for example, which tastes far more sophisticated than it sounds is made by extracting pure banana juice – clear and smooth rather than the consistency of a morning shake – infusing it with Havana 7 rum and finishing with a rich chocolate truffle perched on top the glass’ generous ice cube. Or their signature sip – simply called, Strawberry – made by infusing white strawberries with gin and white pepper. Delicate and dangerous, I could have sunk back ten. 

Their signature sip, simply called Strawberry, is made by infusing white strawberries with gin and white pepper. Delicate and dangerous, I could have sunk back ten. 

Then there is the food. This is really where The Leinster comes into its own. Nabbing global culinary superstar Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten has really taken this hotel from cool to something extra special. 

His eponymously-named restaurant, headed up on the day-to-day by Glasgweigen chef, Ross Bryans, proudly takes up residence on the hotel’s top floor, with a spectacular al fresco balcony area, an abundance of natural light, endless views of the city and seriously chic French bistro-inspired interiors.

straberry cocktail
The “Strawberry” cocktail at The Leinster

The table set up is either round tables or cosy booths, making the space perfect for intimate groups to tuck into a part French, part South East Asian affair, with a little bit of Italian pasta thrown in, all brought together in celebration of brilliant Irish produce. Locally sourced is something the bar and restaurant team are very proud of, from beef to salmon and plentiful local veggies that shine adjacently to the meat and fish dishes. Jean-Georges had also had his favourite French caviar flown in that morning – less local – but when you have 50-plus restaurants worldwide and two stars, you can afford to be a little boujee. 

bowl of pea soup
egg toast and sashimi

The menu is genuinely nothing short of excellent – which you’d expect from this calibre of chef –  but this really was some of the best food I’ve had in a long time. Try Jean-Georges’ signature ‘egg toast’ and you’ll agree. An unctuous finger of toast that tasted like the gooiest of golden egg yolks and topped with caviar and herbs. 

The Asian influence really comes through with the appetisers on the menu, from the ginger-led tuna tartare to the mouthwatering sashimi loaded with tongue-tingling heat, to the crispy sushi with its satisfying crunch and Unami flavours. 

The Irish tenderloin is also a must-order, served with an eye-pleasing broccoli steak and pistachio crumb, as well as the parmesan-crusted chicken – a Jean-George signature worldwide – which comes swimming in an artichoke, basil and lemon butter. As well as the pea soup – hands down the best pea soup I’ve ever had – it did not taste like the pea soup I make, put it that way. 

bedroom at the leinster hotel

The Rooms 

Every inch of The Leinster is easy on the eye, thanks to Irish interior studio O’Donnell O’Neill Design’s vision. There are fringed little lamps on the tables of the cocktail bar, beautiful wallpapers and banquet seating in the restaurant and over 300 works of art throughout the property. 

Even the toilets are chic. With sinks you’ll want to rip out for your own renovation project to sweet café curtains to protect the gents’ modesty and chic toiletries from local brand, Brooks & Co. 

The aesthetic carries through to the rooms, with bean-shaped velvet sofas in scarlet red making a bar area in each sleeping quarter; deep copper tubs in some of the larger room’s bathrooms, pretty Pierre Frey wallpapers and excellent lighting throughout. A moment must be taken for the beautiful floral embroidered headboards that steal the show in each room, the dalmatian-inspired carpets (I didn’t know I needed them until now) and little finishing touches like cocktail glasses and Dyson hairdryers in each room. The devil really is in the detail at The Leinster. 

The devil really is in the detail at The Leinster. 

Things To Do Nearby

Dublin is thriving right now. There is no end to its charms and this being my inaugural trip to the Irish capital, it took less than 10 minutes for thoughts of “I want to come back here” to creep in. If you’re checking in at The Leinster make the most of some of its doorstep highlights…

Trinity College 

Take a guided tour to learn of the greats that walked the cobbled campus before from Oscar Wilde to Samuel Becket, but also for a cheap thrill for any fans of the Normal People great, heartbreaking love story. 

hotel room sofa and cocktail bar at the leinster hotel

Book of Kells

See the religious treasure that dates back to circa 800 and learn of how it came to sit in Trinity College but make sure you stop off at the library that sits above it which is the real pull.  From the evocative smell of old books (so good it could be riffed off for the next Tom Ford fragrance) to the hypnotic “Gaia” art installation – the spectacular illuminated sculpture of Earth by Luke Jerram that’s currently residing and rotating there above it’s imposing dark wood beams. 

National Galleries

Tick off a Picasso, a Monet, a Carrivagio, Rothko and more at Dublin’s impressive National Galleries. It also has a great gift shop full of inspiring Irish novels, history and social commentary books. 

The Verdict

You don’t need the deepest of pockets (just deepish) to find impeccable style, five-star food and warmth by the bucketload if you book into The Leinster. The food and drink are worth the flight alone and the team at the hotel are beyond welcoming – their job, I know – but there is something to be said for the Irish disposition, and in turn, the city itself. Unfussy, familiar and a whole lot of fun. 

How To Get There

Aer Lingus flies up to 14 times a day between Heathrow and Dublin. Tickets cost from £95 return economy, including all fares and taxes. To book, visit aerlingus.com. The Leinster is less than a 30-minute drive from Dublin Airport.

How To Book

Room rates will start from €300 per night.

To book or to book in at the Jean-George restaurant visit

theleinster.ie


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