The Fat Duck Restaurant, Bray

Advantages: Wild combinations and cuisine, an experience
Disadvantages: Very expensive, Not a place to take the kids

...The Fat Duck, Bray, Berkshire One of only a handful of 3* Michelin restaurants in the UK, Bray is blessed by having two such illustrious establishments. The Fat Duck is owned by chef Heston Bumenthal, a creative, and some might say, inspired genius who has built up the reputation of the Fat Duck since 1995, having bought it as a 450 year old pub. I decided to organise a once in a very-long-while treat for my wife and I in 2006 to celebrate, Birthday, Valentine's day and a love of good food and wine. The trip was to be a competition (or at least a comparison) - The Fat Duck versus The Waterside Inn (the other 3* Michelin establishment in Bray). You can see my other review of the Waterside Inn for the comparison. Booking ------------ All I can say with this is good luck. I called over Christmas to...

a4angus 23.02.2006 · Read review
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Review of The Fat Duck, Bray

  The Waterside Inn, Bray

Advantages: Best food, fantastic service, great venue
Disadvantages: Pricey

...The Waterside Inn, Bray, Berkshire One of only three 3* Michelin restaurants in the UK, Bray is blessed by having two such illustrious establishments. The Riverside Inn is owned and run by Michel and Alain Roux (father and son). Alain is the Chef Patron. The Waterside Inn had one star until 1977 when it was awarded the second Michelin star. In 1985 the coveted third star was awarded which it has held ever since (20 years!). There is no other establishment in the UK with such an illustrious record of culinary excellence. I decided to organise a once in a very-very-long-while treat for my wife and I in 2006 to celebrate, Birthday, Valentine's day and a love of good food and wine. A mini-gourmet holiday. The trip was to be a competition or sorts (or at least a comparison) - The Waterside Inn...

a4angus 03.03.2006 (04.03.2006) · Read review
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Review of The Waterside Inn, Bray, UK

Irelands hidden treasure

Advantages: Stunning scenery, good craic, not touristy
Disadvantages: Slightly inaccessible

...When you think of holidays in Ireland, what do you think of? The beautiful green farmlands of Tipperary, the dramatic peaks and lake-pools of the Ring of Kerry, angling in the River Shannon, or enjoying the craic in the vibrant capital city Dublin? All of these are undoubtedly staples of an Irish holiday, but if you?re looking for something a bit more different ? why not try County Donegal? In my opinion, County Donegal has the most spectacular scenery in the whole of Ireland: hundreds of miles of coastline with the highest sea-cliffs in Europe, beautiful beaches, and inland there are rivers, glens and bogland hills, not to mention the more barren ?moonlike? stretches of Connemara. The Rough Guide to Ireland raves about the country?s second largest county saying: ?the demonically daunting peninsulas of the northern reaches are...

Maia 14.06.2003 · Read review
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Review of Donegal (Ireland)

The REAL Ireland

Advantages: Leprechauns, guinness, arse, feck, drink, girls
Disadvantages: Crime, violence, poverty, racism, sectarianism

...Top of the morning to ya! As an Irishman I know all that's worth knowing about the emerald isle and all the shenanigans that goes on there. I know there have been plenty of reviews by foreigners about my good country, but they can only give you a tourists view. The real Ireland lies beneath the shiny gloss and corporate lies. I'm here to unravel it for you. *What follows is called satire. If you have no sense of humour or just want real information on Ireland you shouldn't bother to read this. This disclaimer is a pre-emptitive strike against people who read the whole thing before commenting "I was expecting a nice review on Dublin."* 1. Myths and legends According to the Irish Tourist Board and Hollywood, Ireland is full of happy-go-lucky-leprechauns (see Darby O'Gill And The Little People). The idea of a mythological Ireland is...

kfingleton 18.03.2001 · Read review
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Review of Dublin (Ireland)

Bank of ireland

Advantages: Friendly staff
Disadvantages: Long Cues

...Bank of Ireland I have been a customer of bank of Ireland for some time now, and I have to admit I have never had any problems with the service. I have a basic saving account and a credit card with this bank - and I have been a loyal customer every since. I opened an account when I was 17, and they were very helpful as I had no ID, so they worked hard with me to get a way of opening an account for me, which I appreciated very much. This account is not a card account, just a savings account - meaning I had to physically go into a bank branch to withdraw or deposit money. I didn't mind as they had 3 branches in my area, which is very handy. I then became a student and was offered a student credit card with all these brilliant deals, so in fell into the trap unfortunately, and now I owe them 800 quid . That's one thing...

lesleyanne18 17.10.2007 (08.04.2008) · Read review
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Review of Bank of Ireland

Ireland - Historic and Ledgendary

Advantages: Beautiful Scenery, full of information, stacks of history
Disadvantages: capital too crowded

...very cheap. -*-*- Ireland -*-*- After quite a marvelous trip we got in our car and were off to find our hotel, little did we know that it would be a long trip. But before I go into all that let me tell you what I thought of Dublin, well it wasn't what I would have expected I thought it would be a lot quieter but as it was the capital you may have expected it to be a bit crowded. We got on the right road that we wanted that was towards Bré pronounced Bray in English and our hotel was just outside it. We got to Bray pretty easily but then there was three separate roundabouts and we figured that it would be round here and we were half right but after we could not find it, we turned to the traditional way of asking the locals but we had to ask a few, and after a drive that should of took 34minutes (it actually took 2 1\2 hours.) We had...

ste231191 24.10.2005 · Read review
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Review of General: Ireland

The Beautiful Burren, County Clare, Ireland

Advantages: Very peaceful, gorgeous scenary, unspoilt landscape.
Disadvantages: Can be very cold/windy, not much in the line of 'shopping' except gift shops

...Being from Clare myself, it is an absolute pleasure to be able to tell you all about this wild, harsh but absolutly beautiful place in the North of the 'Banner County', in South West Ireland. The Burren comes from the Irish/Gaelic word Boireann, which means stony place, and is a massive area of hugh limestone pavements covering a vast plain of land, said to be about 300 sq. kilometres. It stretches for miles and miles, through valleys, up mountains and hills, and alongside rivers and streams. It features some of the rarest flora and fauna in the whole country, a spray of colour against the harsh, grey landscape. It offers absolute peace, a type of spiritual tranquility that you just want more of. You can stand in the middle of this land, and breath in all the fresh air you can take, and you may not see a single person for miles...

Evil_Irish_Twin 20.10.2004 · Read review
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Review of The Burren (Ireland)

Ireland

Advantages: Safe
Disadvantages: weather

...I just visited to Ireland from Malta on a Rynair flight, with my wife and a three year old kid. We rented a cottage in Borrisokane, and a car from Dublin airport. Please take car for the car hire prices - I was given a quote on the internet and wasn't respected when I presented y booking. You can find several offers at the airport. Use a GPS - very helpful, especially on the way outside Dublin. The roads near the airport and the Dublin ring road are being upgraded. The weather was a bit cloudy but fine. People - they are fantastic and more than welcome. They love to chat and help tourists. Once we stopped for a coffee and an old gentleman asked us to join and talk to us. Ireland is an untouched place and a relaxing country. They are very late back people. The Irish seems to love family - lot of pregnant...

joemal 07.08.2008 · Read review
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Review of General: Ireland

Great Golf Links of Ireland

Advantages: Magnificent Links Golf Courses
Disadvantages: Bring your waterproofs

...-wide appeal fund was launched, resulting in thousands of pounds being raised. Sea ‘gabion? wire baskets were laid, layered with stones, to defuse the in-rushing Atlantic breakers. However, the problem is not solved. It is still on going. Ballybunion is rated at number nine in the list of the worlds? best courses. ROYAL PORTRUSH GOLF CLUB The Royal Portrush Golf Club was the first true links course in Ireland, opening for play in 1888. It is situated no more than a drive and a pitch from the town on the north County Antrim coastline, alongside the famous ‘Giant?s Causeway?. Similar in design and layout to the Old Course at Saint Andrews, Scotland, it boasts large, undulating putting greens, and fairways carved from the natural humps and hollows of the ever-present sand dunes. Precise accuracy is at a premium...

the_mad_cabbie 06.12.2000 · Read review
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Review of General: Ireland

Ancient Monuments in Ireland's Boyne Valley

Advantages: Awe-inspiring monuments from the Neolithic Era
Disadvantages: Guided tours are too structured and too limiting

...structures to survive into the present, and they apparently served our ancestors as temples and scientific instruments, as well as cemeteries. The construction of these enduring monuments is testimony to the ingenuity of our forebears and confirms their passion for responding to the natural and supernatural realms to which they dwelt. For further information on Brú na Bóinne and its many attractions, see http://www.knowth.com/index.htm or contact the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre by email at brunaboinne@ealga.ie or phone 041-9880300 (from Ireland). © DAnneC/BawBaw, 2003...

BawBaw 24.08.2003 · Read review
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Review of General: Ireland