Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [570]
MIDRANGE
Laburnum Lodge (Map; 7135 4221; www.laburnumlodge.com; 9 Rockfield, Madam’s Bank Rd; s/d £35/50; ) Readers recommended this suburban villa on a quiet street on the northern edge of town, impressed by the friendly welcome, spacious bedrooms and hearty breakfasts. If you don’t have your own transport, the owner can pick you up from the train or bus station.
Sunbeam House (Map; 7126 3606; www.sunbeamhouse.com; 147 Sunbeam Tce, Bishop St; s/d £38/60; ) This attractive red-brick terrace house is a five-minute walk southwest of the walled city. The four cheerfully decorated rooms are a bit on the small side, but there’s nothing cramped about the hospitality – or the size of the breakfasts!
Arkle House ( 7127 1157; www.derryhotel.co.uk; 2 Coshquin Rd; s/d £40/58; ) Located 2km northwest of the city centre, this grand Victorian house is set in private gardens and offers five large, lush bedrooms and a private kitchen for guests to use.
Abbey B&B (Map; 7127 9000; www.abbeyaccommodation.com; 4 Abbey St; s/d £45/60; ) There’s a warm welcome waiting at this family-run B&B just a short walk from the walled city, on the edge of the Bogside. The six rooms are stylishly decorated and include family rooms with up to four beds.
Merchant’s House (Map; 7126 9691; www.thesaddlershouse.com; 16 Queen St; s/d £45/60; ) Run by the same couple as the Saddler’s House, this historic, Georgian-style town house is a gem of a B&B. It has an elegant lounge and dining room with marble fireplaces and antique furniture, TV, coffee-making facilities and even bathrobes in the bedrooms (only one has an en-suite bathroom), and homemade marmalade at breakfast. Call at the Saddler’s House first to pick up a key.
Saddler’s House (Map; 7126 9691; www.thesaddlershouse.com; 36 Great James St; s/d from £50/60; ) Centrally located within a five-minute walk of the walled city, this friendly B&B is set in a lovely Victorian town house. All seven rooms have private bathrooms, and you get to enjoy a huge breakfast in the family kitchen.
Da Vinci’s Hotel ( 7127 9111; www.davincishotel.com; 15 Culmore Rd; r from £75, ste from £100; ) This sleek boutique hotel on the west bank of the Foyle is the accommodation of choice for visiting celebrities, businesspeople and politicians, offering spacious, stylish rooms and a hip cocktail bar and restaurant. It’s 1.5km north of the city centre.
Eating
BUDGET
Boston Tea Party (Map; 15 Craft Village; snacks £2-4; 9am-5.30pm Mon-Sat) Homemade soups, hot lunches, freshly baked cakes, friendly service and the best apple pie in town – what more could you want from a cafe?
Café Artisan (Map; 7128 2727; 18-20 Bishop St Within; mains £2-5; 9.30am-5.30pm Mon-Sat; ) This cool little cafe serves delicious homemade soups, deli sandwiches, panini and excellent cappuccinos.
Sandwich Co (sandwiches & salads £3-5; 9am-5pm Mon-Sat); The Diamond (Map; 7137 2500); Strand Rd (Map; 61 Strand Rd) White bread, brown bread, baguettes, panini, ciabatta – this place offers good-value, choose-your-own sandwiches and salads.
MIDRANGE
Spice (Map; 7134 4875; 162-164 Spencer Rd, Waterside; mains £9-19; 12.30-2.30pm Tue-Fri & Sun, 5.30-10pm Tue-Sat, 5-9pm Sun) If you can’t decide what cuisine you fancy, this pleasantly chilled-out eatery offers a range of culinary influences, from warm duck salad with hoisin dressing, to tarragon chicken with wild mushrooms, to Madras-spiced bean stew with coriander rice. There’s a separate vegetarian menu, and a three-course dinner deal for £14.
Encore Brasserie (Map; 7137 2492; Millennium Forum, Newmarket St; mains £10-15; noon-3pm & 5-9pm Mon-Sat, 1-4pm & 5-9pm Sun) Set in the lobby of the city’s main cultural venue, the Encore is a stylish little place with friendly, efficient service and a crowd-pleasing menu of perennial favourites from chicken Caesar salad to slow braised-steak-and-Guinness pie.
Fitzroy’s (Map; 7126 6211; 2-4 Bridge St; mains £10-15; 11am-10pm Mon-Sat, noon-8pm Sun) Informal Fitzroy’s does cafe-style burger-and-chips lunches till 5.30pm, and then bistro-style dinners, including Thai chicken