A Romantic Escape to Kilkenny

Hi guys, I hope you’re all having a great weekend. I’ve decided to lock myself away with Netflix and a ridiculous amount of tea for the next two days. Just what the doctor ordered.

Last week, Mei Ling and I escaped Dublin and headed to Kilkenny for a press trip to experience just some of what the city of Kilkenny has to offer. The focus of this trip was to explore the cities jewellers as Kilkenny is known as the top engagement ring destination. We also got to try some amazing food and we were pampered along the way too. Here is what we got up to…



Pamper Yourself


Kilkenny is just 1h30m from Dublin so we got there in no time. Before our first stop, we dropped our bags off at the beautiful Pembroke Hotel.It is located just a few minutes from Kilkenny castle and the main street so once we arrived we didn’t need the car to get around which was convenient.

We stayed in one of their superior rooms, which was not only beautiful (serious interiors goals), it was really spacious and it had a huge king sized bed. It also had a view of Patrick Street.

Our first stop was their in-house spa, Mint Spa. A little pampering couldn’t have come at a better time as I had a few crazy days prior to this so it was nice to unwind. Mei Ling and I both received a 60 minute Germaine de Capuccini Vitamin C Facial. I can honestly say that was the most relaxing hour and I drifted off for a few minutes too. For more on their facials and treatments click here.



Where To Eat


Straight after our facials, Mei Ling and I headed to Ristorante Rinucinni. This is a family owned and run multi award-winning Italian restaurant located across from Kilkenny Castle. A beautiful spot with a warm and friendly atmosphere.

I had Affettato di Gamberi to start followed by Fettuccine Alfredo and a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. The meal was cooked to perfection. I would highly recommend popping in here if you’re a lover of Italian food and fine wine.



Later that afternoon, we stopped off at the Kilkenny Design Centre for some pre-dinner treats. Mei Ling and I shared a salted caramel tart in Anocht and I had the nicest latte. We only had a quick pitstop at the Design Centre so I will definitely be back for a proper look around next time and I would love to test out their dinner menu too.



Our final foodie stop was dinner in Zuni Restaurant.This is a lovely little spot across from the Pembroke hotel. Before our meal, we were treated to some of their delicious cocktails. I had an espresso martini and Mei Ling had an Old Fashioned! Yum! For dinner, I opted for a hake dish which was divine and we also ordered a bottle of Montepulciano. The meal was beyond delicious but it got even better…! We shared a chocolate ball for dessert, the kind that the waiter has to melt with hot chocolate sauce. I am sure a few of you will have seen my Snapchat video of this. I can honestly say my night was made. It really is the little things in life.



Ring Picking – She said YES!


The main reason we visited Kilkenny was to experience the romance! Kilkenny is FULL of jewellers that specialize in the most romantic jewellery of all, engagement rings! We visited two jewellery shops while we were there, Rudolf Heltzel and Lorimat Jewellers.



Chris from Rudolf Heltzel taught us about identifying high quality diamonds and we learnt about the handcrafted process his jewellery goes through. We also got to try on lots of engagement rings and Chris very kindly gifted us each with a pair of earrings. The pieces at Rudolf Heltzel truly are genuine works of art and are made with such high-quality metals and precious gems.

We also met Rita from Lorimat Jewellers, who specialise in vintage style rings. Again, we were lucky enough to try on a few of their unique rings and I fell in love with everything (as usual). Rita also very kindly gifted us with some sparkly must-haves. I jokingly proposed to Mei Ling out the front of Lorimat so we ended the day on a high.



Kilkenny really does have so much to offer. There are so many things to do, places to see, foodie spots and stores to shop! The perfect place for a romantic getaway. And if you’re looking for somewhere special to go ring shopping, Kilkenny is the place to go.

Also, if there is anything in particular you’d like me to blog about next let me know. You can catch me on Snapchat: duffyloikes, InstagramFacebook and Twitter! <3

Thanks for reading!

Until next time…

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(PS. My outfit is from Penneys – this jacket should still be in stores.)