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The Old Inn Review

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The Old Inn

Address: 16 km (10 mi) east of Belfast on A2, 15 Main St., Crawfordsburn, Co. Down, BT19 1JH
Phone: 028/9185-3255
www.theoldinn.com

Price range: $-$$
Location: Belfast

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Fodor's Review:

Set in the village of Crawfordsburn, this 1614 coach inn, reputedly Ireland's oldest, certainly looks the part: it's pure 17th-century England, with a sculpted thatch roof, half doors, and leaded-glass windows. As it was near one of the leading cross-channel ports linking Ireland and England, the coach always stopped here, often bearing visitors with names like Swift, Tennyson, Thackeray, Dickens, and Trollope. Some of the finest bedrooms have 17th-century-style woodwork, sitting rooms, and faux-Jacobean beds, while public salons offer beam ceilings, roaring log fires, and lots of Ulster craic (chat). Repair to the grand 1614 restaurant to tuck into Finnebrogue venison with sweet-potato puree, red-onion marmalade, and thyme beurre blanc, and also savor the delicious setting of flocked curtains, English wood panels, sculpted portrait medallions, and a soaring coved ceiling. "Pub Fayre" is offered at the Churn Bistro, where the menu is solidly Irish, the staff is jovial, and the locals are inquisitive. Over the centuries, large portions of the inn were rebuilt, and the East Wing is a completely modern take on Irish Georgian style. Pros: a proverbial step back in time; full of character; sample a pint of Magners vintage Irish cider in the comfortable, cheery bar; blazing log fires add to the mellowness. Cons: complaints center on slow service; breakfasts have not been up to the mark; some areas are in need of redecoration.

Hotel Details: 31 rooms, 4 suites
In-room: Wi-Fi.
In-hotel: restaurant, bars.
Rate includes: Full breakfast
Credit Cards: AE, MC, V