I’ve been thinking for quite a while of doing a very occasional series of posts here on stuff you should do. Places you should visit, TV you should watch, books you should read, food you should eat.

The only thing stopping me these days is the quality of other people’s blog posts in the same vein and my increasingly short attention span when I’m sitting at my desk during the day (that damned “work” gets in the way!)

Just be aware – I’m not a professional reviewer, this is just about pointing to things I think are great and that I think are very much worth your time…

So, to begin:

You should… try The Marker Hotel, just opposite the Bord Gais Energy Theatre in Dublin.

Went in for dinner on Saturday night and met the head chef Gareth (always strange meeting someone in real life that you know from Twitter!) who is chatty, lovely, warm, passionate about what he’s serving on the night.

Had the tasting menu which swanned by in a haze of trout tartare, broth of oxheart tomato, sorbets, spring lamb rump and crispy belly, chocolate mousse, vanilla cheesecake thingy, espressos and, with a paysan salad and rosemary fries, the most incredible lobster I’ve ever tasted…

I think the architecture inside is stunning too.

Just a word of warning – on those nights there’s a show in the BGET they do between 80 and 100 heads for their pre-theatre so booking in advance to avoid blah blah yadda yadda yadda.

Someone (obviously very swanky!) had booked the rooftop bar for the whole day and night for a function so we didn’t get to see what is, by all accounts, one of the “in” places to have a cocktail in Dublin these days. Next time.

Saying that, the downstairs bar is gorgeous, great cocktails and has a beautiful view out onto the lit plaza beyond.

Will definitely be back.