Justine Halifax follows in the footsteps of literary greats in the Irish capital.

Dublin may be a favoured destination for stag and hen parties, but there’s a far more upmarket and sophisticated way to enjoy this vibrant city.

And there’s far more to Dublin than just Temple Bar, too.

On a rare weekend off from our two young children, my husband and I paid a weekend visit to the four-star Gresham Hotel in Upper O’Connell Street.

The Gresham proved to be ideally located to explore the best of this city’s cultural attractions.

In Parnell Square, just a short walk from the hotel, is the fabulous Abbey Theatre and the Michelin-starred Chapter One Restaurant, one of the city’s finest restaurants that’s listed in Ireland’s prestigious Blue Book, a collection of high quality hotels and restaurants.

Found in the basement of the enlightening Writers’ Museum – just one of a host of the literary highlights this inspiring city has at its heart – the restaurant has a very contemporary, yet rustic Irish charm.

An Irish Times food critic once said: “Chapter One is not just about truly brilliant food. It’s also about the very essence of Irish hospitality.’’

We enjoyed a wonderful meal here. The food was mouthwatering, perfectly cooked and elegantly presented, and we could not fault the superb service we received either.

We sat in the main dining room but there’s also the option of sitting at the Chef’s Table in the kitchen to see first hand your food being carefully prepared.

We ate during Chapter One’s pre-dinner sitting which proved ideal to make an evening performance of Sean O’Casey’s The Plough and The Stars at the atmospheric Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s national theatre.

It was a very moving play which was well delivered.

If you have time to venture further afield then the Dublin Bus Tour is an easy way to explore and you can hop on and hop off the bus at stops close to the city’s top attractions.

A great place to break up a shopping trip is lunch at the beautiful Church Bar, in the heart of Dublin city centre’s shopping district.

With its striking architecture and beauitiful stained glass, the former St Mary’s Church – which is where Arthur Guinness, founder of Guinness Storehouse, married in 1761 – is described as one of the city’s most unique establishments. We enjoyed a pleasant lunch in the Gallery Restaurant, overlooking the bar.

But if it’s just a great coffee and a chat you’re seeking then a unique experience awaits you at Bewley’s cafe. A beautiful and intriguing building, it has a fabulous open balcony overlooking Grafton Street.

Boasting six magnificent stained glass windows by the renowned artist Harry Clarke, it dates back to 1927 when it was opened by a Quaker family.

It’s also a must on a literary tour of Dublin as it went on to become an essential part of the literary, cultural, artistic, architectural and social life of Dublin and a haunt to Ireland’s most famous literary and artistic figures. Former customers include James Joyce (who mentioned the cafe in his book Dubliners), Patrick Kavanagh, Samuel Beckett, Sean O’Casey and, in more recent years, Bob Geldof and Sinead O’Connor.

Once your palattes are suitably satisfied there’s a wealth of attractions to see in Dublin to suit all tastes.

And the Dublin Pass is by far the best way to explore this amazing city.

Not only is it more economical to see Dublin’s top sites (prices start from 35 Euro a day for adults and 19 Euro for children) giving you free entry to 30 top visitor attractions, it also enables you to get priority fast track entry and skip the queues at some city attractions.

Included for free are Dublin Zoo, the Guinness Storehouse, the Old Jameson Distillery, Kilmainham Goal, Dublin Castle and the Irish Museum of Modern Art. Others attractions offer discounted entry for Dublin Pass holders.

But one of my all-time favourite attractions in Dublin is Trinity College library. As one of the world’s great research libraries it holds the largest collection of manuscripts and printed books in Ireland and the Book of Kells, a ninth century illuminated manuscript.

The main chamber of the Old Library, known as the Long Room, houses around 200,000 of the library’s oldest books and it is an awe inspiring site to behold.

After each hard day of sightseeing, however, it was always good to get back to the Gresham, the oldest hotel to survive the bombings of the city’s Easter Uprising of 1916.

Despite being part of a chain, which also boasts hotels in Cork, Brussels and Hamburg, the landmark Gresham Dublin still retains its individual and inviting character.

Described as a “Dublin institution”, we stayed in one of its beautiful, spacious and contemporary decorated suites.

Leading off a private hallway was a huge lounge which boasted a large fireplace, a Bang Olfsen sound system, flat screen TV, a fully stocked bar and dining table.

Our huge bedroom also featured a flat screen TV and Sony DVD system as well as ample wardrobe space, a super king-sized bed and a huge balcony that ran the length of the suite. The large bathroom also featured a Jacuzzi.

There was everything my husband and I needed to enjoy a luxurious and comfortable stay. Breakfast here was good and afternoon tea overlooking O’Connell Street was delicious.

Dublin is an intriguing, vibrant city that holds something to entertain all classes and all tastes. We had a wonderful cultural experience with the Gresham Hotel as our base.

Travel Facts

* Justine Halifax stayed in Dublin courtesy of the Gresham Hotel, 23 Upper O’Connell Street. Special offers start from 89 Euro a night. For more visit www.gresham-hotels-dublin.com.

* For more on the Dublin Pass visit www.dublinpass.ie and for more information on what to see and where to eat visit www.visitdublin.com.

* Dublin Bus Tour is an easy way to get around the city – visit www.dublinsightseeing.ie.

* Abbey Theatre: www.abbeytheatre.ie; The Chapter One Restaurant: www.chapteronerestaurant.com, The Church Bar: www.thechurch.ie.