Straffan Courtyard, also known as Straffan Antiques & Design, is the most wonderful place to visit…read morefor a good day out. It is right there in Barberstown crossroads, almost equal distance from Maynooth, Clane and Celbridge and very close to Straffan village. As you drive in through the gates, park on the left and amble in, you will see that this place is a feast for the eyes - almost like a tiny village but in a courtyard setting. Beautifully restored old outhouse buildings contain a whole host of shops, including a huge antiques section of 18th and 19th century period furniture, ceramics, silver and fine art. A fantastic home and gift shop with modern country style furniture, lighting, pictures and tons of gifts of various descriptions - you will not be short of ideas or choice here! There is also a gorgeous fashion shop, with a large selection of ladies casuals and accessories from a host of Irish designers, including some lovely jewellery, hats, cashmere and silks, as well as a huge selection of vintage clothing, hats and jewellery. Plus, I noticed they have now add a selection of smart casual menswear. When you have finished browsing and shopping - which will certainly take some time as there is such a lot to see - drop into the wonderful Victorian Tearooms, also in the courtyard, for a cup of freshly brewed coffee, some delicious cakes and pastries or a light lunch. So, if you fancy an afternoon's drive, I would highly recommend that you drop into the Straffan Courtyard, which is only a short distance and easy to find from both the N4 and the N7 and trust me, you will not be disappointed.

Thanks to Yelp I finally discoverd this little gem just outside Dublin (going down the N4 it's just…read moredown the R403 towards Celbridge). I went there due to the Grill Academy presented by Weber Grills which are new in the range of things The Orchard offers. These grill presentations take place now every Saturday 12-2pm until end of July and are well worth it I think if you want to learn more about how to get the most out of your grill and to get ideas what else you can use it for other than the usual steak or sausage. And if you'd like to use your grill even during the week for a quickly prepared meal. The presenter we had, Jamie, was very knowledgeable, passionate and interesting to listen to. Before the event I had a proper look at the whole shop and I very much liked what they sell. Yes, it's pricey, but also very good quality. And they have a room full of reduced items that a very much worth looking at. I loved especially their huge range of plants for both indoors and outdoors. But also their little interior items with a twist and the kids games looked unusual and fun. At the event I got to talk to the owner and you could just feel his love and passion for the place which I thought transferred to every member of staff I came across. So I hope to be back soon and treat myself to something from the Orchard and to try their cafe which I heard has a very good reputation and I loved the setting in a greenhouse style building.

The Orchard is a bit of a mix match of several different types of items. It is a pet shop, garden…read morecentre, furniture shop, baking goods store, book shop and sells some nice local foods too. The pet shop is a great place to bring kids, they can see rabbits and fish! The furniture is expensive but is very nice and there are some one off pieces here. There is often a sale on too. The books are expensive in fairness as are a lot of the local type foods on sale but if it is for a treat after seeing the pets, it's perfect! The cafe is hit and miss. The cakes can be delicious and the salads and lunches seem to be very popular. The coffee is just from a machine but for the number of tables they have here (seats about 100) they are always full so nobody much minds! It's good for kids but their queing system is terrible and there's very few frills but it is a lovely setting which is why I'm presuming people come back. I think if they improved their cafe to be much more of an experience this venue would be five star all day long and would probably be even busier!