The Drawing Room

The Concept

Overlooking the formal gardens, flooded with natural daylight, radiating warmth and exquisite style, The Drawing Room is the ideal spot for a tranquil interlude. From 9am guests can take their morning coffee by the vast windows, drop in for light meals and refreshments until 5pm, and sip a flute of champagne beneath the ornate gilded ceiling with an evening meal. The dress code is semi-casual in the daytime, transitioning to smart casual in the evening, when The Drawing Room provides a graceful setting for cocktails and sparkling conversations.

The Cuisine

The vibrant flavours of fresh Irish produce shine through The Drawing Room’s menu. Exciting ingredients from artisan suppliers such as Duncannon smoked salmon, Dublin Bay prawns and St Tolas Goats’ Cheese elevate the selection of delicate salads and elegant dishes. Whether guests are seeking refreshment in the midst of a busy day of estate activities or wish to linger over a peaceful lunch, dining in The Drawing Room is an indulgent and luxurious experience.

The Cocktails

Curated by our expert mixologist, The Drawing Room’s list of traditional and innovative signature cocktails is a tribute to Adare Manor’s distinguished history and setting. Enjoyed as an aperitif before dining in The Oak Room, or savoured as a nightcap before retiring, a cocktail in The Drawing Room evokes a mood of inspired relaxation. Each drink features specialty liquors and sophisticated flavours, giving even the most classic of cocktails a fresh and subtle twist.

The Design

Lady Caroline described The Drawing Room as “noble” and that aristocratic adjective still applies today. The magnificent restoration of the ceiling, with its gold leaf and original plaster details of clustered shamrocks, casts a glow of opulence over the space. The room’s furnishings are an echo of this luminous presence: woven pale vanilla fabric on the walls, armchairs in soft warm shades of gold, and bespoke draperies adapted from an archived 18th century French brocatelle, re-woven for Adare Manor on traditional looms.

The Drawing Room is graced by the work of two historically important architects. The stamp of Philip Charles Hardwick in evident in the grand bay windows, which bathe the room in natural light. Framed by those same windows are gorgeous views of the formal Parterre Gardens, painstakingly designed by Hardwick and the 3rd Earl of Dunraven over the course of several years. Hardwick also contributed one of the imposing fireplaces in the room, adorned with carved crocodiles, a pegasus, and a wolf’s head, among other emblems of the Quin family. The other grand fireplace, carved in Melograno marble, is the work of architectural genius Augustus Pugin, and exhibits his romantic interpretations of heraldic design. The piece features many masterful carvings, particularly of gently twisting oak leaves and acorns: a reference to Adare whose Irish name Áth Dara means “the ford of the oak tree.”

Child Policy

Children under 16 are welcome at all times in The Drawing Room. All children must be accompanied by an adult at all times, for their own safety.