Once Upon a Tea Time
Lafayette’s
Afternoon Tea Served In Lafayette's €32pp
Monday to Friday : 12noon till 4pm
Last food orders: 4pm
Saturday and Sunday for Afternoon Tea only: 12noon - 4pm
Last food orders: 4pm
Tale as old as time...
Dating back to 1813, a young Cork architect named Thomas Deane was jumping for joy. A group of merchants set about expanding their meeting rooms on South Mall and asked him to design a brand new hotel which was destined to become a central thread in the life of the city. Not any run of the mill accommodation, but the finest hotel that Cork City had ever seen. Complete with a large coach yard so that it could be used for the visiting business people and traders alike. Young Thomas Deane worked tirelessly for many years and the hotel continued to evolve. It was a very exciting time in Europe with numerous major events taking place. Napoleon was also in exile in St Helena after his defeat by the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo. The 19th century saw many prominent figures stay at the hotel including the Irish painter Daniel Maclise as well as novelists, Maria Edgeworth, Princess Grace, Sir Walter Scott and Charles Dickens. Also, the writer William Makepeace Thackeray took tea at the hotel with the Apostle of Temperance, Fr Theobald Mathew.
Tale as old as time... The Imperial Hotel opened its doors over 200 years ago and has since become a home away from home for many a tired traveller, all who have witnessed the hotel change and grow quite dramatically over time. On a rainy August evening in 1922, Michael Collins sat sipping a glass of whiskey in his room, whilst penning some of his renowned tributes. It was here on this fateful evening that he wrote what was to be his very final piece. The rain had cleared the following morning and Michael set out shortly after 6am to visit West Cork. It was on his way back that he was killed in an ambush at Béal na Bláth. He was 31 years old. A veil of grief lay over Ireland as one of its greatest ever leaders perished. It was also known that Daniel O’Connell addressed a meeting here in 1858 and Maureen O’Hara frequented the bar and restaurant over many years. Her final visit was in 2012. Over time the Imperial Hotel took on the role of esteemed author to the never-ending tales behind these ornate walls
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Contact us on 021 4274040 to book
Allergen Information
Whilst we will do all we can to accommodate guests with food intolerances and allergies we are unable to guarantee that dishes will be completely allergen-free. Please let us know if you suffer from allergies or have special dietary requirements