WHERE: Restaurant openings are front of mind this week and I certainly can’t wait to get back to some favourite haunts. For those hesitant, rest assured most properties have taken extreme care to implement high standards of health and safety. Take, for instance, The Ivy Dawson Street, which opens on Saturday July 4. Measures include thermal cameras for temperature checks, the use of tracking software for all employees logging daily temperature readings, with professional deep cleaning and disinfecting carried out on a daily basis. Air filtration units have also been fitted. That means guests can relax fully and enjoy the new seasonal dishes including organic Galway Bay smoked salmon, beef from supplier John Stone, and crispy duck from Monaghan’s Silverhill Farm. My favourite order is always the crab salad starter; www.theivydublin.ie.

At The Westbury a trio of opening offers awaits guests. For a stylish get together with friends Afternoon Tea in The Gallery (€55) is always special, and can be served with or without a glass of Perrier-Jouet champagne. Alternatively, al fresco dining at Balfes brasserie takes in the buzz of downtown Dublin, with a light, luscious menu of superfood salads, bistro favourites and pre-dinner cocktails. Meanwhile at Wilde “Everything’s Rosé” – with a new menu to toast summer and matching floral decorations by Appassionata, it’s all highly Instagrammable; www.balfes.ie.

Avoca has reopened a number of its cafés, perfect for a catch up over tea and cake. With spacious outdoor terraces and picturesque views, why not make a date at one of the following venues: The Sugar Tree Café at Avoca Kilmacanogue, Birdcage Café at Avoca Rathcoole, Fork Café at Avoca Dunboyne, Self-Service Café at Avoca Malahide, and the Self-Service Café and Terrace at Avoca Powerscourt; www.avoca.com.

JP McMahon, along with his business partner and wife Drigín Gaffey, is the restaurateur and Michelin-starred chef behind some of Galway’s most beloved restaurants including Cava Bodega, a Spanish inspired tapas restaurant, and Tartare Café + Wine Bar, a café by day and small plates restaurant and natural wine bar by night. Tartare has already opened this week while Cava Bodega reopens today Thursday, July 2 July. JP (author of The Irish Cookbook, Phaidon, 2020), is also offering private online cooking classes this summer. There are one-on-one classes or for groups of up to four people. The content and theme of each class can be chosen by the students. Each class takes approximately three hours and students can expect to complete five to six dishes in this time. Prices are from €225 for one person to €560 for four people. For more information: www.aniarrestaurant.ie.

WHY: Why not enjoy a stroll around the grounds of Ballymaloe House taking in a sculpture exhibition? This unique outdoor exhibition will run until August 31. The “sculpture walk” is accessible to all visitors, who can join sculptor Richard Scott and Hazel Allen any Thursday evening at 6pm or Friday afternoon at 2.30pm throughout the summer on the lawn in front of Ballymaloe House. There’s a summer drink and a free one hour guided tour of the exhibition, which this year will showcase 45 diverse works created by 27 Irish sculptors. The works vary from stone, bronze, stainless steel, marble and wood and range from thought-provoking to joyful with each piece being the culmination of creativity, skill and artistic endeavour: www.rssculpture.com.

WHO: Meanwhile at Gormleys fine Art in Dublin an exhibition of works by renowned Northern Irish painter Stephen Forbes, will run until July 25. Entitled “People Watching” Forbes’ most recent series of paintings focus on bustling crowd scenes (possibly not social distancing!). Forbes’ impasto and textured approach brings his figures to life. “Only a few strokes are required to capture each individual’s essence,” says Forbes. “Overall these paintings celebrate the joyful process of painting itself.” At 27 South Frederick St Dublin; www.gormleys.ie.

WHAT: Why not pack your bags for a relaxing two-night break to the four-star Castleknock Hotel on the doorstep of Dublin’s Phoenix Park? There you’ll find the team will have a chequered blanket and traditional picnic basket filled with plenty of tasty treats to take on a stroll. With a list of secret picnic locations, explore the neighbouring fields and meadows before enjoying a glass of bubbles and savoury treats such as crusty bread and cheese, homemade pies, flans and spicy wraps as well as cakes and freshly-baked scones. This “Picnic for Two” package is available from €280 for two people and includes a two-night stay with the picnic lunch, full Irish breakfast each morning and €40 voucher to spend in Tonic Day Spa or Earth & Vine restaurant; www.castleknockhotel.com. 

AND … Deceptively strong and surprisingly comfortable, hammocks can sustain the feeling of a carefree holiday without the need to travel. Checkout the colourful new eco-friendly, cotton hammocks from The Outdoor Collection. Prices start from €255 and delivery is available countrywide; www.theoutdoorcollection.ie.