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Bringing his classical training to County Limerick, critically acclaimed chef Wade Murphy opened 1826 Adare with his wife, Elaine, in 2013. Since then, his elegant comfort food has been in high demand, served in a pretty thatched cottage with whitewashed walls and cozy decor. Menus change with the seasons and are filled with the best ingredients from Ireland’s top farmers and producers. Wade’s 12-hour treacle braised beef short rib with Roscoff onions and Boulangere potatoes is one of his most popular dishes, though you’ll find delicious and creative seafood and vegetable dishes too, all accompanied by a great drinks offering.
Main St., Adare, Co. Limerick, Ireland
Known For
- Clever, accomplished Irish cooking
- Legendary late Sunday lunches
- Excellent service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Mon.--Sat.
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Every fishing port should have a simple waterfront bistro like this one, serving the best seafood (the owner won't open up if there's no fresh-caught seafood available—which is almost never). Lobster, scallops, and crayfish are specialties, but also expect turbot, black sole, plaice, brill, monkfish, and even the humble pollack on the daily blackboard menu of this unpretentious shack. There's a short but well-chosen wine list, and basic dessert selection.
The Pier, Dingle, Co. Kerry, Ireland
Known For
- No chips or deep-fried seafood
- Tasty chowder
- The bargain "Fish Deal" set menu
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed mid-Nov.–mid-Mar. No lunch Mon.–Sat., Reservations essential
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Chef Derek Fitzpatrick creates a refined and concise menu from local ingredients that have been foraged, or grown by local artisanal suppliers or on the restaurant's rooftop garden. There's a choice between an evening tasting menu (sensibly priced at €60 given the options) with six courses that could include scallops, beef, or fresh catch. Top-notch à la carte menu choices include venison loin with maple squash, spiced lentils and sausage, or wild halibut with crubbeen chorizo, peas, and mussel sauce. The setting is full-on white linen in one of Ireland's finest country mansions, with views through sash windows across the wooded countryside or over the tumbling waters of the Shannon. Allow time to view the Visual Art Collection at Plassey House, which includes the works of Jack B. Yeats and Paul Henry.
University of Limerick, Limerick City, Co. Limerick, Ireland
Known For
- Elegant ambience
- à la carte menu options as well
- Views of the waters of the Shannon River
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.--Tue., no dinner Sun.
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The dramatic location of this simple bar on the windswept waterfront of the tiny fishing village of Portmagee has led the Bridge to feature in ads as "the quintessential Irish pub." A simple menu with the emphasis on local seafood, fish-and-chips, and lamb is served in the low-beamed bar's rustic pine interior. From May to September the pretty, adjoining Moorings restaurant serves a more ambitious, pricier menu most evenings. There are also 17 rooms overhead and an ace craft shop next door, as well as set dancing every Tuesday and Friday evening during summer and live music on weekends. Call to confirm availability of bar food between October and April, as the kitchen closes some days during the off-season, depending on how many visitors are around.
Main St., Portmagee, Co. Kerry, Ireland
Known For
- Local seafood chowder
- Unpretentious hospitality
- Popularity with locals
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This pub has been sitting here since it opened in 1849 as a drapery with a liquor license, and its history over the years has included its location as the unofficial base for the cast of Ryan's Daughter, which filmed in the town in 1968. In fact, it was for this crew that Ashe's first started serving food, and while the bar has expanded to accommodate more visitors with two additional cozy, no-frills rooms, the fare served on the plain wooden tables remains the freshest seafood, cooked to order, and a small selection of meat and vegetarian dishes---all hearty and good. Reservations are advised.
6 Main St., Dingle, Co. Kerry, Ireland
Known For
- Good-value early menu from 5:30--6:30 (booking advised)
- Blasket Island lobster, steamed with lemon or garlic butter
- Glenbeigh mussels in Thai-style broth
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Dec. 1--14 and Jan. 6--31
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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Candles and an open fire cast a warm light on Persian-style rugs and dark red walls hung with antique engravings of Killarney at this cozy little eatery set above a ground-floor craft emporium on the main street, while simple country-style wooden tables and stick-back chairs are set within "snug" areas created by stained-glass panels. The good-value menu features boxty (Irish potato pancake) with a choice of fillings, including vegetarian. Other options include baked salmon stuffed with crabmeat, char-grilled beef fillet, and roast rack of lamb. And, in the unlikely event you didn't hit a craft shop in Killarney, you can browse the shelves before making your way to the restaurant.
26 High St., Killarney, Co. Kerry, Ireland
Known For
- Warm and friendly staff
- Offers a great €40 set menu
- Amazing dessert selection
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Jan. 7–early-Mar., Sun. and Mon. Mar.–Nov., and Sun.–Wed. Nov.–Jan
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Paul William's smart, low-key restaurant in a pretty part of Georgian Limerick is all about good food, sustainability, and coffee. Flahavan's porridge with organic yogurt and fruit, organic eggs, and locally sourced onion sausage and bagels feature in the breakfast menu, while wraps, salads, freshly made soups, and vegetarian dishes are some of the other options available.
26 Catherine St., Limerick, Co. Limerick, Ireland
Known For
- Refreshing change from fried foods
- Local ingredients
- Gobi vegetable curry lunchbox
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Whether you buy from the deli or restaurant, the focus here is freshness---as in cut out the middle man and go straight to the table. All dishes have been sourced locally and whipped up on the premises from scratch, displaying the culinary legacy that's lasted over 60 years.
49 Roches St., Limerick City, Co. Limerick, Ireland
Known For
- Contemporary recipes
- Baked goods and pastries
- Fresh-caught seafood
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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Cutting the supply chain to the minimum, Quinlan’s fleet of vessels transports its catch from ocean to plate on the same day. The cod, squid, and scampi are fresh and cooked to order with light panfry options. Exposed brick premises and wine-barrel tables set the casual tone.
Tralee, Co. Kerry, Ireland
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A fishmongers, deli, and seafood café all rolled into one, Spa Seafoods is a short trip out of town, on the road to Fenit. One of the area's best restaurants, it's a casual, buzzy spot with a thriving deli and fish shop and a restaurant upstairs. Daily specials are determined by the local catch, but you'll always find excellent seafood chowder, fish cakes, fish pie, and fish and chips, alongside a great little wine list.
Spa Rd., Tralee, Co. Kerry, Ireland
Known For
- Seafood chowder
- Seafood platter
- Fresh fish-and-chips
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues., May--June and Sept.--Oct.
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This busy Victorian-style pub (with guest rooms) was once the coaching inn for the national network of horse-drawn coaches known as Bianconis; today, it serves local seafood and traditional Irish food. Its dark-wood interior has a rambling barroom with a tile floor, leatherette banquettes, and ancient stuffed animals above the booths. The menu includes such favorites as Dingle Bay prawns, local oak-smoked salmon, a steaming pot of garlic mussels in white wine broth, and braised shank of Kerry lamb.
Advance booking is advisable in summer and on weekends.
Lower Bridge St., Killorglin, Co. Kerry, Ireland
Known For
- Hearty portions of bistro-style food
- Warm, friendly atmosphere
- Divine desserts
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Sun., Reservations recommended.
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This eatery is very popular, with a predominantly local clientele, so book ahead or arrive early before the queues. Sensible pricing, fresh organic food, and a social buzz come with good service and a quick turnover of guests. The all-day weekend brunch is particularly popular; the wording and presentation may be fancy, but the old-fashioned full Irish breakfast is there, along with trendier choices, and freshly squeezed orange juice and strong coffee.
The Buttery café was once known as The Independent Chapel, and on November 21, 1845, Frederick Douglass, the famous African American statesman, civil rights campaigner, and social reformer, delivered a stirring antislavery talk to rapturous applause from a large audience at the end of a visit to Ireland.
10 Bedford Row, Limerick City, Co. Limerick, Ireland
Known For
- All-day weekend brunch
- Full Irish breakfast
- Fresh juices
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If you like good, old-fashioned country service from a bygone era, with a tried and tested traditional menu that pleases guests across the generational divide, the Maigue Restaurant fits the bill. It offers some of the finest local ingredients in a short but crowd-pleasing menu. Rib of beef, a speciality, arrives on its own time upon a trolley (of course!) for carving, along with other local favorites such as in-season game, like pheasant or wild salmon. Similar to its home setting in the Dunraven Arms Hotel, the Maigue is stuffed with antiques and other paraphernalia and has retained the very essence of a provincial village inn.
Main St., Adare, Co. Limerick, Ireland
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Step behind the Victorian arched facade here and you'll discover a buzzing contemporary restaurant, masterminded by the two Treyvaud brothers (one a popular TV chef), that features classic Irish dishes (e.g., fish cakes, sausages, or bacon and cabbage) with a continental twist. The interior is simple—pine floorboards, wood-beam ceiling, lines of red-back chairs—so the food takes center stage. To start try the local smoked salmon, or deep-fried calamari. Follow with bacon and cabbage Treyvaud-style (smoked loin with buttered cabbage and whole-grain mustard sauce), or half a roast guinea fowl with wild forest mushrooms, or the renowned homemade fish cakes with whole-grain mustard, chives, and garlic aioli.
62 High St., Killarney, Co. Kerry, Ireland
Known For
- Wide selection of game, including rabbit, wild boar, pheasant, and quail
- Fantastic levels of service
- Melt-in-your-mouth duck confit
