101 Great Irish Restaurants: Come to Connaught for some delicious dining
Historic castles, modern wine bars and more: here is where to eat in Connaught.
Our 101 Great Irish Restaurants guide, sponsored by Nespresso Professional, includes restaurants from all over the country that serve up delicious food, offer wonderful service, and are well worth a visit.
Whittling the lists down to just 101 listings was no easy task, which is a testament to the sheer number of quality outlets that can now be found around the island of Ireland. We hope this guide will be one you refer to again and again throughout the year when deciding where to eat. Read on for the Connaught restaurants that made the cut in our 101 Great Irish Restaurants guide.
Blackrock Cottage, Salthill, Galway, blackrockcottage.ie
Formerly of The Twelve, chef Martin O’Donnell took the plunge (literally and figuratively) to open Blackrock Cottage in a stylishly renovated, and deceptively large, stone cottage at the end of Salthill’s famous promenade. Operating a behemoth production of breakfast, lunch and dinner, the regular queuers are unperturbed by the west coast conditions, happily waiting in line for the promise of contemporary yet unpretentious dishes where heart sits at the centre.
Mathieu Teulier, also previously of The Twelve, provides a warm and calm presence front of house in a dinner service with dishes such as a take on the traditional vol au vent with Garryhinch mushrooms and chicken in a creamy tarragon sauce. A land and sea approach is evident in thoughtful main courses, but the Achill Island salt-aged 30oz côte de boeuf to share with chimichurri, béarnaise, and truffle Parmesan fries is a winner.
Kai, Galway city, kairestaurant.ie
Institution is a word too often bandied about, but after 13 years of running their prolific Bib Gourmand restaurant in Galway’s West End, owners Jess and Dave Murphy have earned such an accolade. Expect comforting refinement with hyper-seasonality in a menu that pays particular attention to local and Irish producers.
The lunch menu changes every day, with plenty of vegan and vegetarian options, along with a seasonally-changing dinner menu that brings daily tweaks. Enjoy dishes such as Clare crab in a variety of guises, striploin with bloody mary butter and boozy onions or in game season, pheasant katsu. With Ireland’s only Michelin green star, awarded to establishments for sustainability practices, you can enjoy climate conscious dining too.
Éan, Galway city, eangalway.com
Situated in Galway’s historic Druid’s Lane, beside the equally historic Druid Theatre, Éan is the brainchild of husband-and-wife team Enda McEvoy and Sinead Meacle, who also ran the Michelin-starred Loam until its untimely closing early last year.
Another of Galway’s Bib Gourmand restaurants, morning and lunchtime sees thoughtful brunch dishes alongside brilliant pastries from their bakery Magpie. In the evening the space becomes an elegant restaurant and wine bar serving small plates like the must-try squid toast with miso mayo and katsuobushi, and larger sharing plates featuring lesser-seen cuts of pork neck, ox tongue and beef cheek.
Seasonality is again to the fore with a menu that changes regularly depending on availability of the best produce, alongside an excellent organic and biodynamically focused wine list.
Ard Bia at Nimmos, Galway city, ardbia.com
Aoibheann MacNamara’s Ard Bia at Nimmos has been a long-standing Galway go-to spot in the historic Nimmo’s Pier building at The Spanish Arch. With a rustic but impeccably designed interior, it’s always a popular lunch and brunch spot with both locals and visitors.
Organic, sustainable and local is key here in a contemporary Irish menu with Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Asian influences from chef Thomas Corrigan. The evening menu produces this in spades with dishes such as monkfish with spiced cauliflower and chermoula, and harissa-charred savoy cabbage with dukkah and salsa verde, sitting neatly alongside classics like rib-eye steak with blue cheese sauce.
Wa Café, Galway city, wacafe.net
Owner Yoshimi Hayakawa began selling sushi in the Galway Market in 2002 before moving to a fixed abode on New Dock Street, where she has been the face of passion and love for Japanese food in the west of Ireland. With Hayakawa taking something of a back seat, young chef Patrick Phillips has stepped forward, bringing a fine dining background and love of foraged coastal ingredients into the mix.
Lunch offers the freshest of sushi along with flavoursome homemade gyoza, which are a particular hit. For the evening omakase experience, a fine dining tasting menu, Phillips flexes his muscles with dishes like Irish wrasse marinated in shio koji and barbecued over charcoal served with foraged Galway Bay sea herbs, and monkfish tempura with matcha-tea scented Irish sea salt.
Desserts are just as intriguing, with an Irish rhubarb compote, sake and white chocolate bavarois and brown butter crumb, or try the staple green tea carrageen pudding served with seasonal fruit. Space is limited so bookings are essential.
West at The Twelve, Bearna, Galway, thetwelvehotel.ie
Nathan Hindmarsh is an exciting chef leading a young, vibrant kitchen team to produce intricate dishes that are bringing identity to West, the restaurant at The Twelve hotel in Bearna. Priced at €69, the West Food Experience tasting menu surely must be one of the best value meals in the country, and from a constantly evolving menu, the fun begins with the snacks.
The centrepiece of these is a squid ink stencil of Banksy’s Flower Thrower featuring seafood (anything from crab to whipped trout roe) wrapped in nori topped with again, depending on the day, delicate sea herbs or trout roe. Other exciting dishes include the quail “ramen” with kohlrabi “noodles” served underneath quail breast, quail egg, a crispy kale topping and an expertly spiced foie gras sauce.
It’s a dish showcasing the depth of skill yet playful confidence of Hindmarsh. Worth the trip for the tear and share brioche with Cuinneog butter candle alone.
Sage, Westport, Mayo, sagewestport.ie
Chef and proprietor Shteryo Yurukov and front of house manager Eva Ivanova opened Sage in 2013, and since then it has become a mainstay in the Westport, and Mayo at large, culinary scene. Yurukov has an evident understanding of ingredients and a creative and often playful approach to his dishes.
The use of outside the box ingredients like miso, chorizo oil and black olive sponge in the scallops starter offers a texture and taste alternative which takes this food outside the norm, elevating it from the regular to the special.
The menu changes often in line with seasonal produce, but expect superior suppliers like Friendly Farmer chicken and Andarl Farm pork. Excellent service headed up by Ivanova in an ambient dining space rounds off the refined cooking to create an overall joyful experience.
The George V Dining Room at Ashford Castle, Mayo ashfordcastle.com
This is fine dining opulence on the grandest scale. The feature restaurant of many in the magnificent Ashford Castle resort, the George V is headed up by executive chef Liam Finnegan, who is more than ably assisted by a strong team including the superbly talented pastry chef Andrew Ryan.
The five-course table d'hôte menu will set you back €150 but there is also an à la carte menu available on request. Dishes include a superb Achill Sea Salt cured organic salmon with peat smoked Velvet Cloud sheep yoghurt from the starter offerings, or imagine you’re a king - which isn’t difficult given your surroundings - with 28 day-aged beef fillet and cheek served from the trolley to your table.
Stunningly creative and delicately presented desserts come from the aforementioned Ryan, and you can also indulge in one of the country’s finest and most extensive wine lists.
House of Plates, Castlebar, Mayo, houseofplates.ie
Casual and contemporary in approach, this is certainly the atmosphere in House of Plates, yet “casual” would most definitely be a misnomer for what is going on in chef Barry Ralph’s kitchen in Castlebar. There is wonderful provenance in displaying local ingredients, but it’s done with inventive and sometimes playful culinary flair, with Ralph pushing the boundaries to provide intriguing flavour combinations.
Classic dishes of slow-cooked beef featherblade come with a black garlic Velvet Cloud spiked with a Sichuan pepper jus, while flavour is to the fore with bitter savouriness in roasted hispi cabbage that’s served with kimchi, feta, peanut rayu and curry cream.
The seemingly random concoctions from Ralph’s brain always deliver on the plate, indicating the level of skill from this talented chef.
Lignum, Bullaun, Galway, lignum.ie
In the tiny village of Bulluan, chef/patron Danny Africano has been operating Lignum since just before Covid times, producing a fine dining experience for discerning visitors ever since. Lignum is the Latin for wood and (almost) everything here is cooked over a wood-burning stove in an attempt to bring ancient cooking methods to a fine dining experience.
Head chef Matt Smith joined the talented team in November just past, bringing his vast experience from establishments such as Copenhagen’s two Michelin star Restaurant AOC to the plate.
A ten-course tasting menu comes in at €135 with the option of a drinks pairing for €95, though Saturday and Sunday lunch offers diners a less expensive opportunity to sample the wares. Michelin-style dining without the (unfathomable) presence of a star, yet.
Daróg, Galway city, darogwinebar.com
Occupying the space once home to Tartare in Galway’s West End, Zsolt Lukács and wife Edel McMahon-Lukács have turned Daróg into a familiar but reimagined wine bar. Naturally there is a superb wine list with a focus on organic, biodynamic and sustainably produced lively wines to accompany the classy dishes coming from the kitchen, which is led by Attila Galambos.
Former sous chef at both Aniar and Lignum, there are flickers of the composites of his past experiences here, with some dishes cooked over flame alongside a clear sense of intricate sauces. This is a venue suited as much for a post work cheeseboard and glass of wine as it is for a full meal. Be sure to order the French toast with smoked Knockanore and yeast crumble - the deep fried hasselback potatoes are also a must.
Rúibín, Galway city, ruibin.ie
Galway is blessed with some extremely talented couples in chef/front of house partnerships, and Rúibín is certainly one of the best. Head chef Alice Jary and Richard Kennan have breathed new life into this quaint stone building overlooking the harbour docks, offering a contemporary bar experience with stellar cocktails and sharing plates at ground level, with an ever so slightly more formal dinner service on the first floor.
There’s a cohesive fluidity to how things run here, with cosy professionalism throughout from Kennan complementing the creativity coming from Jary’s kitchen. It’s difficult to break down the expansive yet considered menu, but the fried chicken with honey butter sauce, kimchi and cucumber pickle is a must for lunch, as are dishes like the roast wood pigeon with shiitake XO and spring onions in the restaurant upstairs. This is also one of the very few restaurants in Galway city open on Mondays.
Dining Room, Castlebar, Mayo, diningroomcastlebar.com
Offering two separate and completely different set menus (€39 or €59 for starters, sorbet, mains and dessert), Dining Room is run by Shirley Stirzaker front of house, and her husband Kevin in the kitchen. Both the welcome and the food delight - expect starters along the lines of ox rib croquette with remoulade and pickled onions, or grilled scallops with Kelly’s black pudding alongside apple and wasabi.
Main courses include Wicklow venison, or on my visit a great catch of the day - pan-fried halibut with prawns and a lobster bisque. The relatively simple-sounding desserts - the likes of sticky toffee pudding and chocolate torte - are a cut above.
The Owenmore at Ballynahinch Castle, Connemara, Galway, ballynahinch-castle.com
Danni Barry, who was previously at Belfast’s Eipic, where she gained a coveted Michelin star and in doing so became the only female chef in Ireland to hold the award at the time, has found a new home in the wilds of Connemara.
Ballynahinch’s grounds have been intensively upgraded in recent times with a kitchen garden that has become her culinary playground, and these elements are evident on the plate.
Walled garden beetroot plays a role in the starters as do fresh herbs, enhancing dishes like the scallops with smoked bacon and cabbage. Supremely classic dishes such as dry-aged Hereford beef fillet, slow-cooked short rib and smoked bone marrow play their part in the fine dining restaurant, The Owenmore, but also consider the on-site Fisherman’s pub for superbly executed dishes like the decadent seafood pie or Killary Fjord mussels.
Aniar, Galway city, aniarrestaurant.ie
Aniar 2.0 launched after the winter break with a revamped dining room etched in earthy forest greens and sophistication alongside a brand new kitchen. It’s hard to believe that JP McMahon’s brainchild showcasing the “best of the West” is now in its thirteenth year, retaining a Michelin star since it was first awarded the prestigious accolade in 2013.
The menu consists of a staggering 24 dishes (€156) with a distinct focus on the terroir of the west of Ireland, with limited menu descriptors like ‘potato and buttermilk’, or ‘beetroot and shrimp’ only serving as tasters for the delicate flavour bomb delicacies that arrive on the plate.
Delicious in execution and an all-round memorable experience, Aniar is high-end contemporary cooking in a refined yet relaxed atmosphere.
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