101 Great Irish Restaurants: Head for Leinster's best culinary addresses
The cash-rich, discerning people of Greystones were bizarrely lacking in a restaurant offering good fish and seafood until the arrival of the Harbour Kitchen, which is housed upstairs from the Beach House pub.
Now they can choose from dishes like crab with dressed celery and wasabi buttermilk, moules mariniere with chips and sourdough that is an utter bargain at €19.50, and wild halibut with house-made gnocchi.
Owner Sheerin Wilde and his young, enthusiastic team offer superb service, while chef Jaco Pretorius, who you might have know of old from La Maison on Castle Market in Dublin 2, cooks up food that is precise, unfussy and bursting with flavour.
The gods were certainly smiling on the owners of Carton House when Adam Nevin, a wildly talented young chef from nearby Maynooth, was persuaded to return home from London and take the reins at what must easily be one of the most beautiful dining rooms on this island.
Awarded a Michelin star in February, a return visit in April confirmed Nevin's status as a serious talent, with at least two dishes - scallops with preserved truffle and salami, and a strawberry, lime and olive oil pre-dessert - easily at two star level. Expect exciting things in this kitchen over the next few years courtesty of Nevin, who is still only 30, and his team.
Bearu, New Ross, Co Wexford, bearu.ie
This hard working little gem of a restaurant run by husband and wife Dave Rowley and Siobhán Ward lures the punters in with delicious breakfasts, lunches and afternoon cake breaks, with stunning bakes from Claire Griffin, and stays open for dinner too on Friday and Saturday nights.
The concise, seasonally-led menu has three choices of starter and main, and two for dessert. It changes very regularly, which is great for local customers, and draws on Rowley's extensive repertoire of classics.
Fish is always a good choice, being so close to the busy south east fishing ports, and a recent dish of pan-roasted cod, with chicken velouté, wild garlic and celeriac was a standout. Leave room for desserts, which are outstanding without being overly fussy. From this month, newly-sanctioned daytime outdoor seating will be a big draw here.
Thyme, Athlone, Co Westmeath, thymerestaurant.ie
To scroll through Thyme's Instagram feed is to almost guarantee that soon - very soon - you will get in your car and drive to Athlone to eat the food there. If you're visiting in game season, you might get to eat Sika deer with red cabbage and kohlrabi; in spring, a rhubarb and stem ginger baked Alaska.
Chef John Coffey, who runs Thyme with his wife Tara, is not only a wonderful chef, but a generous mentor to the young cooks who come through his kitchen, and a champion some wonderful Irish food suppliers.
Chakra by Jaipur, Greystones, Co Wicklow, chakra.ie
One of the pioneers of Indian fine dining in Ireland, Asheesh Dewan is the man behind this bright, airy restaurant in the Meridian Point centre in Greystones. The room was always an attractive one, but a post-Covid makeover that included the addition of new booths and a bar, as well as a serious upgrade to the cocktail offering, only enhanced its appeal.
Everything is good here, but some particular favourites include chef Santosh's Nepalese chicken, the Himalayan venison - it'll put hairs on your chest - and the Goan prawn curry. Vegetarians and vegans will be spoiled for choice, and the presentation of the dishes is among the most elegant you will see anywhere.
Campagne, Kilkenny city, campagne.ie
No one does the classics like Gareth Byrne. Confit of suckling pig with black pudding and choucroute, Paris-Brest with hazelnut butter cream and lemon curd - his menu is a temptation-packed delight.
Opened in 2008 and awarded a Michelin star in 2013, this Kilkenny city gem is run by Byrne and his partner Brid Hannon, and has built up an incredibly loyal customer base. Don't live locally? Not a problem. Campagne is only a few minutes walk from the train station.
The Sea Rooms at Kelly's, Rosslare, Co Wexford, kellys.ie
It's hard to know where to look when you sit down to dinner in this stunning, elevated glass box structure with its unobstructed views of the magnificent manicured gardens and outdoor art installations at Kelly's Resort Hotel and the Irish sea beyond. As you enter, take note of the custom built Smokin' Soul grill; this beast is the beating heart of the restaurant, bringing the fire and smoke that subtly permeate head chef Chris Fullam's menu.
The Dubliner is going into his third season here and he brings an interesting, sophisticated take on modern dining, capitalising on the hotel's vegetable garden, proximity to the sea and the lush Wexford grazing pastures.
Demonstrating his versatility, Fullam offers both vegetarian and vegan versions of his seven-course menu. On the core menu, available as either seven courses or three, you might find dishes such as barbecued halibut with white asparagus, garden peas, pesto and vin jaune.
Square, Dundalk, Co Louth, squarerestaurant.ie
Conor Halpenny's Square was always worth a vist - a Business Post review late last year described the cooking there as 'quietly brilliant' - but a recently-completed renovation makes it even more of a draw.
What to eat? The fried corn ribs are a joy whether you're veggie or not, while the Square KFC - available as either a starter or a main - will make you wonder why you ever crossed the door of a certain chain of fast food chicken restaurants. The drinks selection is superb across the board, too.
The Dining Room at Ballyfin Demesne, Ballyfin, Co Laois, ballyfin.com
One of three Irish restaurants to win Michelin stars for the first time in February - the Morrison Room at Carton House, and Lignum in Galway being the other two - the dining room at Ballyfin Demesne makes the most of the estate's incredible kitchen garden.
You might presume that somewhere this grand would only offer a tasting menu, but there's an a la carte too, with full vegetarian versions of both also available, something that remains incredibly rare in Ireland. The setting, as you'll know if you've visited, is jaw-droppingly gorgeous, but the service is wonderfully warm too.
Alumni Kitchen Table, Rathangan, Co Kildare, alumnikitchentable.com
For three nights each week, chef Philip Mahon and his sommelier wife Kathy open their home and business to a maximum of eight guests, seated at a communal table in their kitchen dining room, or at the prep counter, right in the middle of the action.
They call it an 'immersive culinary experience with food, wine and hospitality in mind', and it really is something quite unique. Every morsel, from the snacks that open your meal to the handmade chocolates that bring it to a delicious close, is made in-house by Philip, who brings his Michelin experience to dishes such as Union Hall lobster, spiced tomato ketchup, burnt cream and tarragon emulsion. Most diners stay overnight in one of the four bedrooms available to guests.
The Lady Helen at Mount Juliet, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny, ladyhelen.ie
This grand dame benefits from having one of the most exquisite dining rooms in the country, with views over the immaculate gardens to the river Nore beyond. Michelin has bestowed a star on the restaurant for the past 12 years, and for eight of those chef John Kelly has headed the kitchen.
He says he brings his personality, his locality and his travels to his cooking, as demonstrated by a dish of Tipperary organic veal, baby leek, black truffle, aged Comté cheese. He also has an extensive on-site larder to capitalise on, so you'll find estate herbs and 'salad cream' paired with asparagus, and Mount Juliet honey in a dessert with Waterford whiskey and orange.
This year, chef Kelly and sommelier Jean-Baptiste Renault have introduced an elevated prestige wine pairing to sit alongside the fine wine pairing offered with the tasting menu. Keep your phone camera ready, if that's your thing, for the arrival of the custom made petits fours trolley.
The Coach House, Roundwood, Co Wicklow, thecoachouse.ie
This is the kind of place where you'd be happy to get snowed in - in fact, you might actually pray for it. It's an impossibly cosy spot in the tiny Wicklow village of Roundwood where you'll find dishes like free range chicken schitznel and Wicklow venison pie, as well as rooms on-site with comfy beds that you can flop into after eating.
Simon Pratt and Monique McQuaid are at the helm of this complex, which also includes Roundwood Stores, the much-adored cafe. Apparently, Billie Eilish once popped in to eat in the Coach House, and if it's good enough for a musical icon, it's good enough for us.
Bramley, Abbeyleix, Co Laois, bramleyabbeyleix.com
Where would we be without family-run, small hospitality businesses like Bramley? Run by husband and wife Sam and Emily Moody, it offers lunch and dinner dishes that are simply, but deliciously executed. Dinner might include organic free-range pork with home made gnocchi, or venison with turnip and a spiced date puree.
For dessert, you'll find it hard to resist the hot chocolate soufflé with white chocolate ice cream - you're only human, after all - but there are also lighter options like strawberries with mint, lime and elderflower ice.
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