Dining

Irish cuisine is fresh, creative and tastefully presented. It consists of fresh seafood such as salmon, trout and shellfish, which are locally caught and cooked fresh. Irish breakfast can sustain you throughout the day. It comprises of eggs, rashers (bacon), bangers (sausage), baked fresh tomatoes, fresh mushrooms, black pudding, white pudding, fresh fruit, brown bread, or toast or scones with butter and marmalade. In Northern Ireland, breakfast is referred to as ‘Ulster Fry' and includes fried potato farl. Lunch in Ireland primarily consists of different kinds of soup and sandwiches.

Many hotels and restaurants in Ireland offer a Carvey Lunch. This is a hot meal, which is served cafeteria style and includes hot potatoes, vegetables, and a variety of meats with gravy, and an assortment of breads and deserts. In Ireland, naturally raised lamb is used in many recipes from Irish stew to Roast Leg of Lamb. Beef is also an important part of the Irish diet.

A. Top Restaurants

Shanks, Clandeboye, Bangor, Co Down

Tel: 028 9185 3313

The restaurant is known for its interiors and mouthwatering preparations. The interiors have are immaculate with Hockney prints and lots of zinc and wood. The preparations include wild Irish salmon With baby leeks and lobster dressing, roast quail stuffed with brad bean Risotto, purple broccoli and crispy potatoes and finish millefeuille of spring rhubarb, ginger and pistachio with rhubarb jus.

Flemings, Cork City, Co Cork

Tel: 021 482 1621

This restaurant, with a large dining room is known for its elegance and charm.

A distinguishing feature is that the menu is changed weekly and fresh local

Meat, seafood and organic vegetable straight from the garden are used in the preparations.

Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin

Tel: 01 676 4192

It is regarded as one of the best restaurants in the island of Ireland for its magnificent location and delicious culinary. Starters here include oysters, caviar and Foie gras sorbet or crubeens and mustard. The fish course comprises of shellfish, sea bass and endive. Meat courses are inclusive of veal sweetbread and liquorice, duck and servile orange and almonds .The restaurant is a bit pricey but is worth its price.

Thornton's, Dublin

Tel: 0 147 87 008

This restaurant is in the Fitzwilliam Hotel and is characterized by French influence. The starters here include wild duck with duck confit, lentils, blackberry sauce or sautéed prawns with prawn bisque and truffle sabayon. The main course consists of roast magret of goose glazed with honey, carrot puree, saffron sauce or roast woodcock with shallot tatin and foie gras and truffle sauce. The restaurant also serves apple tarte tatin with butterscotch ice cream or chocolate marquise with warm chocolate sauce. The joint sometimes comes up with surprise menu.

L' Ecrivain, Dublin

Tel: 01 6611919

This restaurant is known for its special vegetarian menu consisting of baked crottin Chavignol blanc goats' cheese, sesame seed nougatine, tomato & avocado gazpacho & baby leaves.

Shanahan's on the Green, Dublin

Tel: 01 407 0939

This restaurant is famous as it is an American style steakhouse and serves Irish Angus beef. Seafood served here includes Galway oysters with spinach, smoked bacon, Pernod and hollandaise.

Fishy Fishy Café, Kinsale, Co Cork

Tel: 021 4774453

The distinguishing feature is that the food served here is fresh to the extent that you can actually see the fishes coming on to the boats, which are then served on your plate.