Memorable food experiences in Ireland

Experiencing local food in Ireland is not just about fine-dining excellence in the city’s best restaurants. It’s about seafood on a beach, it’s about apple pie in a wild location, it’s about picnicking on the very freshest fish you’ve just plucked from the ocean.

1. Moran’s Oyster Cottage, County Galway

If you’re looking for a special food experience, then look no further than Moran’s Oyster Cottage. Located within a 250-year-old cottage at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean in County Galway, this place has fed everyone from the world-famous Julia Roberts to Roger Moore.

Sit inside in a cosy snug in the original building, or take in the glorious surrounding west coast seascapes with a table outside.

Order up plates of Kelly's oysters, warm garlic crab claws and steamed mussels. Simply delicious.

2. Harry’s Shack, Portstewart

No matter where you are in the world, there’s nothing quite like sitting on a beach with your toes in the sand, eating insanely fresh seafood. Well, in Northern Ireland there’s a place you can do just that. Harry’s Shack has gathered a legion of fans since opening in 2014.

With a stunning seaside setting on Portstewart Strand, the simple shack here is home to some of the best seafood cooking on the island of Ireland. All you have to do is rock up, kick back and enjoy.

3. Taste & Tour: Belfast Food Tour

With one of the most innovative restaurant scenes on the island of Ireland, Belfast is a hotbed of incredible flavours from the refined tastes at Ox to fine-tuned seafood at the Mourne Seafood Bar. But to really get under the skin of this Northern Ireland foodie hub, take to the streets with the multi-award-winning Taste & Tour. Capturing the spirit of Belfast’s unique flavours, producers and restaurants, the tours cover everything from whiskey to brunch – all delivered with energy, fun and insider knowledge.

4. The Happy Pear, County Wicklow

The lively little town of Greystones in County Wicklow is a 60-minute DART (train) ride from Dublin, and yet it feels like it's a million miles away from the city’s urban buzz. Anchoring the town’s food scene is a vegetarian mecca, The Happy Pear. Run by twins David and Stephen Flynn, the café has become a hotspot for veggies and carnivores alike thanks to its tasty and creative take on plant-based foods.

On a sunny day, the atmosphere here is fabulous, with tables and chairs casually strewn outside and a lively crowd.

5. Ice Cream in Dingle, County Kerry

Dingle has feel-good written all over it. This joyous little town in County Kerry packs in great pubs, excellent restaurants and a laid-back bohemian vibe that draws visitors from all over the world. Visit, and you’re bound to notice a bustling queue that seems to linger outside a blue shop on Strand Street.

This is Murphy’s Ice Cream – a glorious temple to all things dairy. Handmade with the finest fresh farm milk and local cream, the flavours here are worth travelling miles for: Dingle sea salt, caramelised brown bread and Irish coffee. It’s ice cream, with a definite Irish twist.

6. Pyke ’N’ Pommes, Derry~Londonderry

A double-decker bus called “Decky” may seem like an unlikely place to find one of the island of Ireland’s great food experiences, but Pyke ‘N Pommes likes to do things differently. Located on the riverfront in the historic city of Derry~Londonderry, this is casual food with a gourmet twist and a very local heart. Tacos, a legendary Wagyu burger, slow-roasted pork and some of the freshest fish around – make no mistake, it’s a culinary hidden gem.

7. The English Market, Cork

With a history stretching back to 1788, the English Market goes way beyond your average food market. Located at the heart of the foodie city of Cork, this place serves up an explosion of tastes, a riot of colours, and time-honoured foods that you won’t find anywhere else.

There’s tripe (cow’s stomach) and drisheen (a type of blood pudding) at O’Reilly & Sons, traditional spiced beef at Tom Durcan’s, and some of the finest smoked salmon in the world at Frank Hederman’s. After exploring, head upstairs for some dishes at the Farmgate Café, including tripe & onions with drisheen, and Irish lamb stew.

8. Seaweed Discovery Workshop, County Kerry

Butter-coloured sands, turquoise waters dotted with islands and a backdrop of undulating mountains, Derrynane in County Kerry is something special – a place of extreme beauty on the Wild Atlantic Way. It’s also home to a very memorable food adventure – a Seaweed Discovery Workshop from Atlantic Irish Seaweed. Guests get to walk along this coastline, learning about native seaweeds and tasting as they go. Wild, wonderful and an experience to cherish.