The Midlands Restaurants

The Midland town of Birr may be known as the "bellybutton of Ireland" because of its central location, not because this region is regarded as one of the cuisine centers of Ireland. No matter that Ireland's best restaurant (according to some)—Neven Maguire's MacNean's, near Cavan—is in the Midlands, nor the fact that the region is also home to Wineport Lodge, Ireland's first "wine hotel," you'll find that most restaurants hereabouts are simple eateries, ranging in price from inexpensive to moderate, and are often attached to family hotels. Nevertheless, there are those restaurants that will entice you right in off the street, especially those offering beef—Mullingar, in the center of the Midlands, is the beef capital of Ireland—and fish specialites, as the many lakes and rivers of the region provide an abundance of fresh salmon and trout (in fact, since no place is more than an hour and a half from the sea, expect to find lots of fresh ocean fish). If you ever find your dinner a bit anemic, you can always look, the next morning, for a spectacular breakfast, as long as you don't mind the damage the fried sausages, bacon, and pudding will do to your waistline. If you're in need of even more fuel by lunch, head for one of the meat-carveries that are a prominent feature of many village pubs.