Irish Restaurant/Pub Recommendations.
Jun 9th, 2004, 09:28 AM
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Irish Restaurant/Pub Recommendations.
Hello! We are going on our honeymoon to Ireland in October/November. We are looking for recommendations for restaurants and pubs in the following areas:
Clifden, Shannon, Kenmare, Waterford.
Also, what is the approximate total cost for lunches and dinners for two (in Euros and dollars). Any suggestions/comments welcome. Thanks!
Clifden, Shannon, Kenmare, Waterford.
Also, what is the approximate total cost for lunches and dinners for two (in Euros and dollars). Any suggestions/comments welcome. Thanks!
Jun 9th, 2004, 09:55 AM
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Hi mrshaley:
Congrats on the wedding. I always hate to give restaurant advice because my tastes are probably rather plain and I tend to lean towards pub food. A few notes though.
Shannon isn't much of a town. The airport is most of it as far as I know. Your options are Ennis to the north Limerick to the south for a significant number of choices. Ennis would be my choice here, but I don't have really any expereince with the restaurants. Bunratty is very close to the airport and is a pretty big draw due to it's castle and folk park. There are a few restaurants and pubs there. Durty Nellie's is the most famous and gets lots of tourism. Mac's in the folk park is said to be more popular with the locals but that secret isn't much of one any more. It's always been pretty quiet there. I have had standard pub grub across the street at The Creamery and it was fine. BTW, Durty Nellie's gave me a mild food poisoning attack. Budman enjoyed the pub at the hotel there. I've never been there but I assume the food would be very good.
O'Donovans (they use the gaelic spelling) in Kenmare prepared some pretty good pub food for me in Kenmare and Foleys does nicely too. I ate at Casey's a couple of years ago and the food was very good, somewhat overpriced and came with a music show that was OK. The band was a family and Dad kept forcing the kids to get up and dance which they tired of dooing quickly. The place has since turned tour bus crazy and they seem to get a couple of loads in each night. You won't find a local there anymore. You must eat there to enjoy the show.
I've done pub grub at two places in Clifden but yikes I can't remember the names. If it comes to me, I'll let you know.
I've never eaten in Waterford. Other than the crystal factory, it doesn't get rave reviews as a tourism center.
As far as prices, I haven't been there since last November and many have just returned from trips in the past month. As far as the price in dollars, you won't really know that until you leave. The current conversion is $1.20 to E1.00.
As I remember, pub meals usually come in around the E8-12 range. the best lunch deals are the toasted sandwiches which are around E2.50-3.50. A baguette sandwich is a bit more but still a good deal and frequently quite filling. When they come with "salad", that tends to be a small pile of lettuce and sprouts and a few sundry other vegetables from time to time.
The price of Guinness ranges wildly from about E3.10 to well over 4.00 in Dublin. Lagers (like Budwiser) are MORE expensive.
Those that dine at the finer establishments can probably give you a better clue as to an average meal price.
Bill
Congrats on the wedding. I always hate to give restaurant advice because my tastes are probably rather plain and I tend to lean towards pub food. A few notes though.
Shannon isn't much of a town. The airport is most of it as far as I know. Your options are Ennis to the north Limerick to the south for a significant number of choices. Ennis would be my choice here, but I don't have really any expereince with the restaurants. Bunratty is very close to the airport and is a pretty big draw due to it's castle and folk park. There are a few restaurants and pubs there. Durty Nellie's is the most famous and gets lots of tourism. Mac's in the folk park is said to be more popular with the locals but that secret isn't much of one any more. It's always been pretty quiet there. I have had standard pub grub across the street at The Creamery and it was fine. BTW, Durty Nellie's gave me a mild food poisoning attack. Budman enjoyed the pub at the hotel there. I've never been there but I assume the food would be very good.
O'Donovans (they use the gaelic spelling) in Kenmare prepared some pretty good pub food for me in Kenmare and Foleys does nicely too. I ate at Casey's a couple of years ago and the food was very good, somewhat overpriced and came with a music show that was OK. The band was a family and Dad kept forcing the kids to get up and dance which they tired of dooing quickly. The place has since turned tour bus crazy and they seem to get a couple of loads in each night. You won't find a local there anymore. You must eat there to enjoy the show.
I've done pub grub at two places in Clifden but yikes I can't remember the names. If it comes to me, I'll let you know.
I've never eaten in Waterford. Other than the crystal factory, it doesn't get rave reviews as a tourism center.
As far as prices, I haven't been there since last November and many have just returned from trips in the past month. As far as the price in dollars, you won't really know that until you leave. The current conversion is $1.20 to E1.00.
As I remember, pub meals usually come in around the E8-12 range. the best lunch deals are the toasted sandwiches which are around E2.50-3.50. A baguette sandwich is a bit more but still a good deal and frequently quite filling. When they come with "salad", that tends to be a small pile of lettuce and sprouts and a few sundry other vegetables from time to time.
The price of Guinness ranges wildly from about E3.10 to well over 4.00 in Dublin. Lagers (like Budwiser) are MORE expensive.
Those that dine at the finer establishments can probably give you a better clue as to an average meal price.
Bill
Jun 9th, 2004, 10:45 AM
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We dined in the restaurant part of Kathleen's Pub (in the Bunratty Castle Hotel) on our recent trip. It was nothing short of excellent, actually one of the better meals we had in Ireland. Service was superb and the prices were quite reasonable. I can certainly recommend it.
Don't think I would eat at Durty Nellys, although we did stop in for a few drinks and to listen to some music.
Don't think I would eat at Durty Nellys, although we did stop in for a few drinks and to listen to some music.
Jun 9th, 2004, 10:57 AM
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Bill, Kathleen's is precisely the place I was talking about. Mac's Pub was only open to 3pm to serve any type of food.
MikeKing -- My wife didn't even want to go to Durty Nellie's for drinks this time.
MikeKing -- My wife didn't even want to go to Durty Nellie's for drinks this time.
Jun 9th, 2004, 11:57 AM
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Mrshaley: Wishing you many years of happily married life!
In Kenmare, we recently ate at Packies and enjoyed it very much. Small restaurant,not formal,owned by the Foleys, some interesting items on the menu. I had spicy coconut chicken w/a mango salsa (and colcannon for the potato and it was GOOD!) and hubby had some kind of smoked cod croquettes. HIs portion was a little small, I thought. We also ate at An Leath Phingin, (Italian)and we had wonderful pizzas - very much in the italian style and out of a wood fired oven. Yum! Near Clifden, in the small town of Letterfrack we also ate at Pangur Ban, a small, cozy, thatched cottage, great food. Hubster had a wild venison, shitake mushroom and stout stew. I had cream cheese stuffed chicken breast with a bacon pepper sauce on a sweet potato fritter.
In Kenmare, we recently ate at Packies and enjoyed it very much. Small restaurant,not formal,owned by the Foleys, some interesting items on the menu. I had spicy coconut chicken w/a mango salsa (and colcannon for the potato and it was GOOD!) and hubby had some kind of smoked cod croquettes. HIs portion was a little small, I thought. We also ate at An Leath Phingin, (Italian)and we had wonderful pizzas - very much in the italian style and out of a wood fired oven. Yum! Near Clifden, in the small town of Letterfrack we also ate at Pangur Ban, a small, cozy, thatched cottage, great food. Hubster had a wild venison, shitake mushroom and stout stew. I had cream cheese stuffed chicken breast with a bacon pepper sauce on a sweet potato fritter.
Jun 9th, 2004, 12:06 PM
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oops - sorry - forgot to put in the prices! In Euro - Packies was 18- 20 per entree, I think. The pizzas at An Leth Phingin ranged from 13 to 15 and Pangur Ban was pricier - I seem to to remember 60 Euro for two, but I also had a soup, DH had a mushroom/goat cheese appetiser and a Guinness
Jun 9th, 2004, 12:07 PM
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In Clifden, we loved Off the Square restaurant and Tom King's Pub. (Right next door to E.J. King's Pub.)
In Kenmare, Guiliani's restaurant was good for Italian food and gourmet pizza. Crowley's Pub is definitely worth a look, but be aware that it's not geared to tourists at all.
If you're in Ennis, Cruise's Pub has excellent food and they have music most nights.
In Kenmare, Guiliani's restaurant was good for Italian food and gourmet pizza. Crowley's Pub is definitely worth a look, but be aware that it's not geared to tourists at all.
If you're in Ennis, Cruise's Pub has excellent food and they have music most nights.
Jun 10th, 2004, 06:06 AM
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In Clifden for restaurants:
Abbeyglen Castle - Approx 100 Euro for 2 with wine. Reserve a table by the window and stay for the sing song in the bar after. I was there over the weekend and it was hysterical...we won the "worst" dancing competition messing around and a bottle of champagne.
Derry Clare restaurant has a bit of everything I always like it prob Euro 60-80 for 2.
Nimmos - Seafood nice decor...service is not great though..may have been an off night.
Off the Square - I am not really thrilled with this place. I ate there in the summer and thought it was not great food for the prices. Just my opinion though check out the Menu.
EJ Kings serves pub grub up to the evenings.
I would not eat in pubs every night its not alway the best food and many stip serving early. Try a mix of places.
Abbeyglen Castle - Approx 100 Euro for 2 with wine. Reserve a table by the window and stay for the sing song in the bar after. I was there over the weekend and it was hysterical...we won the "worst" dancing competition messing around and a bottle of champagne.
Derry Clare restaurant has a bit of everything I always like it prob Euro 60-80 for 2.
Nimmos - Seafood nice decor...service is not great though..may have been an off night.
Off the Square - I am not really thrilled with this place. I ate there in the summer and thought it was not great food for the prices. Just my opinion though check out the Menu.
EJ Kings serves pub grub up to the evenings.
I would not eat in pubs every night its not alway the best food and many stip serving early. Try a mix of places.
