7 Best Restaurants in Ireland

In the heart of Sligo's busy Italian Quarter, Bistro Bianconi has built on its long-established reputation for top-class pizzas baked in a wood-burning oven. Inventive gourmet pizzas include the Michelangelo (goat cheese, caramelized onions, pepperoni, and a sprinkling of Parmesan), the Vegetariano, and the perennial favorite, Quatro Formaggi. The menu is heavy on classic fresh pasta and lasagna, while the signature dish, chicken bocconcini (with glazed ham and cheese), is as popular as ever. Steaks, burgers, and Mediterranean king prawns are also on the menu. If you fancy a cocktail, try the Wild Atlantic Way martini.

The unpretentious brilliance of this husband-and-wife restaurant and deli just off Nassau Street is what makes the classy little Italian joint so popular. The menu is extensive but simple: panini, a horde of antipasti, a few choice pasta specials, and some evening meat dishes and desserts. The all-Italian kitchen staff work wonders with high-quality imported ingredients. The gnocchi with a slow-cooked ragù of Gilligan's Hereford Irish beef makes a great lunch. A couple of long tables are perfect for groups, and the hundreds of bottles of wine on shelves cover every inch of the walls. 

Owner Roberto Mungo brings his brand of simple Calabrian cooking to this classy little Italian, family-run joint in hip Stoneybatter. There are touches of other Italian regions on the menu, but standouts are Calabrian classics like deep-fried aubergine with tomato, mozzarella, and green pesto and baked mackerel with potatoes, herbs, red pepper cream, and asparagus. The wonderful nibbles menu (each for around €5) is perfect for a quick bite.

This cozy, affordable eatery right on main street has quickly established itself as a favorite with the locals. Exposed beams and leather banquettes create the bistro setting, but the menu is more Italian inspired than French. The seafood risotto is a hearty combination of shellfish, mussels, chili, squid, and prawns, with blushed tomatoes. Another popular main is the beef cheeks with creamy mash potatoes, braised red cabbage, and red wine gravy. The death by chocolate is the go-to dessert.

Set in a magnificent and grand Palladian-style bank in the center of Dungarvan, the Old Bank restaurant is the place to withdraw some delicious food and cocktails. The Italian bistro menu has plenty of local twists. Open with Harty's oysters on ice with beetroot, cacao nib, and shallot dressing. For a main try the rare tuna in sesame, with tataki of red onion and garlic crisps. The real treat is an after-dinner original Abbeyside Martini in the stylish cocktail bar.

A warm glow emanates from this Georgian town-house restaurant, where owner-chef Antonio Cavaliere is intensely involved in preparing such luscious Italian dishes as rigatoni all' arrabbiata (tubes of homemade egg pasta in a fresh tomato sauce with chili and garlic). Other specialties, such as medallions of fresh Kilmore Quay monkfish with roasted cherry tomatoes, garlic, white wine, and a touch of fresh chili, go particularly well with Antonio's garlic roasted potatoes—highly recommended as a side dish. A splendid all-Italian wine list complements the menu, and there's a host of delicious homemade desserts. This is one of the best Italian options in town. The restaurant accommodates overnight guests in the town house above.

A genuine trattoria in the heart of crazy Temple Bar, Toscana buzzes with chatter all evening long and offers a popular pre-theater menu. A Mediterranean slant to the simple dining room includes plenty of Italian landscapes, cream tones, and wood. A typical starter is the traditional Tuscan bean soup. For a main try the seafood risotto with copious fresh mussels, prawns, and clams. The meat and pizza dishes are also always reliable, and the sticky toffee pudding is a dessert that will send you home with a smile on your face.