Travel in Ireland Guide

The main element that raises the interest in fine dining would be a healthy by-product, finding that after sometime while Ireland is gaining more and more competition has caused it to get better and better that cookery schools where the people who are educated with not just the basics and practicalities of making good food, but also with a heightened sense of taste that can created good food, that in turn becomes and produces the next good meal.

It may not seem to be a great secret but freshness is the core of this cuisine, there’s an old Irish proverb that says, “Serve fresh food and mature drink”.

So now you have come to know the essence of what makes great Irish food, it’s time to taste it yourself. Here are the list of the finest Irish restaurants in Ireland.

TOP IRISH RESTAURANTS

Note: Prices in this restaurants are inclusive of 3 courses and excludes wine

Shanks, Clandeboye, Bangor, Co Down.

This restaurant is ran by a couple by the name of Robbie and Shirley Millar. Robbie is assigned more in the kitchen area and she on the front house. It is a seventy-seater restaurant that had been exquisitely furnished by Sir Terence Conran with lots of wood and zinc as well as Hockney prints. You’ll easily see the kitchen in a large window that is displayed in the dining room where you can view Robbie making a dish called ballotine, this is a wild Irish salmon with baby lobster and leek dressing, roast quail stuffed with crispy potatoes, purple broccoli, broad bean risotto and to finish millefeuille of ginger, springe rhubarb and pistachio with rhubarg jus. All of this for just 25 pounds. There is much of local cuisines that is systemed in Clandeboye Estate like pigeon, guinea fowl, venison and pheasant. They also include organic vegetables. In this place seafood is very important to mix with influences in Italy, Pacific Rim and France crop up.

Restaurant Michael Deane, Belfast

It only take eight months for this restaurant to be opened, and as he stood being new in the scene, he gained a Michelin star which she has maintained. Michael Dean is a bit of a showman and he has recently started teaching and creating his own cookery classes. There is the price of 40.5 pounds for three courses that can be a choice of bettroot, celeriac cream, local lamb goat cheese, olive crushed potato and ratatouille, aged balsamic and red pepper finishing assiette of caramel. You can also opt to take a nine course menu worth 59 pounds. A wine bottle costs 19 pounds a bottle.

Flemings, Cork City, Co Cork

The ambiance is extremely elegant in Georgean country house and hotel enveloped in brocades and Louis XV-style chairs, crystal chandeliers, gilt-framed portraits, it has a spacious dining room. The owner is chef Michael Fleming and he believes in changing the menu weekly. Fleming uses local seafood and meat, ostrich and organic vegetables that have been straight from the garden. Sea bass, monkfish, Guinea fowl that has a touch of classical French treatment.

Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin

The dining area had been located in The Merrion Hotel with magnificent overlooking views of Merrion’s luscious garden. It has been famously renowned to be the best restaurant of Ireland. For the starting course would be foie gra sorbet, oyster and caviar or crubeen and mustard, the fish course include shellfish and turbot, endive and sea bass, meat courses could possible be liquorice, sweetbread, almond and servile orange, then assiette of chocolate or rum baba, and with the French and Irish farmhouse cheeses. This place is a bit pricey but when you taste their courses it is well worth it. Three courses is 30 pounds, however dinner could be triple the price.

Shanahan’s on the Green, Dublin

Although this is more of an American style steakhouse, it has been well known and well respected. The owner is John Shanahan who came from who’s serving up Irish Angus Beef for a classic rib eye, strip sirloin tournedos Rossini. In seafood they have fray black west coast mussels, Galway oysters with spinach. The also have smoked bacon, Pernod and hollandaise for the starters. In this place is a collection of Presidential memorabilia like JFK’s rocking chair.

Thornton’s, Dublin

This is owned and run by chef Kevin Thornton and his partner Muriel. Like other restaurants, this restaurant is in a Hotel which is the Fitzwilliam Hotel. The interior of this place is in a contemporary and classical style having a view of St. Stephen’s Green. Their cuisine is French influenced. The first course would include wild duck with duck confit, blackberry sauce and lentils or sautéed prawns with prawn bisque, truffle sauce. Main course could be roast magret of goose glazed with honey, saffron sauce, carrot puree or roast woodcock with shallot tatin and foie gras, truffle sauce; with a delectable apple tarte tatin with butterscotch ice cream or chocolate marquise with warm sauce. Three courses would cost around 60 pounds. They also offer an occasional eight course menu with wine for the price of 72 pounds.
L’Ecrivain, Dublin

Derry Clarke is the chef of this establishment. To know of how good this chef is, is to taste the food yourself. Let the dishes tell you how good a chef he is. Creamed truffle, roasted quail, leg ballotine, red wine glaze, slow braised white onion, caremelised pear, beetroot dressing or seared & warm black pudding. Bere Island scallops, shaved fennel, lobster strudel, basil, chorizo, star anise emulision. However, after all the great courses he may not have a sweet tooth so his desserts remain simple. He has created a very special and unsual vegetarian menu in Ireland which are baked crottin Chavignol blanc goats cheese, tomato and avocado, sesame seed nougatine and avocado gazpacho and baby leaves. Three courses is worth 60 pouunds.

Fishy Fishy Café, Kinsale, Co Cork

Forgive the man who comes barging in and carrying a box, because in it are fish and he stayed 12 hours at sea to get it himself. There you can see the boats approaching shore. See the fish coming in and cooked to be on your place. In this place there are large fish tanks filled with crustaceans beckon and queu. You would just need a nice Chablis that they have as simple as the way it aught to be.

BEST COOKERY SCHOOLS IN IRELAND

Now that you’ve known the best places to grab a fine dine of courses, it’s time to give way for the cookery schools that might just give you a first hand teaching on how to hasten your skill in cooking that you may make your own Irish dish as well where ever you may be.

Ballyknocken Country House & Cookery School, Glenealy, Ashford, Co Wicklow.

Catherine Fulvio is a jolly/happy person who has a taste and good teaching skills in all you would need to know about Irish baking that would just be in an hour or two after which you can sit and recollect with a cup of tea then be on your way. There are other longer courses that include Italian fare. There’s a course that is specially “For Men Only” which is a hands on teaching but it is limited only with teaching how to BBQ.

Belle Isle School of Cookery, Belle Isle Estate, Lisbellaw, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland

Liz Moore is the type who updated about Irish recipes that pushes a little harder to project on inspiring confidence in her creations. There are courses that can be as short as weekends and other courses that are week long, all classes are hands-on, and after an evening of wine tasting they can go back to their kitchen and see how the finishing touches on their gourmet dinner is being done. Topics of the courses include, Picnic Planning, Christmas Entertaining, Chocolate Lovers, Game Cooking and so on.

Berry Lodge Restaurant, Cookery School & Guest House, Annagh, Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare

The program of their course usually starts with dinner as you are all introduced to one another, amongst students, to the host and teacher. The teacher is Rita Meade and the rest is just plain work. Dishes to be prepared can be suggested and individual’s ability is recognized. However, be warned that you would have to eat your own making in your three day course that can have as much as 24 dishes. In the end of the course, folders will be handed out. Most popular courses are of Irish cooking, quick and easy entertaining cooking, creative Irish pub cooking, Sunday Lunch and men in the kitchen.

Carlingford Cookery School, Ghan House, Carlingford, Co. Louth.

There are a couple of chefs that are teaching regularly here that ranges from the background of authors, consultants, food and to international chefs. So therefore, courses tend to be more varied than any other from BBQ, desserts, seafood; Thai with a mix of Italian food, but baking pastries is their most prominent. The most unusual courses would be the one that has an influence of Georgian and medieval banquets. There can also be private cookery sessions for groups that pays 32 pounds. Ghan House is also a great restaurant and guesthouse.

Dunbrody Country House Hotel & Restaurant Cookery School, Authurstown, New Ross, Co, Wexford

Dunbrody cooking school is a but more different than the usual farmhouse kitchen style of courses in cookery. The most popular course of this school is the party for six, other courses include Thai Cuisine, Vegetarian and seafood. Kevnin Dundon is the master chef that keeps it simple that there are no overly complicated recipes and there are emphasis on fresh ingredients and just having a good time. But if ever you get tired of eating your own cooking, their restaurant is highly recommended that is around 30 pounds a dinner.

Island Cottage, Heir Island, Skibbereen, West Cork.

John Desmond and Ellmary Fenton are chefs that have cooked in the best restaurants all across Europe. However, after their success, they decided to just settle in Hare Island to create a fine restaurant establishment and a small cookery school. The kitchen may be tiny for teaching but Desmon will give you a chance to cook for his restaurant and don’t be afraid, he is one of the chefs that has no tantrums and is soft spoken with an Irish and French accent. For a two day course the price is 130 pounds.

Pontoon Bridge Hotel Cookery School, Pontoon, County Mayo

It is in the village of Pontoon that is in the middle of nowhere part of Mayo where it seems that nothing happens everyday. This school is built for the real beginners at heart, as Mary Geary is more focused on taste, skill and science that students must learn. Meaning that there is not so much mistakes made in her kitchen but she expects that there would be a new dish just waiting to be discovered. The courses are cooking in an L plate where it serves dishes like soup, cakes and desserts.

Pangur Bán Restaurant, Letterfrack, Connemara, Co Galway

This is Connemara’s first Cookery School that offers courses in a 300 year old hatched cottage found just in between the dramatic ridges of the Twelve Bens and Atlantic Ocean.
John Walsh will teach you from as simple as boiling an egg to an adventurous dinner party. There are other subject in regards to baking like, bread making and others would be dessert, main courses and fish and meat. Indian and Thai cuisine is also taught.