A lovely old creeper-clad building on Castlecomer's handsome main street, the Avalon House Hotel lay empty for some years until the Comerford family brought it back to life and re-opened as a four-star hotel in spring 2019.
A lot of TLC has gone ... more...
The Guide has long had a soft spot for this pub on the seafront in the pretty village of Blackrock – which, although very close to Dundalk, is not at all suburban and retains the atmosphere of an independent community.
The Brake has a loyal loca ... more...
Everybody loves Burkes pub in Clonbur - this characterful old family-run pub is one of this attractive village’s greatest assets, well known for atmosphere, music and homely food.
It’s a friendly, welcoming place no matter when you might d ... more...
This old pub in the centre of Dingle has a smart traditional frontage, and lots of warm mahogany that makes for a warm and cosy feeling in the friendly bar. The pub goes back to 1849, and is now owned by Sinead Roche and Thomas Ashe.
Menus offer somet ... more...
A first venture for husband-and-wife team Zsolt Lukács and Edel McMahon-Lukács, Darog ('small oak tree') was warmly welcomed when it opened in late 2023 - not least because it is such a fitting successor to Tartare, the former occup ... more...
Originally opened in 1870, Flanagan’s pub is a thoroughly authentic piece of West Clare heritage, in the centre of the busy seaside town of Lahinch. A traditional bar remains, with hardwood floors and tongue and groove panelling, but its new owne ... more...
Owner Geoff Nordell did much to liven up this stretch of Aungier Street with his cheerful and hugely popular Whitefriar Grill, which was later joined next door by the equally popular Bow Lane. Now he has merged the two, to create the larger Bow Lane Gr ... more...
This attractive stone-built restaurant is on the corner of Market Yard, with access from the yard or the main street, and run by husband and wife team Jason (head chef) and Jo O'Brien (restaurant manager).
They chose the location well as, like the Mar ... more...
This atmospheric restaurant is in a smartly welcoming basement beneath two town houses on the west side of this busy Georgian square, just across from the Rotunda Hospital - an area that is home to one of Dublin's most iconic restaurants but not otherw ... more...
West of the river, in the interesting old part of Athlone town near the Norman castle (which has a particularly good visitors’ centre for history and information on the area, including flora and fauna of the Shannon), this seriously historic bar ... more...