Please mention ireland-guide.com when enquiring.

Vaughans Anchor Inn

The Vaughan family's traditional bar has great character, with open fires and lots of memorabilia - it was our Pub of the Year in 2006 and it's just the place for some seriously good seafood at fair prices, either in the bar or in a newer restaurant area at the back.

Although famed locally for their seafood platters (and they are delicious - and great value) there's much more to the menu than that: Denis Vaughan is a creative chef who cooks everything to order and patience is quite reasonably requested on this score, as it gets very busy and everything really is fresh - they offer about twenty varieties of fish, and the menu may even be changed in mid-stream because there's something new coming up off the boats.

However, you don't have to eat seafood to eat well here - vegetarian options are offered,also game in season, and they do excellent steaks too, and many other good meat dishes including roasted rack of lamb with shepherd's pie of shank & kidney, caramelised parsnip and lamb jus - and you can have sautéed foie gras with any of the meat dishes if you wish.

Cooking combines old-fashioned generosity with some contemporary (and, in some cases, sophisticated) twists: succulent organic salmon, for example, may be served with tempura of smoked salmon, buttered cabbage & smoked bacon butter, a mixture of traditional Irish combinations and new cooking styles.

It's understandably very popular and they don't take bookings so, get there early - lunch time (when some more casual dishes, like open sandwiches, are also offered) might be worth a gamble but, if you want to have a reasonably quiet dinner without a long wait, get there before seven o'clock.

Good bread, good service - and great value.

An interesting wine list offers a dozen or so house wines, and something for every budget and occasion.

Vaughan's : Seats 106; toilets wheelchair accessible; children welcome before 9pm (high chair, children's menu). Food served 12-9.30 daily; house wine from €18.95. Accommodation also available. Closed 25 Dec. (Open Good Fri for food, but bar closed.) MasterCard, Visa, Laser.

Directions:

2.5 miles from Lahinch on Clifs of Moher route.