The Southeast Restaurants

Food is usually prepared in a simple, country-house style, though pleasant surprises abound. A number of ambitious Irish chefs are at work in the Southeast's restaurants and hotels, and at newer joints with inventive offerings that offer a great value. The best of the region's cuisine rests on modern, international interpretations of classic Irish dishes. Leading lights in the area include chef Kevin Dundon at Dunbrody Country House, Paul Flynn of the Tannery, and Martjin Kajuiter at the Michelin-starred Cliff House in Ardmore.

Other than its fabled strawberries, the Southeast is probably best known for its rich seafood, especially Wexford mussels, crabs, and locally caught salmon. Kilmore Quay, noted for lobster and deep-sea fishing, hosts an annual Seafood Festival the second week of July. Many restaurants serve local lamb, beef, and game in season.

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  • 1. Harvest Room

    $$$$

    Gourmands come in droves to the ruby-red dining room at Dunbrody House, where celebrity-chef Kevin Dundon serves up foie gras with toasted brioche and balsamic-marinated strawberries, pan-seared Hook Head monkfish with garden courgettes and lemon butter sauce, and a chocolate "selection of indulgences." The weekend eight-course tasting menu is a parade of culinary delights. If you're a hands-on type, you can learn how to cook the Harvest Room's delights yourself; Dundon runs a cooking school on weekends. After a memorable dinner, sit back with a goblet of Irish Mist in hand and catch a dramatic sunset fading over the Hook Peninsula. Sunday lunch here is the stuff of legend.

    Dunbrody House, Arthurstown, Co. Wexford, Co. Wexford, Ireland
    051-389–600

    Known For

    • Culinary reputation
    • Legendary Sunday lunch
    • Cooking school

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No lunch Wed.–Sat., Reservations essential
  • 2. Munster Room

    $$$$

    Inside the Waterford Castle Hotel, the Munster Room's luxe decor—with oak paneling darkened with age and ancestral portraits in gilt frames—hints at one of the most sophisticated menus around. Options include a fixed-price, three-course menu featuring adventurous starters such as ballotine of quail with celeriac foam, winter slaw, and cinnamon and apple jelly. The dress code is smart (jackets for the men) and the surroundings suggest a big night out. Main-course winners include the best of Irish steaks or the roasted goose breast with potato-and-orange stuffing and burnt-orange sauce.

    The Island, Ballinakill, Co. Waterford, Ireland
    051-878–203

    Known For

    • Quality service
    • Killer dessert menu
    • Smart dress code

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch
  • 3. The House Restaurant

    $$$$

    The compact, award-winning dining room of the Cliff House looks out over the crashing sea, and the dramatic location clearly inspires the menu. The food is locally sourced---including foraging raids on nearby woods and beaches---but prepared with dashes of modern and experimental cuisine. Dinner is a fixed-price, eight-course affair including such delights as the Bantry Bay salmon with cured cucumber, beetroot, and horseradish or Ardmore lobster with carrot and oyster sauce served with a milk bun. And you can't go wrong with the butter-poached turbot, Ardmore potatoes, and duck egg sauce. Go in summer, when you can dine on the expansive terrace, which winds its way down toward the sea. The staff will even match the perfect glass of wine to each delicious course.

    Cliff Rd., Ardmore, Co. Waterford, Ireland
    024-87800

    Known For

    • Dramatic setting
    • Award-winning
    • Creative menu

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch weekdays
  • 4. The Tannery

    $$$$

    Local culinary wizard Paul Flynn whets quite an appetite in the flocks of Dubliners who besiege every weekend what is commonly regarded as one of Ireland's leading restaurants. The menu is rustic but whimsical and always seasonal. Check out the crab crème brûlée with pickled cucumber or the quail and foie gras pie, with cabbage and quince jelly. Fanatical foodies who want to stay as close to the culinary action as possible can now overnight in the adjoining guesthouse.

    10 Quay St., Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, Ireland
    58-45420

    Known For

    • Celebrity chef
    • Award-winning cuisine
    • Culinary school attached

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner Sun. Sept.–May. No lunch Tues.–Thurs. and Sat., Reservations required
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