3 Best Restaurants in The Southwest, Ireland

Paul William's smart, low-key restaurant in a pretty part of Georgian Limerick is all about good food, sustainability, and coffee. Flahavan's porridge with organic yogurt and fruit, organic eggs, and locally sourced onion sausage and bagels feature in the breakfast menu, while wraps, salads, freshly made soups, and vegetarian dishes are some of the other options available. 

This busy Victorian-style pub (with guest rooms) was once the coaching inn for the national network of horse-drawn coaches known as Bianconis; today, it serves local seafood and traditional Irish food. Its dark-wood interior has a rambling barroom with a tile floor, leatherette banquettes, and ancient stuffed animals above the booths. The menu includes such favorites as Dingle Bay prawns, local oak-smoked salmon, a steaming pot of garlic mussels in white wine broth, and braised shank of Kerry lamb.

Advance booking is advisable in summer and on weekends.

This eatery is very popular, with a predominantly local clientele, so book ahead or arrive early before the queues. Sensible pricing, fresh organic food, and a social buzz come with good service and a quick turnover of guests. The all-day weekend brunch is particularly popular; the wording and presentation may be fancy, but the old-fashioned full Irish breakfast is there, along with trendier choices, and freshly squeezed orange juice and strong coffee.

The Buttery café was once known as The Independent Chapel, and on November 21, 1845, Frederick Douglass, the famous African American statesman, civil rights campaigner, and social reformer, delivered a stirring antislavery talk to rapturous applause from a large audience at the end of a visit to Ireland.