4 Best Restaurants in The Southwest, Ireland

Every fishing port should have a simple waterfront bistro like this one, serving the best seafood (the owner won't open up if there's no fresh-caught seafood available—which is almost never). Lobster, scallops, and crayfish are specialties, but also expect turbot, black sole, plaice, brill, monkfish, and even the humble pollack on the daily blackboard menu of this unpretentious shack. There's a short but well-chosen wine list, and basic dessert selection.

This pub has been sitting here since it opened in 1849 as a drapery with a liquor license, and its history over the years has included its location as the unofficial base for the cast of Ryan's Daughter, which filmed in the town in 1968. In fact, it was for this crew that Ashe's first started serving food, and while the bar has expanded to accommodate more visitors with two additional cozy, no-frills rooms, the fare served on the plain wooden tables remains the freshest seafood, cooked to order, and a small selection of meat and vegetarian dishes---all hearty and good. Reservations are advised.

Whether you buy from the deli or restaurant, the focus here is freshness---as in cut out the middle man and go straight to the table. All dishes have been sourced locally and whipped up on the premises from scratch, displaying the culinary legacy that's lasted over 60 years. 

A fishmongers, deli, and seafood café all rolled into one, Spa Seafoods is a short trip out of town, on the road to Fenit. One of the area's best restaurants, it's a casual, buzzy spot with a thriving deli and fish shop and a restaurant upstairs. Daily specials are determined by the local catch, but you'll always find excellent seafood chowder, fish cakes, fish pie, and fish and chips, alongside a great little wine list.