3 Best Restaurants in County Down, Northern Ireland

Venture a few miles south of Newcastle and a 10-minute drive toward Annalong to Head Road where hedgerows are replaced by stone walls to find a 100-year-old traditional whitewashed building that has been refashioned as a cozy café against the backdrop of Slieve Bingian mountain. Set amid the timeless wide-angle landscape of undulating countryside and green fields unspooling to the distant horizon of coast and sea, this is the place for those hungry for scenery as much as tray bakes, sandwiches, and salads. Don't miss the caramel shortbread hot chocolate or Illy coffee, served beside a blazing log fire. In good weather you can sit outside. Breakfasts are served until 3.00pm. Carrick Cottage now also offers summer accommodation in 'glamping' pods sleeping 2-5, from £160 per pod.

The café is often busy with walkers since it is beside one of the main paths leading into the mountains and is a short drive from Carrick Little car park, a major entry point into the hills.

A huge mural on brick walls features a top-hatted Isambard Kingdom Brunel, this relaxed seafood restaurant's namesake and a famous figure in engineering history with connections to the area. The food philosophy here means using seasonal and local produce, and the menu features wild ingredients freshly foraged from nearby Dundrum Bay or Strangford Lough. Lunch and dinner are on offer, with main evening fish courses such as halibut or coley, as well as a variety of delicious meat and pasta dishes.

In this atmospheric, whitewashed coaching inn dating to 1642, noted for its architectural merit, exposed oak beams, stone floors, and a large open fireplace testify to the antiquity; the Snug bar top was crafted from timbers of ships wrecked in Lough Foyle. On the menu, solid traditional dishes dominate—fish from Ardglass, chargrilled steaks, burgers, chicken, and spring lamb. The best-selling craft beer is Maggie's Leap, an India Pale Ale from the Whitewater Brewery brewed with American, Australian, and New Zealand hops and packed with citrus flavors. Back in the mists of time, it was a member of the same Denvir family who gave his name to a small settlement in Colorado, later modified to Denver. The six spacious guest rooms retain the old inn's character, with original wooden floors, mahogany sleigh beds, and pristine white linen. Live music in the bar mixes traditional Irish with old classics on weekend nights.