Recs for Ireland quick trip: Galway, Limerick, Kilkenny Lunch, Enniskerry
I already have more good CH recs than needed for 1 day in Dublin but still need some for two nights near Galway City (staying at Glenlo Abbey), two near Limerick (staying at Adare Manor), and one for Enniskerry (staying at Ritz Carlton-Powerscourt-Gordon Ramsey restaurant luckily closed as it will be a Mon). While we would like one nice evening meal somewhere (not Dublin in case of jet lag) expensive ok, the rest can be moderate and/or interesting or even cheap but good. We will also be in SIL's ancestral home in Kilkenny for a Monday lunch-any good ideas for that-a good pub would do the trick?
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Not to be missed:
Kirwan's Lane - Galway
Moran's Oyster Cottage - Kilcolgan (near Galway)
The Mustard Seed (near Adare)Take a look at my post on this thread from last year:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/750292
Please be sure to report back after your trip.
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re: rrems
We had a wonderful week in Ireland-package deal, good hotels but not enough time-spend two weeks and wander if you go. This was not the best eating ever due to 4 people with very different palates and eating habits so that we ended up eating in a lot of just plain pubs when enough of us were hungry (my only other pub food experience was in London and not good. Even the least interesting pub we ate in here was excellent by comparison. Maybe more natives or tourists eat in them all over Ireland so the food is better?). I did however get a couple of recs here that I enjoyed and want to report on.
Dublin: We ate in a small pub near the Four Seasons Hotel (our package deal) which was okay-husband and SIL wanted to eat all their pub favorites on this trip and enjoyed the bangers and mash here. Should anyone stay at the Four Seasons on a deal, they have the usual 22-28 E breakfast but also have free coffee or tea with muffins and fruit available in the lobby for a couple of hours in the am.
Galway: Love the town and the food. On one day trip, we passed Moran's Oyster Cottage and were going to eat there on return but it looked closed. The next day on way south, I saw that the parking was around back. I was sorry to have missed it. Instead that night we ate at Bar no 8 pub which was a rec on another thread here-it is by the docks-cannot find card but will edit this if I do-we found it by passing it on the way back into town. SIL and I had fish-she the hake which she loved and I the plaice which I thought was terrific-it is on top of a nicoise salad that included some sea beans and fava beans with a light olive dressing on top. The men had beef and pork which they liked but did not think was great. There were good wine choices though ours was not the best and the place got crowded with some others besides tourists. It was not cheap but was pretty good value and way less than my favorite reviewed below. It was a good rec and we all recommend it too.
We also had wine and cheese and meat board the day before at Sheridan's Cheesemongers next to the St. Nicolas Collegiate Church (good church) because it was late afternoon and we were hungry. This was recommended as a good place to pick up a lunch to eat outdoors and I agree but by late afternoon it was rainy and very friendly upstairs-many tried the wines before getting one to drink. For about 60E, we had some nice wine and snacks that filled us 4 for the night.Adare: We did go to The Mustard Seed and this gets mixed reviews. The other three enjoyed the meal and service but felt that it was not good value at about 100 E per person. That includes the 60 E 4 course dinner and the one of the wines of the month. SIL loved her fish and recommends it but agreed that overall, it was a bit overpriced. We knew what the prices were before we went and were willing to pay them but did not feel that all the food lived up to the prices. I had saddle of rabbit roulade with pidgeon. The pidgeon was very good but the rabbit was dry though the sauces were good. A bowl of seasonal vegetables for the table did not excite the men but they were very good and very well seasoned-other people are not as fond of carrots, parsnips, turnips and potatoes as I am and those were the vegetables in all markets last week. The men again had beef and pork and found it just okay. Even though not all the food was perfect, this was my favorite dining experience-you were encouraged to sit in one of the parlors to drink and read the menus before coming in to the first course and to sit afterwards too if you wished-it was hospitable and friendly-great waiters and host. It is a good 15 minutes down a country lane from Adare proper but to me, worth the detour.
We also had an included high tea at Adare manor which was lovely and filling in a beautiful room but not different from teas I have had in places that specialize in them in the US-maybe the scones were better. A little pot or cuppa and some fresh brown bread might have done as well.
Powerscourt Ritz-Carlton: We arrived after a long day of touring during which it got colder, windier, and wetter as the day went on and one of group refused to leave the hotel even to experience a little local color in Enniskerry so this is a back-handed complement. We ate in the hotel pub which is even more overpriced than The Mustard Seed compared to regular pubs but the food was surprisingly good. Husband had Shepards's pie, SIL Guiness beef stew and I had a seafood pie which was full of fresh, not overcooked seafood (Killjoy had a hamburger). I would never recommend this over going to the village but if someone who read chowhound and got a hotel deal ended up here and was not be able to leave the hotel, the meal would taste good. Lastly, if here, breakfast coffee is 5E and no freebies. We skipped that. Our included breakfasts at Glenlo Abbey (outside Galway) and Adare Manor were very good-Irish smoked salmon is very nice and not too salty but a little village place or city coffee bar would do as well if you have to pay. I enjoyed eating in Ireland though most of our meals were not lofty. Food was expensive but that was the case on all our travels this year in and out of the US. Thanks for the recs I got here.
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