Where to Eat on the Emerald Isle
by John Gilchrist
We were lost.
Or at least momentarily misplaced somewhere between Galway and Burren National Park on the narrow, winding, left-hand-driving roads of western Ireland. So, we pulled into Aillwee Cave, a centre for birds of prey as well as caves, to ask for directions.
It turned out we were on the right road all along but hadn’t adjusted to the amount of time it would take to get to Burren. (Irish driving time: 50km = one hour or longer). Shannon, a cave gift shop staffer, gave us detailed—and accurate—directions to Corofin, the Burren headquarters, and to the shuttle bus that would take us from there into the park for our hike.
When we asked how she knew so much about shuttle times and even the lunch break for the driver she smiled broadly and said, “Me Da’s the driver. And we live across the street from the Burren office.”
all photos Valli Arlette
A few minutes later Shannon’s father was driving us into the park, a lovely Irish landscape with a range of elevation, windswept rocks and mossy glens.
The Burren walk was our third day of hiking in Galway. On the first two days we had headed north into Connemara for breezy hikes that took us into the hills (mountains as they call them) for spectacular views of the Atlantic and along tree-shaded trails through the woods.
The hikes were a counterpoint to exploring Galway’s—and Ireland’s—food culture, dining on fine traditional- and contemporary-Irish cuisine and sipping a few brews in the area’s numerous pubs. I had a group of 28 travelers with me, spending fifteen days consuming as much Irish culture (castles, cathedrals, pubs, prisons, etc.) as possible and hitting some of the better restaurants on the island. And meeting many friendly and helpful folks like Shannon.
We had great success all around. I had my best meal of 2019 on May 1, a tremendous lunch at The Muddler’s Club in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Delicately executed modern Irish cuisine that started with a silky fresh pea and haddock veloute, followed by perfectly-cooked beef sirloin topped with an egg and flavoured with dill, and finishing with a colourful combination of rhubarb, vanilla ice cream and honeycomb. Simple, clean preparations with beautifully melded flavours. All in a comfortable, casual setting with friendly professional service. Best meal of the year material.
Until the next day.
In Dublin this time, at a new place called Variety Jones. In a space that might at one time have been a hallway. No sign on the door; just a caricature of a face. About thirty seats inside with a tight, open kitchen at the back.
Run by brothers Aaron and Keelan Higgs and uber-sommelier Vanda, Variety Jones opened on December 23, 2018 and was immediately named thebest new restaurant in Dublin for that year by many critics and customers. We were fortunate to snag a reservation—we booked on January 7—and by the time we arrived in May, diners were clamouring for seats. After we filled the restaurant with our group that evening, Aaron locked the doors to the constant stream of hopefuls that dropped by.
Chef Keelan takes Irish traditions of dark breads, grilled fish and foraged rhubarb and adds a contemporary spin to them. A financier is infused with duck fat, a Hollandaise is piqued with wild garlic and a simple piece of hearth-roasted halibut is elevated by nduja sauce. Every single element in every single dish—I counted at least 32 elements in eight dishes—was immaculately conceived and executed. And paired with brilliantly chosen wines by the talented Vanda.
Not only did Variety Jones bump The Muddler’s Club off the roost as my top meal of 2019, it was added to my top ten list of best meals of my life.
Dublin is home to many other fine eateries, from Victorian-toned pubs to slick contemporary restaurants. And while I’m sure that bad meals can be found there, as they can anywhere, the food we had in Dublin was good to great, skillfully prepared, presented hot and abundant and just downright tasty. And served by universally pleasant staff. Not cheap—just pretend those euros are dollars—but worth it. We also indulged in a culinary walking tour, visits to Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin Castle and the National Museum, strolls along the River Liffey and a liquid visit to Guinness Storehouse. Plus a literary pub tour that interspersed Irish poetry and theatre with fine drafts of beer and whiskey.
Galway is no slouch either. There we spent a day with chef JP McMahon, another culinary highlight of my life. McMahon, also known as Mr. Eat Galway and a huge proponent of Irish cuisine worldwide, was generous with his time and expertise. He led a fascinating three-hour culinary demo on the natural foods and flavours of Ireland, followed by a splendid lunch in his Spanish tapas bar, Cava Bodega. He then took us on a foraging session on Galway’s coast, picking seaweed and wild herbs along the way.
Then it was back to Aniar, McMahon’s Michelin-star restaurant for an exquisite meal that included larch, sea radish, whey, eel, meadowsweet and treacle among many other things. Outstanding and a near challenger to Variety Jones for top meal of 2019. It did, however, bump The Muddler’s Club down to number three.
The next night we dined at McMahon’s third restaurant, Tartare, on a spectacular combo of tartares and small plates. It was a perfect culinary trifecta.
In addition to Ireland’s culinary attributes, it was the culture and the people that sold us on the island. Galway is the most musical city I’ve ever seen, with buskers of (mostly) high quality every fifty metres on the walking streets throughout the day and live music in almost every pub. (Ed Sheeran used to busk here.)
Irish pub culture is very welcoming with fans of all ages enjoying the music, each other’s company and the libations. The countryside is lovely and dotted with hiking trails and historic castles. And I’m sure there are more fine restaurants out there too.
Here’s my personal thesis on Euro cuisines: countries such as Italy, Spain and France are constrained by their history and traditions of food. Many dishes must be prepared exactly as they have been for decades, even centuries. Some chefs are breaking out, but many classic European cuisines remain hidebound. On the other hand, countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Scotland and Ireland have such bad reputations for their cuisine (sorry if I’ve offended the lutefisk and haggis crowd) that chefs are much freer to create and incorporate global ingredients and techniques into their cooking. That’s where the best Euro-food I’ve had in the past few years has been.
Getting lost in Ireland, either in the countryside or in the cuisine, is not the worst thing that can happen.
Where to eat in Ireland
Contemporary Irish
The Winding Stair, 40 Lower Ormond Quay, Dublin
Great view of the Ha’penny Bridge
with slick service and creative, well-executed food.
The Muddler’s Club, 1 Warehouse Lane, Belfast
Gorgeous cuisine with excellent service to match in a tricky location.
Very professional kitchen. (The Muddler’s Club recently received one Michelin star.)
Variety Jones, 78 Thomas Street, Dublin
The Best New Restaurant in Dublin in 2018 deserves the accolades—impeccable. (Variety Jones received one Michelin star just months after it opened.)
Loam, Greata Na Catrach, Fairgreen Road, Galway
Lovely Michelin-star room with stellar food and service.
Aniar, 53 Lower Dominick Street, Galway
Stunning Michelin-star food by JP McMahon
as local and seasonal and superb as they come.
Kai, 22 Sea Road, Galway
Mostly local, seasonal and organic, the food at Kai sings with flavour.
Casual Irish
Bodega, 54 John Street, Waterford
The incredibly hard-working and skilled kitchen puts out wonderful food.
Sage, The Courtyard, 8 Main Street, Midleton
The perfect lunch before a visit to Jameson’s Distillery, Sage’s food is light and fresh.
Cakeface, 16 Irishtown, Kilkenny
A fine bakery and deli, Cakeface offers lush and filling picnic lunches
with a few tables if you’re lucky enough to snag one.
Cava Bodega, 1 Middle Street Mews, Galway
Spanish and Irish–tapas in a lively atmosphere
under the watchful eye of chef JP McMahon.
Tartare, 56 Lower Dominick Street, Galway
Located across the street from big sister Aniar,
Tartare offers tartares and small plates for all appetites.
Dough Bros, 1 Middle Street, Galway
Creative Neapolitan-style pizza with well-aged dough and sassy toppings.
Pubs
Ryan’s, 28 Parkgate Street, Dublin
Part of the FX Buckley group (there’s a Buckley steakhouse upstairs)
Ryan’s pours a great pint and serves terrific food.
The Reg, 2 The Mall, Waterford
Built against a 900-year-old Viking Wall, the Reg adds history to its fine pub menu.
Murty Rabbitt’s, 23 Forster Street, Galway
Fine Irish pub food combines with toe-tapping
Irish music in this casual, comfortable pub.