Places to eat in County Clare

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This rather stylish Italian place was quite a surprise, located as it is in a fairly rural part of the country. As the hunger pangs grew stronger we felt we were lucky to pop into this restaurant, which serves decently priced vegetarian Italian dishes.

The restaurant is is located in a small old market hall, with an Italian style interior transported from, well, Italy apparently. The restaurant appeared popular with tourists and locals alike as I noticed a few people were obviously taking their lunch break from the office in there.

Courteous and helpful service. The staff automatically provide a jug of iced water for free, which seems to be becoming popular in Irish restaurants these days.

Favorite Dish: Large-sized ravioli in a spicy tomato sauce was a hit with one of our number, while the pizzas had a lovely authentic tasting sauce and were a good size - the Quattro Formaggi went down especially well. Mains for around 10 euro.

A bit off the beaten path and located in the small village of Tuamgraney, Teach Ui Bhriain is a lovely stone faced pub and restaurant where you get creatively prepared local foods. The restaurant is in a separate room from the pub, so you can actually enjoy a peaceful dinner here, though it is by no means stuffy. The same menu is available in the pub.

The dining room is very warm and comfortable, with private booths available. The room is abundant in woodwork and burgundy colors and is decorated with art that evokes the local history. The service is very good, with pleasant staff and the food is prepared by an award winning chef. If you're going to eat in the dinning room, take your time and save room for desert.

The pub side is a great place to relax and enjoy a pint. Continuing with the abundance of woodwork it is decorated with some unusual artifacts that seem to have been collected over a number of years.

Favorite Dish: I've had a variety of dishes here, from steak to pasta to curry, and everything has been fantastically prepared. I had one of the most memorable steaks here, served with a black pepper glaze. Irish beef may be the best in the world (though for some reason, you can't get a decent burger). The pasta dish and chicken curry were also very good.

Of course, the best part is desert. Order the sticky toffee pudding and you will go home a happy person.

I had read before this trip that the best seafood chowder to be had in Ireland was at Monk's Pub in Ballyvaughan. With that recommendation and the name of the town how could we not go there. Not only was the chowder all it was supposed to be; we also enjoyed it in front of a real peat fire with our friend Pat and washed it down with you know what.

Favorite Dish: Just had the great seafood chowder and some wonderful Irish bread, but it was outstanding. Go for dinner in the evenings and you will likely be treated to some great music as well.

Small pub with good music, good food and a nice friendly atmosphere. Order food at the bar and find a table in the back next to the fire!

Favorite Dish: Our guide recommended we try the Irish Stew claiming it was the best she has ever tasted - I certainly wasn't disappointed! I had my huge plateful polished off in minutes and seconds wouldn't have gone amiss!

UPDATE: CLOSED. Now is a Supermacs (don't eat there).

This is an excellent Indian restaurant right in Scariff. For dinner, it can be a romantic relaxing evening with it's deep colors and low lighting. They also do take-out if you're not p for the dining experience. The staff is very pleasant. Don't be in a rush, because things move a little slow (welcome to Ireland).

Favorite Dish: I can't remember specific dishes, but I've tried several and haven't been disappointed. You can also get fish and chips here, in case you have a fussy eater in your midst.

UPDATE 3-3-09: On my last visit here I was very disappointed with the service. The room was very cold and heat was provided by a single electric floor heater. We were the only people there, yet it took much too long for drinks to arrive and the waitress forgot part of our order. While the food is still good, I will only recommend this place for take out, which seems to be what most locals do.

"Sicilian Restaurant" is a nice family run place that serves well prepared Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. The food is very good and the atmosphere is friendly and lively. It can get pretty busy, which is a testament to it's quality. Probably your best option for Italian in Ennis!

Favorite Dish: They offer some nice variations from the traditional menus you tend to find in Italian restaurants outside of Italy, especially with their pastas. I had a red sauce that had that peppery spiciness that reminded me of Sicily.

The food is gorgeous and the decoration is interesting. I would recommend the chowder soup (seafood soup, quite thick but sooo nice..hmm!!! I'm getting hungry now haha :-) )

If you like old Irish pubs and stonewalls, don't hesitate to call over. It's very cosy.

Brogan's is a very well known pub in the center of Ennis. It's a really great meeting place and the food is good. It's very nice inside, with much woodwork and several entrances. The way it's laid out, you can enjoy a nice meal in comfort, or head down back for a more pub-ish atmosphere. They often have music so ask the staff. They are also really good about telling you where can find music, if the don't have any going on.

I once saw Tommy Peoples, the great fiddler, and his daughter perform there!