Ireland’s unmissable sustainable restaurants

The Killarney Park Hotel’s cosy and traditional bar and restaurant, anchored by a beautifully hand-crafted mahogany curved counter, is surrounded by intimate wood panelled alcoves and inviting fireplaces. What really sets this place apart though is its dining experience. You can choose from an impressive selection of creative salads, gourmet sandwiches, meat, fish and garden dishes, all of which have been created with local produce; the team loves nothing more than championing the best in season. Couple this with an unfailingly warm and welcoming service, and you’ve got yourself an all-rounder.

Right on the banks of the River Shannon, The Curragower Bar and Restaurant is at the heart of Limerick’s Medieval Quarter. Here you’ll find high-quality, award-winning food – and that’s because the team is very passionate about food. They take a great deal of pride in sourcing the highest quality fresh ingredients from local suppliers and this is evident in the menus being recognised year after year with numerous awards and accolades. With spectacular views of King John’s Castle, the Curragower Falls and Limerick City Hall, your meal here will be one to remember.

Davis’s Restaurant & Yeats Tavern, in the coastal seaport of Sligo, has been owned by the Davis Family for over 35 years. The Davis Family have a passion for serving fresh, locally sourced food, and pride themselves on offering a warm welcome to go with it in their beautifully decorated, modern restaurant. The venue is vegetarian-friendly, offering fresh salads and veggie based dishes including aromatic curries, tasty stir fries and our favourite – the Spinach and Ricotta Tortelli Pasta.

Arklow Bay Hotel Co. Wicklow boasts a selection of excellent dining options to appeal to every taste, but the standout has to be The Pottery. This gorgeous fine dining venue boasts an excellent selection of seasonal Irish dishes with an international twist creating a feast for the eyes and the palate. The exceptional menu, created with locally sourced, sustainable ingredients, is enhanced by a handpicked wine list that’s arguably the best in the country. A firm favourite with locals and hotel guest alike, The Pottery Restaurant Arklow Co. Wicklow offers a dining experience like no other.

In the heart of Letterkenny, you’ll find The Lemon Tree; a family-run restaurant dating back to 1999. They’re serving up modern, seasonal Irish dishes in a relaxed contemporary space. The venue is unsuspecting, tucked into the Courtyard Shopping Centre, but on arrival, you’re hit with fresh comforting aromas and a lively atmosphere.

The menu stays seasonal, sourcing as many ingredients as possible from the surrounding Donegal area, showcasing their world-class produce. While it’s constantly changing, you can expect to see the likes of Irish beef tartare, roasted duck breast, pan-fried monkfish, beef cheek Bourguignon, Irish venison ragu, and chorizo sausage risotto on the menu. The drinks list is equally impressive, with wines from New Zealand, Australia, Italy, and Chile to name a few, as well as a long list of bespoke cocktails and mocktails.

Found in Marlfield House just outside Gorey sits The Duck Restaurant; a terraced restaurant and cafe with French doors looking out onto the kitchen’s gardens filled with vegetables, fruits, and herbs. The restaurant is designed for relaxation, with a glasshouse view of the manor house and a cosy fireplace for the colder months, as well as the sandstone terrace acting as the perfect spot for an al fresco morning coffee and pastry.

The talented chefs are using fresh produce from the gardens outside to create modern Italian-inspired dishes, including antipasti, flatbreads and dips, risottos and pasta, fish, burrata sharing boards, and seasonal garden vegetable soups. The grounds and fresh menu together create the perfect marriage for a memorable trip to Marlfield House.

Hosting only 42 seats, The Fatted Calf is a coveted spot in the heart of Athlone. The award-winning restaurant lives and breathes locally sourced produce, working closely with local producers and growers to find only the finest Irish produce for their menus. The venue features a full list of their local companies, as well as sustainability details for each ingredient.

Open for lunch and dinner, and Sunday roasts, you can expect to find dishes such as Roaring Water Bay mussels, Fresh buffalo burrata, Pressed terrine of guinea fowl and Horan’s ham hock, Garryhinch “KFC” oyster mushroom, and Roast breast of Irish chicken. Their beers are all sourced from local brewers, and the wines come from Wines Direct, Mullingar and Athlone. Due to the small space available, we highly recommend booking well ahead and giving them a heads-up for any dietary requirements.

Near the west coast of Ireland sits Sage Westport, a delightful wee family-run bistro headed by home hunter and forager, Shteryo Yurukov. With a love for foraging his own ingredients, you’ll catch Shteryo creating coastline salads, crab claws with wild garlic, or a saddle of rabbit. Alongside their own foraging, Sage also utilises several local producers to fulfil their menu. Local suppliers are providing fresh olives, meat, shellfish, fish, eggs, and cheese for Sage’s seasonal menus.

The a la carte menu runs Tuesday to Saturday from 5:30pm and features dishes such as Mayo lamb rump, 6-hour slow-cooked beef cheeks and pork belly, seafood linguine, goats cheese parfait beetroot carpaccio, and Killary Fiord mussels. Sage also offers a fully separate vegetarian menu for all our veggie friends!