Page 306 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Ireland

304  TR A VELLERS ’ NEEDS
WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK

Although the highest concentration of top for money. To supplement these listings, look
gourmet restaurants is in Ireland’s main cities, out for the Dining in Ireland booklet published
equally fine cuisine can be found in some by Fáilte Ireland, the Irish Tourist Board. Pub
very unlikely, remote locations around the lunches are one of Ireland’s top travel bargains,
country. Good, plain cooking is on offer at offering generous portions of fresh vegetables
moderately priced, family-style restaurants all and prime meats, and can often serve as the
over Ireland. The restaurants listed on pages main meal of the day for a very reasonable
308–25 are recommended for their high price. Light meals, bar food and a variety of
standards of service, quality of food and value takeaway dishes are also widely available.

Irish Eating Patterns
Traditional Irish breakfasts feature
bacon, sausages, black pudding,
eggs, tomatoes and brown bread.
In Northern Ireland this, plus
potato cakes and soda farls (see
p306), is known as an “Ulster Fry”.
These hearty plates often appear
on menus as “all-day breakfast”
options and coincide with the
popularity in brunch fare that
has now become part of the
Irish dining out culture. Lunch menu at Farmgate Café, Cork City (see p314)
Continental breakfasts are
easily available, along with the main meal of the day. In many will often provide an ample
traditional breakfast, both of of the top restaurants, the fixed- home-cooked evening meal,
which are included in most price lunch and dinner menus are and many will serve tea and
hotel and bed-and-breakfast similar, but lunch comes at half scones in the late evening at
rates, as well as porridge, meat, the price. House wines are quite no extra charge.
cheese, cereals and fruits. Lunch- drinkable in most restaurants In top restaurants, men are
time menus offer lighter options and can reduce the total cost of expected to wear a jacket,
such as salads or soup and sand- your bill. If you are travelling though not necessarily a tie,
wiches and main meals are with children, look for a and women to wear a dress or
served in the evening. Vestiges restaurant that provides a less suit. Elsewhere, the dress code
of the old eating patterns remain expensive children’s menu. is pretty informal.
in the huge midday platefuls Lunch is usually served Visa and MasterCard are the
still served in pubs. between noon and 2:30pm, most commonly accepted
with dinner between 6:30 and credit cards, and debit cards are
Tips on Eating Out 10pm, although many ethnic also widely accepted. In rural
and city-centre restaurants areas, especially in small cafés
Elegant dining becomes stay open later, particularly and pubs, be prepared to pay
considerably more affordable in Temple Bar in Dublin’s city with cash. Many restaurants
when you make lunch your centre. Bed-and-breakfast hosts have early-bird menus, offering
diners less expensive options
than on the standard menu.
Gourmet and
Ethnic Dining
This once gourmet-poor land
now sports restaurants that rank
among Europe’s very best, with
chefs trained in outstanding
domestic and continental
institutions. There is a choice
of Irish, French, Italian, Chinese,
Indonesian and even Russian
and Cuban cuisines, with styles
Dining room above Dublin’s Fallon & Byrne food emporium (see p308) ranging from traditional to

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