Looking for the Best Restaurants in Ireland, Michelin Restaurants Ireland or just Where to Eat in Ireland… this is for you
It’s been one hell of a year as I travelled around Ireland eating in some of the best places on the Island. From windswept seafood shacks in the west to low-lit bangers in Dublin’s back streets, this is my honest and unsponsored list of the 10 best places I ate over the past 12 months.
Whether you’re road-tripping the Wild Atlantic Way, looking at where to eat in West Cork or looking for a last-minute table in Dulin, this list is for travelers who eat like locals and want more than just Tripadvisor noise.
Let’s get stuck in.
10. Out of the Blue – Dingle, Co. Kerry
📍 Seafood only. No chicken allowed.
Walk past the fishing boats in Dingle and you’ll find Out of the Blue, a seafood-only spot that’s as honest as it is unpretentious. Some say the best seafood in Dingle and is always on a list for where to eat in Dingle. The menu changes daily depending on what the boats land and the monkfish I had here? Changed my standards permanently.
No deep-fried gimmicks, just wild Irish fish cooked like someone gives a damn.
9. Amy Austin – Dublin City Centre
📍 Trendy small plates in a car park.
Amy Austin feels like the cool older cousin of every restaurant trying to do “casual fine dining.” Tucked in behind Drury Street Car Park, it’s a wine bar with a punk soul. Could it be the best wine bar in Dublin?
Perfect for solo diners, date nights, or wine-soaked catch-ups.
8. Cava Bodega – Galway
📍 Mediterranean soul, Galway heart.
Cava Bodega nails the whole “neighbourhood wine bar” thing without trying too hard. Ask anyone where to eat in Galway or what is the best restaurant in Galway and you will more than likely here Casa being said back to you. Spanish wines, punchy small plates, and a menu that jumps from local oysters to Basque anchovies with zero stress.
One of the best places to eat in Galway, always.
7. Bar Pez – Dublin
📍 Spanish Sole.
From the team behind Fish Shop, Bar Pez is seafood done with Spanish heart. Anchovy toast, crisp skin hake, and a wine list that’s as wild as it is well thought-out. If you’re into clean plates and bold pours, this place is essential. Best tapas in Dublin?
This is the kind of spot that makes you want to try everything on the menu.
6. Uno Mas – Dublin
📍 Consistently one of Ireland’s finest.
Uno Mas brings relaxed Spanish-inspired dishes with Irish ingredients, done perfectly every single time. From the morcilla to the flan, this is a place that deserves every ounce of its hype.
Start with the jamón croquetas. End with a second bottle.
5. Square – Dundalk
📍 Serious food, small-town swagger.
You don’t expect to eat like this in Dundalkbut this is the best restaurant in Dundalk in my opinion. Square is plating up modern Irish food with confidence, elegance, and the kind of attention to detail you usually have to travel further (or pay more) for.
Square proves that incredible food isn’t just found in capital cities.
4. Chestnut – Ballydehob, West Cork
📍 Small room, big Michelin-starred energy.
Chestnut is intimate, relaxed, and worth every mile you drive to get there. Chef Rob Krawczyk’s tasting menu is a love letter to West Cork produce, and the wine pairings are on point.
In the select group of one star Michelin restaurants Ireland.
There’s something quietly brilliant happening here and it’s only getting better.
3. The Black Pig – Kinsale
📍 Effortless wine bar magic in a foodie town central.
The Black Pig is all candlelight, curated wines, and plates that punch way above their weight. Their menu is wonderfully weighted and the staff are on point in this wonderful slice of Irish hospitality with a Spanish twist.
Kinsale has options—but this is the one you remember.
2. Baba’dé – Baltimore, West Cork
📍 If you know, you know. And now you do.
Baba’dé is the kind of restaurant that makes you sit up. Small but fearless, seasonal but wildly creative. There’s a freedom to the food here all brought together with Turkish flair under the watchful eye of Chef Chef Ahmet Dede.
The most uniquq food experience I’ve had in Ireland.
1. Homestead Cottage – Doolin, Co. Clare
📍 No question. This was the meal.
This place wasn’t just the best food I ate this year. It was the best experience full stop. From the garden path to the first glass of champagne poured from a giant bottle, Homestead Cottage is thoughtful, grounded, and quietly world-class. I walked there after the Doolin Cliff Walk, slightly wrecked, and left walking on air.
The best service I have ever had in Ireland to date coupled with Chef Robbie McCauley showing what Irish food can be and should be.
This was the best meal and service I had in Ireland all year. And that’s saying something.
In the select group of one star Michelin restaurants Ireland.
Final Bite
From tiny cottages in Clare to natural wine haunts in the capital, this list proves one thing: Ireland’s food scene is flying, and it’s not slowing down. Michelin or not, these are the places worth building a trip around.
So whether you’re a local looking for your next booking or a traveller planning a food-focused road trip, save this list. Trust me your taste buds will thank you.
Here is to another year of trying the best restaurants in Ireland!
FAQ’s Best Restaurants in Ireland
If you’re chasing flavour, head to Dublin, Dingle, West Cork, Galway, Kinsale, and the Wild Atlantic Way. Each of these regions has a mix of Michelin-level restaurants, hidden gems, and casual bangers worth planning a trip around.
That depends who you ask, but Chapter One, Aimsir, and Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud regularly top the list for fine dining. I have yet to be to any of these.
As of 2025, Ireland has 21 Michelin‑starred restaurants across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. These include a combination of one‑star and two‑star establishments, reflecting the growing strength and consistency of Ireland’s fine dining scene.
As of early 2026, there are five restaurants in the Republic of Ireland that hold two Michelin stars—a mark of exceptional cooking worth a detour. These elite kitchens are:
Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud – Dublin
Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen – Dublin
Liath – Blackrock, Co. Dublin
Dede – Baltimore, West Cork
Terre – Castlemartyr, Co. Cork
100%. Irish food right now is the best it’s ever been: ingredient-led, chef-driven, and rooted in place. Whether it’s a roadside café in Clare or a tasting menu in Cork, the passion on the plate is unmistakable.