Food & Drink
Ireland’s recently acquired reputation as a gourmet destination is thoroughly deserved, as a host of chefs and producers are leading a foodie revolution that, at its heart, is about bringing to the table the kind of meals that have always been taken for granted on well-run Irish farms. Coupled with the growing sophistication of the Irish palate, it’s now relatively easy to eat well in all budgets.
To Eat
Potatoes Still a staple of most traditional meals and presented in a variety of forms. The mashed potato dishes colcannon and champ (with cabbage and spring onion, respectively) are two of the tastiest recipes in the country.
Meat and seafood Beef, lamb and pork are common options. Seafood is widely available in restaurants and is often excellent, especially in the west. Oysters, trout and salmon are delicious, particularly if they're direct from the sea or a river rather than a fish farm.
Soda bread The most famous Irish bread is made with bicarbonate of soda, to make up for soft Irish flour that traditionally didn't take well to yeast. Combined with buttermilk, it makes a superbly tasty bread, and is often on the breakfast menus at B&Bs.
The fry Who can say no to a plate of fried bacon, sausages, black pudding, white pudding, eggs and tomatoes? For the famous Ulster fry, common throughout the North, simply add fadge (potato bread).
oMemorable MealsDare to Try
Ironically, while the Irish palate has become more adventurous, it is the old-fashioned Irish menu that features some fairly challenging dishes. Dare to try the following:
oBlack pudding Made from cooked pork blood, suet and other fillings; a ubiquitous part of an Irish cooked breakfast.
oBoxty A Northern Irish starchy potato cake made with a half-and-half mix of cooked mashed potatoes and grated, strained raw potato.
oCarrageen The typical Irish seaweed that can be found in dishes as diverse as salad and ice cream.
oCorned beef tongue Usually accompanied by cabbage, this dish is still found on a traditional Irish menu.
oLough Neagh eel A speciality of Northern Ireland, typically eaten around Halloween; it's usually served in chunks with a white onion sauce.
oPoitín It's rare enough for you to be offered a drop of the 'cratur', as illegally distilled whiskey (made from malted grain or potatoes) is called here. Still, there are pockets of the country with secret stills – in Donegal, Connemara and West Cork.
To Drink
Stout While Guinness has become synonymous with stout the world over, few outside Ireland realise that there are two other major producers competing for the favour of the Irish drinker: Murphy's and Beamish & Crawford, both based in Cork city.
Tea The Irish drink more tea, per capita, than any other nation in the world and you'll be offered a cup as soon as you cross the threshold of any Irish home. Taken with milk (and sugar, if you want) rather than lemon, preferred blends are very strong, and nothing like the namby-pamby versions that pass for Irish breakfast tea elsewhere.
Whiskey At last count, there were almost 100 different types of Irish whiskey, brewed by only three distilleries – Jameson's, Bushmills and Cooley's. A visit to Ireland reveals a depth of excellence that will make the connoisseur's palate spin while winning over many new friends to what the Irish call uisce beatha (water of life).
Craft Beer Revolution
Although mainstream lagers like Heineken, Carlsberg and Coors Lite are most pubs' best-selling beers, the craft-beer revolution has resulted in dozens of microbreweries springing up all over the island, making artisan beers that are served in more than 600 of Ireland’s pubs and bars. Here’s a small selection to whet the tastebuds:
o Devil’s Backbone (4.9% Alcohol by volume) Rich amber ale from County Donegal brewer Kinnegar.
o The Full Irish (6% ABV) Pale ale by Eight Degrees Brewery outside Mitchelstown, County Cork, voted Irish beer of the year in 2015.
o O’Hara’s Leann Folláin (6% ABV) Dry stout with vaguely chocolate notes produced by Carlow Brewing Company.
o Metalman Pale Ale (4.3% ABV) American-style pale ale by the much-respected Metalman Brewing Company in County Waterford – now available in cans.
o Puck Pilsner (4.5% ABV) A light lager brewed by Jack Cody’s Brewery in Drogheda, County Louth.
o Twisted Hop (4.7% ABV) Blond ale produced by Hilden just outside Lisburn, Ireland’s oldest independent brewery.
Price Ranges
The following price ranges refer to the cost of a main course at dinner.
| Budget | Republic | Dublin | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| € | less than €12 | less than €15 | less than £12 |
| €€ | €12–25 | €15–28 | £12–20 |
| €€€ | more than €25 | more than €28 | more than £20 |
When to Eat
Irish eating habits have changed over the last couple of decades, and there are differences between urban and rural practices.
o Breakfast Usually eaten before 9am (although hotels and B&Bs will serve until 11am Monday to Friday, and to noon at weekends in urban areas), as most people rush off to work. Weekend brunch is popular in bigger towns and cities.
o Lunch Urban workers eat on the run between 12.30pm and 2pm (most restaurants don't begin to serve lunch until at least midday). At weekends, especially Sunday, the midday lunch is skipped in favour of a substantial mid-afternoon meal (called dinner), usually between 2pm and 4pm.
o Tea Not the drink, but the evening meal – also confusingly called dinner. This is the main meal of the day for urbanites, usually eaten around 6.30pm. Rural communities eat at the same time but with a more traditional tea of bread, cold cuts and, yes, tea. Restaurants follow international habits, with most diners not eating until at least 7.30pm.
o Supper A before-bed snack of tea and toast or sandwiches, still enjoyed by many Irish, although urbanites increasingly eschew it for health reasons. Not a practice in restaurants.
Vegetarians & Vegans
Ireland has come a long, long way since the days when vegetarians were looked upon as odd creatures; nowadays, even the most militant vegan will barely cause a ruffle in all but the most basic of kitchens. Which isn't to say that travellers with plant-based diets are going to find the most imaginative range of options on menus outside the bigger towns and cities – or in the plethora of modern restaurants that have opened in the last few years – but you can rest assured that the overall quality of the homegrown vegetable is top-notch and most places will have at least one dish that you can tuck into comfortably.
Dining Etiquette
The Irish aren't big on restrictive etiquette, preferring friendly informality to any kind of stuffy to-dos. Still, the following are a few tips to dining with the Irish:
o Children All restaurants welcome kids up to 7pm, but pubs and some smarter restaurants don't allow them in the evening. Family restaurants have children's menus; others have reduced portions of regular menu items.
o Returning a dish If the food is not to your satisfaction, it's best to politely explain what's wrong with it as soon as you can; any respectable restaurant will endeavour to replace the dish immediately.
o Paying the bill If you insist on paying the bill for everyone, be prepared for a first, second and even third refusal to countenance such an exorbitant act of generosity. But don't be fooled: the Irish will refuse something several times even if they're delighted with it. Insist gently but firmly and you'll get your way!