51 Cornmarket
51 Cornmarket Street, Cork; 083-0102321, 51cornmarket.ie
David Devereaux and Anne Zagar continue to evolve and grow their little spot on Cork’s historic Coal Quay. We might wonder what the shoppers of the original market would make of dishes such as grilled west Cork asparagus with scallops, hazelnut crumb and smoked butter hollandaise, or duck with funky black garlic, enjoyed with some excellent natural wines, but I think it’s fair to say that they would be ferociously proud of this Cork success. Joanne Cronin
Amy Austin
Unit 1 Drury Street Car Park, Drury Street, Dublin 2; 01-5486255, amyaustin.ie
Originally a bit of a cheeky cowgirl, Amy Austin is maturing nicely into her groove. Chef Victor Lara’s seriously good food, along with wine on tap, fuels this bubble of brightness nestled into the concrete surroundings of the Drury Street car park. It was recently awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand for dishes such as turbot rib with green Thai sauce and puffed rice, grilled bone marrow with chimichurri or black bean tamales (reflecting Lara’s Mexican origins). JC
Daróg Wine Bar
56 Dominick Street Lower, Galway; 091-565813. darogwinebar.com
Zsolt Lukács, the former sommelier at Aniar, and his wife, Edel McMahon-Lukács are the team behind this wonderful wine bar. The wine list is skilfully selected and the food is at a serious level. Attila Galambos, formerly of Aniar and Lignum, heads up the kitchen. Line caught mackerel is lightly cured, flashed over charcoal and served with a crème fraîche sauce jewelled with fennel oil; seared scallops in a ponzu sauce come with tiny cubes of daikon and leeks, and the most wonderful dessert, coffee cream caramel, is encircled with candied pumpkin seeds. It is a delight. Corinna Hardgrave
Harrow
Muckross Road, Killarney, Co Kerry; 064-6636986, tangostreetfood.com
The eye-catching elegant dark green exterior of Harrow is a good indicator of the smart, upmarket style of food cooked by head chef John O’Leary, formerly of Adare Manor, the Killarney Park hotel and Pichet. Marble-topped tables are host to a brasserie-style menu that features local and Irish produce in dishes such as lobster bisque, the signature lamb wellington and firecracker scotch eggs. There is a smart bar shaking up original cocktails and you might even see a visiting celebrity or two. JC
House of Plates
Upper Chapel Street, Castlebar, Co Mayo; 094-9250742. houseofplates.ie
Galway goat’s cheese with beetroot meringue, miso glazed tofu with charred sweet heart cabbage, and Calvey’s Achill mountain lamb with Velvet Cloud sheep’s yoghurt are just some of the dishes you are likely to encounter on the menu at Barry Ralph’s Castlebar restaurant. Prices are reasonable, with the set menu on Thursday to Sunday coming in at two/three courses for €48/€54. CH
Lottie’s
7-9 Rathgar Road, Rathmines, Dublin 6; 01-5585969, lotties.ie
Lottie’s is very good at getting the flavours right. Whether it is lamb rump with wild garlic and ras el hanout salsa or Andarl Farm pork chop with pepperonata, it is clear that chef Tudorel Ostache has been given room to have fun in the kitchen. Lottie’s is an all rounder; a sleek, chic spot for dinner with friends, Sunday roasts with the family (enlivened with the help of the Sunday €10 BOYB corkage) or drinks upstairs in the gorgeous terrace area. JC
Neighbourhood
1 North Main Street, Naas, Co Kildare; 045-954466, neighbourhoodnaas.com
Neighbourhood has some serious intentions. Plates are made by Fermoyle Pottery, tables are hand made by Waterford Wood and they’ve just launched their Thursday Steak Night. Over the course of eight weeks, all parts of a directly sourced Tipperary-bred Black Angus heifer will be used, starting with steaks on Thursdays, burgers for the bar and, lastly, the offcuts for sauces, starters and staff food. Start or finish the night with a cocktail in their new upstairs bar or outdoor area. JC
Note
26 Fenian Street, Dublin 2; 01-2447344, notedublin.com
Essa Fakhry’s cooking is truly one of the hottest tickets in town right now. His clean, modern style delivers plates that may look simple but result in joyous flavour combinations. Think gnocchi with Gorgonzola fondue and radicchio or crab piled high on a crumpet with sea urchin espuma, all paired with creative cocktails and a wine list heavily leaning to organic and natural. The three-course lunch for €32 is simply superb value. JC
O’Mahony’s of Watergrasshill
Main Street, Watergrasshill, Co Cork; 086-8316879, omahonysofwatergrasshill.com
O’Mahony’s pub has been serving the people of Watergrasshill for 200 years but when Máire O’Mahony and partner Victor Murphy took charge they kicked it up a notch. This warm and friendly spot serves up a changing range of dishes that you just want to enjoy with friends. Start with local Rossmore oysters, then enjoy bacon and cheese croquettes or risotto with sautéed Kilbrack leeks, along with a selection from their excellent cocktail, wine or beer listing. JC
Osteria Lucio
The Malting Tower, Grand Canal Dock, Clanwilliam Terrace, Dublin D02 DW90; 01-6624198, osterialucio.com
The open kitchen in Ross Lewis’s much loved Italian restaurant has been renovated and Joshua Plunkett has joined the crew as head chef. The best way to work through this menu is by sharing, starting with antipasti, followed by pasta, pizza and suckling pig shoulder al forno. Okay, that’s a lot of food, so be sure to come with friends. Sit on the outside terrace for extra summer vibes. CH
Rúibín Bar & Restaurant
1-3 Dock Road, Galway, H91D7NE; 091-399200. ruibin.ie
There are three different menus at Alice Jary and Richard Kennan’s handsome restaurant – lunch, dinner and a more casual bar menu downstairs. Dishes are led by local produce, with sea trout and cider braised pork cheeks on the lunch menu and John Dory, monkfish and roast Skeaghanore duck featuring on the dinner menu. Booking is essential, although you may get lucky and get a stool at the bar where there are small plates, cocktails and 25 wines by glass. CH
Saint Francis Provisions
Short Quay, Kinsale, Co Cork; 083-0168652, saintfrancisprovisions.squarespace.com
Barbara Nealon’s buzzing little Kinsale spot has kicked off an innovative series of Sommwich Sundays, where guest chefs and sommeliers are invited in to create incredible sandwiches, paired with fun wines. This electric energy permeates all aspects of SFP, where chef Rebeca Recarey Sanchez turns out magical dishes such as red mullet crudo, potted Courtmacsherry shrimp and her incredible torrijas served with rhubarb creme anglaise. JC
Solas Tapas
Unit 1 Strand Street, Dingle, Co Kerry; 087-9932116. solastapas.com
Nicky Foley landed a Michelin Bib Gourmand for his tapas restaurant in Dingle, which brings a Spanish and international slant to Irish produce. Realt Na Mara rock oysters come with sea trout caviar and yuzu; scallop ceviche is dressed with apple, ginger and smoked pineapple tartare; and octopus tempura is served with kimchi dressing. CH
Waterman
5-23 Hill Street, Belfast, Co Antrim; +44 28-90434310. waterman.restaurant
This light-filled room which looks out on to a pedestrianised street is one of the loveliest places in Belfast to catch up with friends. The set menu at lunchtime of two/three courses for £18.50/£22.50 is particularly good value, so it is no surprise that they landed a Michelin Bib Gourmand. The a la carte menu has plenty of choice if you want to explore further, all seasonally led dishes cooked with flare. CH
