Irish food: what to eat in Ireland, region by region
Irish food is simple food done well: good butter and dairy, potatoes, lamb and beef, and seafood from a long Atlantic coast. Traditional dishes are hearty and made for cold weather, and the best modern kitchens build on them with local produce. The one thing to know is that the traditional plate is often better at home-style places than in tourist pubs.
The short answer
- Order this first
- Boxty or Irish stew for the traditional plate, and brown soda bread with butter. On the coast, ask for the local seafood.
- When people eat
- Breakfast is early and can be big, lunch is light, and dinner is usually 6 to 8pm. Pub kitchens often stop serving by 9pm.
- Tipping
- Not required, but 10 to 15 per cent for good service is normal. Check whether a service charge is already on the bill.
- Where to eat well
- Our city food guides name the places for Dublin and Galway. Outside them, look for places that say where the fish and meat come from.
What to eat in Ireland
- Irish stewLamb or beef slow cooked with potatoes, onions and carrots. The classic comfort dish, on most pub menus.Nationwide
- BoxtyA pancake made from grated and mashed potato, fried and often wrapped around a filling. Look for it at restaurants that cook traditional food.The north-west and midlands
- ColcannonMashed potato with cabbage or kale and butter. Served as a side or a light meal.Nationwide
- Dublin coddleSausages, bacon, onion and potato simmered together. A winter dish that is easier to find in traditional pubs.Dublin
- Soda breadDense, quick bread raised with bicarbonate of soda rather than yeast, often brown. It comes with soup, seafood and breakfast.Nationwide
- Full Irish breakfastEggs, sausages, rashers, black and white pudding, tomato and toast. One plate can last until the evening.Nationwide
- Seafood chowderA cream-based soup with fish and shellfish, usually served with brown bread. Worth ordering by the sea.The coast
- OystersNative oysters are in season from autumn, and Galway is known for them. Often eaten with a glass of stout.Galway and the west
- Smoked salmonCured and smoked at small smokehouses, served with brown bread and often as a starter.The south and west
- Irish cheesesFarmhouse cheeses made in small dairies, from washed-rind to hard. Look for a cheese board at restaurants and markets.Cork and the south-west
How the food changes across Ireland
Dublin and the east
The widest range, from traditional pubs to modern restaurants. Dublin coddle and a full breakfast are the local classics.
The west coast
Seafood leads: oysters, chowder, mussels and fish from small boats. Galway is a good place to eat it.
Cork and the south-west
The most food-conscious part of the country, with farmhouse cheese, artisan producers and busy markets.
The north-west and midlands
Potato dishes such as boxty and a lamb and beef tradition. Simpler food, often in family-run places.
What to drink in Ireland
- StoutGuinness is the national drink, and a properly pulled pint takes a couple of minutes. Murphy's and Beamish are Cork's stouts.
- Irish whiskeySmooth and usually triple distilled. Order it neat or with a little water, and book a distillery tour if you want to learn more.
- Craft beer and ciderSmall breweries have grown fast, and Irish cider is easy to find on tap. Ask what is local.
- TeaStrong and served with milk, and offered at nearly every home or cafe. Coffee has caught up and is good in most cities.
Where to eat in Ireland, city by city
Dublin
The capital: Georgian streets, big museums, a Guinness tour and a pub on most corners. It suits a first visit and anyone who wants a city with good rail and air links.
Order Irish stew
Galway
A small, walkable city on the west coast with street music, seafood and the Atlantic close by. It suits people who want a gentler pace and a base for day trips.
Order Galway oysters
How Ireland eats
- Meal timesBreakfast early, a light lunch, then dinner around 6 to 8pm. Many kitchens close earlier than in southern Europe.
- Pubs and foodMany pubs serve proper meals until early evening, and some are better for food than for drinks. Check before you sit down.
- ReservationsBook dinner in Dublin and in the busy tourist towns on weekends and in summer. Elsewhere you can often walk in.
- TippingNot expected in pubs for a drink. In restaurants, 10 to 15 per cent for good service is normal, unless a service charge is already included.
- PortionsOften large. A starter and a main is plenty, and soup with brown bread is a full meal.
Signs of a place to walk past
A pub with a menu in several languages and a plastic-looking shamrock board outside.
Seafood chowder with no mention of where the fish came from, especially in a very touristy spot.
A place that serves breakfast all day with a long printed menu and no short daily specials.
Menus that list "traditional Irish" dishes at prices well above the street's average.
Food in Ireland: questions people ask
What food is Ireland known for?
Irish stew, boxty, colcannon, soda bread and a full Irish breakfast, plus seafood from the Atlantic coast and farmhouse cheeses. Guinness and whiskey are the best known drinks.
What is the national dish of Ireland?
Irish stew is the one most people name, a slow-cooked mix of lamb or beef with potatoes, onions and carrots. Boxty and colcannon are close behind.
What is boxty?
A potato pancake made from grated and mashed potato, fried and often folded around a filling. It comes mostly from the north-west and midlands.
What should I eat for breakfast in Ireland?
A full Irish breakfast of eggs, sausages, rashers, black and white pudding and toast, or brown soda bread with butter and tea if you want something lighter.
Is Irish food good for vegetarians?
More than it used to be. Cities have vegetarian places and most menus carry a meat-free main, though traditional dishes such as stew and coddle are meat-based. Ask at smaller pubs.
Do you tip in Ireland?
Not required, but 10 to 15 per cent for good service in a restaurant is normal. Check whether a service charge is already on the bill. You do not tip for a drink at the bar.