8 Best Restaurants in Dublin Environs, Ireland

Travel back to the 17th century at this evocatively furnished inn, distinguished by its wooden floors, dark furniture, and diamond-shape windows. The place is best known for its wonderful, hearty game and seafood lunches and dinners that are served in a nook of the bar—try the glorious cream of seafood soup. They also do a mean Sunday lunch. The menu blends Continental and Irish cuisines, reflecting the traditions of the German proprietor, Jurgen Schwalm, and his Irish wife, Aine. Highlights include an excellent seafood platter of salmon, oysters, lobster, and shrimp, along with a rich Hungarian goulash.

Look out the floor-to-ceiling windows and see the veggies that you're about to eat growing in front of you at this family-run, organic restaurant in a revamped barn on the rolling grounds of gorgeous Burtown House. Seasonal and homegrown are the buzzwords on the small, ever-changing menu, where Irish beef ribs with sauteed Savoy cabbage and herb mash is melt-in-the-mouth perfect. The chocolate ganache with sea salt and vanilla ice cream is the pick of the desserts. Burtown House is a small trip out of town on the way to Athy.

The cloisters-and-refectory-style decor is definitely tongue-in-cheek at this upbeat, fun restaurant in sleepy Greystones, an old-fashioned seaside resort a couple of miles south of Bray. Dinner is served by candlelight and the menu specializes in uncluttered seafood dishes in summer and wild game on cold winter nights. Owner Pat Keown is a great host, and his laughter and love of good food and fine wine are contagious. Sunday lunches, in the bar area, are famous for their length (they often last into the early evening) and for the lively atmosphere.

This cozy, affordable eatery right on main street has quickly established itself as a favorite with the locals. Exposed beams and leather banquettes create the bistro setting, but the menu is more Italian inspired than French. The seafood risotto is a hearty combination of shellfish, mussels, chili, squid, and prawns, with blushed tomatoes. Another popular main is the beef cheeks with creamy mash potatoes, braised red cabbage, and red wine gravy. The death by chocolate is the go-to dessert.

This little foodie gem at the center of Newbridge takes casual lunch to a whole new level. Try the outrageously good kimchi fried chicken sandwich with phat boy mayo, coriander, carrot, pickled red onion, and baby gem lettuce all on toasted Irish batch bread. The small dinner menu is nearly as good, with the roast duck a l’orange with caramelized chicory a standout. The bar out back is one of the cooler spots in town.

Located in the impressive vaulted cellar of Bellinter House, Eden sticks strictly to a seasonal ethos with menus based on locally sourced produce. Oenophiles rave about the value-for-money wine list. A popular starter is the house-made duck liver parfait, with blood orange jelly and toasted brioche, and the Andarl Farm free-range pork belly with smoked Irish black pudding croquette, celeriac purée, and pickled apples is a standout main.

This cozy café—with a pine-panel ceiling, farmhouse furniture, and paintings of poppies on the walls—is a great place for breakfast, lunch, or late-afternoon tea. Expect potato cakes, shepherd's pie, lasagna, vegetarian quiche, house salads, and soups. The most popular dishes are Poppies chicken (a casserole-like concoction) and beef and Guinness pie. For dessert try the apple pie or the rhubarb crumble, which is so good that the Irish rugby team stops by after practice.

Local produce and stunning views are the stars of this hotel restaurant, with the Wicklow lamb a thrilling house specialty in season. Low ceilings give the very formal dining room a slightly overbearing feel, but floor-to-ceiling windows look out onto the serene Sugar Loaf mountain. The food focuses on Wicklow produce with a twist, and a favorite starter is the pheasant consommé with fairy ring mushrooms (also known as Scotch bonnet mushroom). You can follow that with the pan-fried halibut with purple potato chips, mussel and mushroom puree, citrus hollandaise, and seaweed salad.