We went to Ireland for the coastline, the road trip and the scenery. I hadn’t expected to come home talking quite so much about carrots.
But the food became one of our favorite parts of our October 2026 trip. From Bundoran to Dublin, we ate tender beef, excellent pub meals and vegetables I kept looking forward to. I even ordered an extra side of vegetables at lunch in Dingle because we’d enjoyed them so much.
These are the places we actually ate along our Ireland road-trip route, including the splurges, spontaneous stops and a breakfast that didn’t quite live up to our hopes.
Bundoran
Madden’s Bridge Bar
Our first proper lunch in Ireland was Sunday roast at Madden’s. Inside, it had the dark, cozy feel of a traditional Irish pub, with wood-paneled walls, framed memorabilia and small lamps on the tables. Halloween decorations were already up during our October visit. We arrived around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, just as lunch service began, and were the first customers in. Only a handful of tables were occupied by the time we finished, so it was a particularly quiet lunch.
I had turkey and ham; Mitch had featherblade beef. The meat was fall-apart tender, and the vegetables were delicious. We also tried our first Guinness in Ireland.
The bill was €58.79 ($66.10) for both roasts, one Guinness and a 10% service charge. Looking back, this was one of my favorite meals of the entire trip. It was a very good start.
Stoked
After checking into our hotel and taking a much-needed nap, we walked to Stoked for dinner. We hadn’t reserved a table because our first-day timing was uncertain. The hostess found room for us between reservations, even though other walk-ins had been turned away earlier.
Stoked was a complete change of atmosphere from Madden’s earlier that day. It had a modern, open layout, with a curved bar near the entrance, warm-toned décor and a wall of windows overlooking the water. It was already dark when we ate, so we couldn’t enjoy the view, but the spacious dining room, soft lighting and upholstered seating made for a comfortable evening.
We ordered quesabirria, fish tacos and patatas bravas, followed by brûléed Basque cheesecake and chocolate ganache. Both desserts were delicious.
We were lucky with that walk-in. If Stoked were a priority meal on a return trip, I’d reserve ahead.
Galway and County Galway
On our drive into Galway the next day, we stopped at Supermac’s for a convenient lunch and caffeine. The cheeseburger and chicken sandwich combos were good—just what we needed on a driving day.
The Quays and Murphy’s
For dinner in Galway, we headed to the Galway Girl Restaurant at The Quays, with its bright blue exterior and colorful flower boxes along Quay Street. The restaurant was downstairs from the main entrance, with a mix of traditional pub character and a more relaxed dining atmosphere. We could hear some live music from upstairs, but it was muffled rather than loud or clearly distinguishable. The restaurant takes reservations, but we hadn’t made one and were still able to get a table that evening.
I had cottage pie and Mitch had beef and Guinness stew. We also ordered potato-and-leek soup. Mitch’s stew was exactly the sort of pub meal he kept enjoying throughout Ireland.
After dinner, we stopped at Murphy’s for ice cream. We each chose a combination of chocolate and sea salt. Two small servings cost €13, about $15 on our card.
Bake Box and Le Petit Délice
At Bake Box in Galway, the black-and-white murals outside caught our attention. Inside, pastry-filled display cases stood beneath bold geometric patterns, with autumn decorations around the counter. There wasn’t much seating, so I’d plan to take an order to go rather than count on finding a table.
Our breakfast was a mixed experience. The sausage roll and ham-and-cheese croissant didn’t impress us, although the apple and blueberry brioches were better.
Later, after leaving Galway, we stopped at Le Petit Délice in Clarinbridge for coffee and pastries. We had berry sponge cake, a scone and a croissant. Everything we ordered was delicious.
County Clare and our drive toward Dingle
Joe’s in Lahinch
After visiting the Cliffs of Moher, we chose Lahinch for a late lunch rather than driving back toward Doolin. We stopped at the beach, visited a surf shop and found Joe’s, a casual café with a colorful mural outside and an eclectic, carefree beach-town feel inside.
I had a BLT; Mitch had a Cuban sandwich. His sandwich ended up among the meals he specifically remembered as favorites when we talked about the trip afterward.
Dingle
Fenton’s
Fenton’s was one of our reserved dinners. We arrived after the drive from County Clare and had a proper sit-down meal. The dining room felt special without being overly formal, mixing wooden tables, colorful upholstered chairs, nautical decorations and a working fireplace. Even the place settings had personality, with different illustrated chargers at each seat.
The bread was especially good. Our order here included carrot-and-coriander soup, calamari and oysters, followed by hake and striploin steak. We finished with sticky pudding and a brownie with ice cream.
Our meal and drinks came to about €178, roughly $200 on our card. It was a good splurge. I enjoyed it, although I might try a different restaurant if we returned to Dingle.
James Long
After Slea Head Drive the next day, we had lunch at James Long, a traditional pub with a wooden bar, shelves of spirits and Halloween decorations. They served water in repurposed Dingle Gin bottles, a small local touch I liked. Mitch ordered Guinness stew again, and I had the Signature Toasted Special with an extra side of vegetables.
The stew, toasted special and extra vegetables made this another satisfying pub lunch.
Dublin
Porters of Camden Street
Our hotel recommended Porters for dinner on our first Dublin evening. It had the comfortable feel of a pub, but with some more polished details, including upholstered seating and stained-glass window panels. Even the bathrooms stood out with their beautiful tilework. We ordered a smash burger and a steak sandwich, both with fries.
Both were delicious, and the fries were seasoned and crispy. Mitch’s steak sandwich joined the stews and his Cuban from Lahinch on his list of memorable meals.
Keogh’s and Grogan’s
Before visiting Trinity College, we stopped for breakfast at Keogh’s Café. The line stretched out the door, but it moved quickly. We ordered at the counter and found a table inside; there were plenty of tables, but little room between them. Taking an order to go would be a good option if the café is crowded.
We had lemon-custard and strawberry-and-Nutella croissants, a sausage roll and a latte. The croissants were flaky and delicious. The sausage roll was better than Bake Box’s, but sausage rolls still hadn’t become a favorite for us.
At Grogan’s, with its dark red exterior and traditional pub feel, we ordered two ham, cheese and tomato toasties and a Guinness for €17—about $19 on our card. The simple toasties made for a great casual lunch.
What made the stop even more memorable was a conversation with a man there who asked about our afternoon plans, then walked us toward George’s Arcade and gave us directions to the Guinness Storehouse.
Bull & Castle
Bull & Castle was our other reserved dinner and, alongside Madden’s Sunday roast, one of my favorite meals. The warm lighting and extensive upstairs bar gave it a more polished steakhouse atmosphere than the casual pubs we’d visited, while still retaining some traditional character.
We had bread and Caesar salad, then a fillet steak for me and a ribeye for Mitch. The steaks were cooked just as we ordered, and the mash was creamy—possibly my favorite mash of the trip. Crème brûlée and stout cake finished dinner.
The restaurant bill was €177.75—$199.31 on our card—including a glass of wine and €19.75 gratuity.
What surprised us and what we’d do again
The beef was consistently memorable, but I hadn’t expected to become so enthusiastic about carrots. They were tender and subtly sweet, and vegetables kept earning space on our plates.
Mitch gravitated toward the pub meals. I loved those too, alongside our planned steakhouse dinner. It showed us that spending more didn’t automatically make a meal more memorable.
I’d use the same planning approach again: research a restaurant shortlist, reserve the dinners we particularly wanted, and leave room for spontaneous lunches around the driving days. We reserved Fenton’s and Bull & Castle; having other options ready helped us choose without researching from scratch while hungry.
Our Ireland booking guide covers the other reservations and practical choices behind the trip.
We came for the scenery, but eating our way along that route became one of the things we loved most about Ireland.