How to eat well on a short visit to Ireland

On a short visit to Ireland you can eat well with a short plan: pick the one or two meals that matter, book them, check opening hours and use ratings and photographs to choose the rest. Do not try to cover everything. A few good meals beat a rushed list.

Choose your anchor meals

For each day, pick one meal you want to be good. A long lunch or a proper dinner is usually it. Book those. Leave the others flexible, so that you can follow your nose and your energy.

Check opening hours

Opening hours are the most common trap for visitors. Smaller towns may have fewer places open on Sundays and Mondays, and many kitchens close between lunch and dinner. Look at a place's own page before you go. A listing that has not been claimed may show old hours.

Use ratings with care

A rating from people who ate there is more useful than a name you know. Look at the count, the recency and the photographs. Read at least one that is not glowing. Gold on Mosey marks places whose ratings have stayed high, and it cannot be bought; our guide to what Mosey Gold means explains.

Try a local dish

Trying a local plate is part of the point of a trip. Our guides to Irish stew, seafood chowder, the full Irish breakfast and soda bread explain what to look for.

Travelling between places

If you are moving between towns, plan a meal on the road. Smaller places may not have many options. Save a few to a list before you go.

Food on the move

Cafes and bakeries are good for a quick, decent meal between sights. Look for places with plenty of recent photographs of food.

Tipping and the bill

Check whether service is included on your bill before you add anything. If it is not, a modest tip for good service is normal. Our guide to tipping in Ireland explains.

Allergies and dietary needs

Tell the place early and ask how the kitchen handles your need. In a new place, do not rely on a label. Our guide to eating out with allergies can help.

A worked example for a long weekend

Suppose you have three days in a town you do not know. Choose one anchor meal for each day, and book them at times that suit your sightseeing. Look at photographs and recent ratings for the others, and save two options for each so that you can decide on the day. Check opening hours for the days you are there, because small towns close on different days. Eat one local dish each day, and notice what you enjoyed.

Small ways to eat like a local

Eat when the locals eat. Lunch is often earlier than visitors expect, and dinner can be early too. Choose places with short menus and busy rooms. Ask the person serving you what they would order. They usually have a favourite, and it is often a good choice.

Keep a list

If the trip is short, a list stops you losing a good tip in a long message thread. Save everywhere you want to try to a list. At the end of the trip, you will have a record, and you can rate the places you visited.