The Best Seafood Restaurants in the Republic of Ireland

Locally sourced fish and shellfish power the menu at this family-run restaurant, which features the likes of John Dory, scallops and West Cork mackerel. It sits inside the Dunmore House Hotel and offers stunning views across Clonakilty Bay, ensuring that a window table is always much sought after. There’s a bright and airy feel to the dining room, which fits nicely with the coastal vistas and tasty, unfussy cooking. Dishes often make use of the hotel’s organic kitchen garden; keep an eye out for the famous local black pudding too.

When you own a restaurant overlooking Ballycotton harbour, it stands to reason that you’ll serve fresh seafood right off the boat. The team at Cush do not disappoint, with plenty of fish and shellfish popping up across their menus. Dishes like grilled fish of the day with wild garlic and smoked bacon chowder show off the kitchen’s skills in allowing their top-notch ingredients to shine. Add a small bar and some cosy sea-view bedrooms into the picture, and you have the makings of your next ‘happy place’.

Don’t be put off by the fact they lack a sea view, as this popular seafood bistro has more than earned its place in Cork’s constantly evolving dining scene. An open kitchen and pared-back décor give the restaurant a modern edge, while the cooking itself shows great skill. Quality produce originates from the West Cork coastline. and subtle international influences, pickling and curing all feature on the daily changing menu. The problem is what to choose, as everything is so appealing.

A stalwart of the Kinsale dining scene, which opened back in 1999, this two-roomed bistro sits in a characterful, historic, brightly painted cottage on the main street, and is run with great pride by Olivier and Anne Marie Queva. The unfussy, classical seafood menu offers plenty of choice, with a subtle international flavour added in on occasion. Go for one of the tasty ‘Fresh Catches’.

Close to the Cliffs of Moher, in the small fishing village of Liscannor, Chef James Vaughan heads up the kitchen of the business first started by his grandfather John back in 1979. Given the traditional look of the exterior, the stylish, modern bistro appearance of the interior comes as a pleasant surprise. Locally sourced seafood underpins the cooking – when they have crab on the menu, go for it. The chips, which are steamed first and then fried in beef dripping, are also worth a special mention. Bright, contemporary bedrooms mean you can linger for longer should you wish.