Port Aran House

A pair of lovingly restored Orient Express carriages dating back nearly 100 years are the impossibly elegant setting for Chef Angelo Vagiotis’ exquisite cooking. Settled on the Glenlo Abbey Estate, the views over the golf course and Lough Corrib cement this as a memory-making experience. Playing just as important a role is the food, showcasing the best Irish produce in beautifully balanced dishes like wild turbot with Oscietra caviar and a champagne and vanilla sauce. The service is equally delightful, as unstuffy as it is attentive. For an intimate celebration, book the individual 'Agatha Chr

'Aniar' means 'from the west' and indeed the local area is a key inspiration for both the 'back-to-nature' cooking and the chic, moody décor here. The micro-seasonal menus are finalised based on the day's locally sourced produce, which is showcased in pure, delicate and well-balanced dishes such as exceptional raw beef dressed with top-notch nasturtium oil. The cooking cleverly blends traditional and modern techniques, while contrasts in texture, temperature and acidity are also a feature. Many courses are served by the chefs themselves, some with accompanying poems.

There’s a huge amount of passion channelled into this welcoming little wine bar. Hungarian-born Zsolt Lukács has an infectious enthusiasm for wine, which comes across in his carefully curated list that gravitates towards small artisan producers using organic and biodynamic methods. Accompanying the wine is a selection of sharing plates – like kingfish crudo – that are exactingly executed, deliver on flavour and provide good value for money. The regularly changing artwork from local artists is on sale and is curated by co-owner Edel.

In the rural heart of The Burren, with views out towards the Cliffs of Moher, you’ll find this well-frequented restaurant with a clean, modern interior. The menu offers an appealing choice of dishes crafted using top-notch produce, which is treated with care and skill by the kitchen team. A few ambitious, adventurous flavour combinations might appear too, like mango with salmon. The friendly service and simply furnished bedrooms complete a rather charming picture.

Now being run by the third generation of the Vaughan family, this characterful pub has become something of an institution in the coastal village of Liscannor. Its Atlantic-adjacent location, impressive fish tank and walls filled with nautical memorabilia all give clues as to the focus of the menu, where locally sourced seafood underpins the cooking. The dinner dishes are more elaborate than at lunchtime, but quality produce and classically based combinations run throughout, ensuring a satisfying experience. Bright, stylish bedrooms are hung with photos of local sights.

An attractive country house nestled in The Burren, Gregan’s Castle is an enviable location for a restaurant. It’s a luxuriously appointed place, with open fires, cosy sitting rooms and a charming bar. The equally impressive dining room is the stage for a menu based on produce from their own gardens and the surrounding area, such as some of the finest lamb in Ireland. The quality ingredients are expertly cooked and showed off in well-balanced dishes. Ask for a seat by the window to make the most of the fabulous views.

On the first floor of the personally run The Twelve Hotel, named after the nearby Twelve Bens mountain peaks, Blackthorn is a bright, airy spot with a Nordic influence. The dining room provides the ideal backdrop to a menu focused on grilling seasonal ingredients over charcoal, filling the air with wonderful smoky aromas. Whether it’s lamb with herb salsa, pheasant with cavolo nero or whole black sole with brown butter and capers, the ingredients are given a lick of fire in generous, carefully executed dishes.