Broadford Nursery and Garden Centre -Walkers Lodge

Inside the Manor House of this breathtaking resort, you’ll find this equally glorious restaurant. The kitchen team provide a warm welcome before regaling you with a procession of original and elaborate snacks which more than hint at the supreme quality of the tasting menu to come. The striking and sophisticated dishes showcase the best of the local larder alongside more international flavours which highlight the chef’s time in Asia; the sauces are superlative. Dishes are finished off at your table in the elegant dining room – a fitting touch for an experience to remember.

A vaulted ceiling and flagstone floors combine with sumptuous, colourful furnishings at this striking restaurant packed with both character and luxury. It helps, of course, that it’s located in the cellars of Cashel Palace, a magnificent Palladian manor house which was once home to the Archbishops of Cashel. The various sitting rooms are ideal for a pre-dinner drink, but it's hard to look past a pint of the black stuff in the intimate Guinness Bar. The cooking puts local suppliers to the fore, extracting superb natural flavours from the likes of beef fillet from the town butcher.

A charming 200-year-old cottage houses this rural restaurant that counts the Atlantic Ocean as its neighbour. The lovely terrace allows you to enjoy a spectacular sunset over drinks, before moving inside to the characterful interior with stone floors, cookery books and rustic wooden tables. Wonderful Irish produce – such as glistening wild John Dory or flavoursome Burren Shorthorn beef – is used in equally impressive dishes that are clean and modern, with no unnecessary frills.

Set in the very centre of town, Bastion is a contemporary restaurant owned and run by a talented couple: Paul McDonald cooks, while his wife Helen looks after the service. A large bar splits the room in two and twinkling candles add a welcoming touch. Paul is Scottish born but his cooking has a strong Irish base. Natural flavours are kept to the fore and local seafood is a highlight. The skilfully prepared, exacting dishes take on a modern style and often exhibit a playful, innovative element, while at the same time showing depth in their flavours and textures.

Don’t be fooled by the unassuming, mirror-glazed façade; once you enter this popular Japanese bistro, you’ll be greeted by the almighty buzz of many contented diners. A relaxed, lively reimagining of the former Ichigo Ichie, the emphasis here is on fairly priced, unfussy dishes that use quality produce. You mustn’t leave without trying the matcha panna cotta with lychee ice cream, or sampling one of their carefully sourced natural wines. The friendly, well-orchestrated service team enhance the experience.

What a terrific, buzzing little place this is. The compact space is filled to bursting with happy diners delighting in Goldie's inviting combination of sensibly priced cooking, electric atmosphere and friendly service. The daily menu is based around the latest catch from the West Cork coastline, with the top-notch seafood used with a 'fin-to-gill' approach and often enlivened by an array of international influences. Cod tail schnitzel or pan-fried red mullet with chicory chutney are prime examples of the ethos, which yields delicious results.

Chef Ahmet Dede’s warm, inviting restaurant in this West Cork coastal village is a masterful marriage between his Irish surroundings and his Turkish heritage. Superb local produce is the bedrock of the cooking, enhanced by skilful, judicious spicing which delivers multiple layers of authentic Turkish flavours while never overpowering the core ingredients – as with a refined take on street food 'îçli köfte'. The charismatic Ahmet and his mostly Turkish brigade deliver their dishes with pride, while co-owner Maria runs the service with a friendly charm.