Eating out in Limerick - Louise Cantillon - Best of Ireland

I’m so proud to be from Limerick. I love everything about our city and county, and I think food is something we do amazingly.

Every Sunday morning I have a ritual. I love to go for breakfast and a coffee in Rift on Mallow Street, run by a man named Dalton. In my opinion, it’s the best coffee and breakfast in Limerick. I look forward to it every week.

If you’re looking for an evening in the city and wanted to stay central, I would start the night in The Curragower. It’s essentially pub grub, but the selling point is its location on the river. It has one of the best views in Limerick City. You’re overlooking the Shannon and across the water is King John’s Castle.

The Curragower

Once you’ve had your feed in the Curragower, you can head towards JJ Bowles, which is another gorgeous pub on the water, then on to Katie Daly’s and The Locke.

The Locke Bar

You can do a little loop of some really lovely places. There’s a brewery called the Treaty City Brewery that brews its own IPAs near King John’s Castle. It’s a great place to enjoy a drink and some nibbles.
If I wanted to go all out, I would go closer to where I grew up, to the village of Adare. There’s some amazing food options and you could do a whole day of eating there.

1826 is a beautiful restaurant in the village. Wade Murphy is the chef. He’s a Wexford man and prides himself on using local produce. It’s a little bit more expensive, but for a treat, it’s gorgeous.

There’s a beautiful restaurant called The Mustard Seeds. And again, that’s a really high-end experience if you want a feast for the senses and a meal to remember.

“I’m so proud to be from Limerick. I love everything about our city and county, and I think food is something we do amazingly.”

And then if you were really, really treating yourself, you could go to the Oak Room in Adare Manor. You’d want to bring a few months’ savings with you, but I don’t think we realise how lucky we are to have an exquisite place like that in our city and county.

Adare Manor

In terms of produce, Limerick is famous for ham and pork. Every year there is a festival, Pigtown, celebrating the local pork industry. The Milk Market in Limerick is the one-stop shop if you want to go somewhere for really fresh local products. It runs across the weekend, right in the middle of Limerick City and there’s so much on offer – there’s some great fishmongers too.

Regarding seafood, there’s a gorgeous fish restaurant called Gallagher’s, just by Bunratty on the border with Clare. It’s so good that Limerick people are probably trying to claim it!

• Catch Louise Cantillon on Today FM every weekday from 12-2PM.