Clare Restaurant Thread

Henry Ford III

I've no connection to it, but just wanted to highlight this place as it's excellent in my view. I hope it's ok to do that here.

It's called "Chow" and is situated in the old "Stir Fry" premises on the Main Street in Ennistymon, half way between the AIB and Eugene's Pub.

Run by Hein who is a South African and will be known to many as the proprietor of the chipper in Liscannor.

The food is great, all cooked to order, with no MSG, but the flavours are all there.

Well worth checking out.

Clareman

I've renamed Henry's thread to cover the whole county and it's restaurants rather than just 1 in Ennistymon, which is a great 1 to start btw.

Pembily

The Rowan Tree over by the Abbey St car park in Ennis is lovely for lunch and dinner. Their goats cheese salad rocks

Lady Chatterton

Goosers Restaurant, Ballina, Killaloe.

opinionated3

I like quincy's in Quin. Good food and service. For a quick bite i also like the Hunters lodge in Newmarket on Fergus. Cheap and cheerful

CptSternn

http://www.yelp.ie/search?find_desc=restaurant&find_loc=Ennis&ns=1

Lots of good places in and around Clare sure.

rainbowdash

MrsD007 wrote: »

Goosers Restaurant, Ballina, Killaloe.

Thats in Tipperary but even their website says they are in Clare!

Palmach

MrsD007 wrote: »

Goosers Restaurant, Ballina, Killaloe.

I found it expensive for what it offers.

Lady Chatterton

rainbowdash wrote: »

Thats in Tipperary but even their website says they are in Clare!

Yeah, it is just over the border in Tipperary but Ballina and Killaloe are twin towns and work really together. The Lakeside Hotel and Molly's are both in Tipp too but I'd say they use the Co. Clare address to avoid confusion with Ballina in Mayo.

Palmach wrote: »

I found it expensive for what it offers.

I really like Goosers, especially in summer when you can eat outside and admire the view but I have to agree with you, it's pricey!.

admcfad

Hi, it is my Mothers 70th birthday on the 16th January (Wednesday) and we were hoping to book a restaurant within a 10 mile radius of Lisdoonvarna/Ennistymon. Most of the ones I have phoned are closed or only open at the weekend off season. Any recommendations for a good dining experience would be very welcome but it has to be that night. If anyone has local knowledge please share. Many thanks.

Builderfromhell

I have been to that new restaraunt cafe near the Clare Champion. Cairdé it's called. Excellent Fish Chowder, daily soup and coffee. Could not recommend it enough.

Steel Dog

admcfad wrote: »

Hi, it is my Mothers 70th birthday on the 16th January (Wednesday) and we were hoping to book a restaurant within a 10 mile radius of Lisdoonvarna/Ennistymon. Most of the ones I have phoned are closed or only open at the weekend off season. Any recommendations for a good dining experience would be very welcome but it has to be that night. If anyone has local knowledge please share. Many thanks.

PM Sent

haybob

Nice to see Ennistymon getting a plug here, Byrnes is quite nice too

The Wild Honey inn in Lisdoonvarna is really good too

Mr. G

I went to the wild honey inn and found it quite pricey and had small portions. It took us about 40 minutes to take our order. We left after we had our main. Was disgusting aswell.

I've heard good things but have been disappointed several times with it.

Chow is nice. It is (or used to be) owned by a family couple. Very nice in there and the food is brilliant.

The rowntree in ennis is really good too, for a lunch.

maryb26

admcfad wrote: »

Hi, it is my Mothers 70th birthday on the 16th January (Wednesday) and we were hoping to book a restaurant within a 10 mile radius of Lisdoonvarna/Ennistymon. Most of the ones I have phoned are closed or only open at the weekend off season. Any recommendations for a good dining experience would be very welcome but it has to be that night. If anyone has local knowledge please share. Many thanks.

Hotel Doolin has a lovely dining room, open all year and food of a very high standard. They also have a function room upstairs for up to 150 people. The Doolin cafe might open for a large group. Think the Fulacht Fia in Ballyvaughan may be open also.

Henry Ford III

Mr_Grumpy wrote: »

...Chow is nice. It is (or used to be) owned by a family couple. Very nice in there and the food is brilliant.....

New management and a new menu I think. The old Stir Fry was a standard Chinese takeaway. Chow is Thai food, and I reckon it's streets ahead, and a bit different too.

admcfad

Mr_Grumpy wrote: »

I went to the wild honey inn and found it quite pricey and had small portions. It took us about 40 minutes to take our order. We left after we had our main. Was disgusting aswell.

I've heard good things but have been disappointed several times with it.

Chow is nice. It is (or used to be) owned by a family couple. Very nice in there and the food is brilliant.

The rowntree in ennis is really good too, for a lunch.

Thanks for your comment Mr Grumpy, my Mum has already been to The Wild Honey Inn and disliked it for exactly the same reasons you gave. She also added that the music was too loud, I am not sure if it was a live band or background music, to enjoy a conversation.

admcfad

maryb26 wrote: »

Hotel Doolin has a lovely dining room, open all year and food of a very high standard. They also have a function room upstairs for up to 150 people. The Doolin cafe might open for a large group. Think the Fulacht Fia in Ballyvaughan may be open also.

Maryb26, An Fulacht Fia in Ballyvaughan is lovely but only open at weekends this time of year. I rang Hotel Doolin and again their restaurant is closed but they could offer a bar menu, we may yet go there but we were hoping for a nice atmosphere for our lovely Mum.:)

Lady Chatterton

haybob wrote: »

The Wild Honey inn in Lisdoonvarna is really good too

Mr_Grumpy wrote: »

I went to the wild honey inn and found it quite pricey and had small portions. It took us about 40 minutes to take our order. We left after we had our main. Was disgusting aswell.

I've heard good things but have been disappointed several times with it.

admcfad wrote: »

Thanks for your comment Mr Grumpy, my Mum has already been to The Wild Honey Inn and disliked it for exactly the same reasons you gave. She also added that the music was too loud, I am not sure if it was a live band or background music, to enjoy a conversation.

I'm surprised and disappointed to read that people have been unhappy with the Wild Honey Inn. I've been wanting to visit the place ever since I saw it featured on RTE's 'At Your Service' programme but I just haven't gotten around to it. They seem to have won a lot of top awards in the last two years so food critics seem to like them.

Awards

2011+2012 Best Restaurant in Co Clare.
2012 Georgina Campbell’s Ireland Guide
Chef of the Year.
2012 Bridgestone Best Places to Stay in Ireland.
2011+2012 Michelin Bib Gourmand.
2011 Food and Wine, Restaurant of the Year Awards, Best Chef in Munster Commended.
2011 Michelin Eating Out in Pubs
Inspector’s Favouite.
2011 Sunday Independent Life Magazine
Best Restaurant in Co Clare.
2010 Gold Medal Award, National Winner
for Casual Dining.
2010 Hospitality Ireland
Best New Establishment.
2010 National Hospitality Awards.
Hospitality Ireland Best Pub with Food.
2010 Best Casual Dining in Co Clare
2010 Bib Gourmand, Michelin Red Guide

I love Linnanes in New Quay, great place for lobster!

Mr. G

I've been there several times. Won't set foot in there again.

It can have all the awards it can get and still be sh1te. Fullacht Fia is pricey though, and some may not like it in there.

How about Larco Italian in Ballvaughan. Very nice food in there as well and its not all pizzas.

Shapey Fiend

There are a lot of decent places in Ennis but nothing that I'd very enthusiastically recommend to someone not from here.

I was passing by the Friary today noticed there's a new place opposite. More of a fast food type thing maybe I would have examined more closely but I'd already had lunch.

Clareman

Shapey Fiend wrote: »

There are a lot of decent places in Ennis but nothing that I'd very enthusiastically recommend to someone not from here.

I don't know about that Shapey, any time I've friends around and they want to go for something to eat I always ask what they're in the mood for and have never failed to get somewhere good for them, for example, pub grub Brogans, Knox's, O'Halloran's or The Poet's Corner, fancy lunch, Old Ground Restaurant, burger or something, Season's 52, Chinese, loads of places.

The 1 thing that Ennis is lacking in my opinion is a fine dining experience, The Town Hall is the only place really, and even at that it isn't really fine dining, the closest to town would be Dromoland I guess.

Lady Chatterton

Clareman wrote: »

The 1 thing that Ennis is lacking in my opinion is a fine dining experience, The Town Hall is the only place really, and even at that it isn't really fine dining, the closest to town would be Dromoland I guess.

I agree with this, I used to love going to The Cloister in its hey day, when Jim Brindley had it. Anyone remember Garvello's? It was situated in Clareabbey where the Lynch Hotel's HQ building was.

black & white

MrsD007 wrote: »

I agree with this, I used to love going to The Cloister in its hey day, when Jim Brindley had it. Anyone remember Garvello's? It was situated in Clareabbey where the Lynch Hotel's HQ building was.

I remember it t'was was owned by a couple, think she worked in Raychem or one of those places. They started a dining club where you paid X amount up front and then ate each week or something like that. I think they went to England after a while ? Must be 20 years ago though.

Clareman

I remember Garvello's back then there seemed to be a new restaurant opening in or around town every week. I don't know if there is the market in Ennis for a fine dining experience though, I think the Old Ground has the mix just about right for what the town is looking for.

I forgot to mention The Dining Room, it took me a while to get over the fact that it used to be Henry J's (and what I got up to there..........) but it really does great food and is 1 of the few places in town that has different specials every time I go there.

testicle

MrsD007 wrote: »

I agree with this, I used to love going to The Cloister in its hey day, when Jim Brindley had it.

What's it like since it reopened a few weeks ago?

Lady Chatterton

Clareman wrote: »

I forgot to mention The Dining Room, it took me a while to get over the fact that it used to be Henry J's (and what I got up to there..........) but it really does great food and is 1 of the few places in town that has different specials every time I go there.

I'm a big fan of the Old Ground Hotel, funnily enough it used to have a restaurant called "The Dining Room" too but they re-named it. It is now the O'Regan Room after the Old Ground's former owner and the founder of Airport Duty Free Shopping, Dr. Brendan O'Regan.

Lady Chatterton

testicle wrote: »

What's it like since it reopened a few weeks ago?

I haven't been in the Cloister since Jim Brindley sold it, that's well over ten years ago now. Hopefully, one of the others will be able to advise you

Clareman

testicle wrote: »

What's it like since it reopened a few weeks ago?

I've heard good things about it, the overall consensus seems to be that it's lovely but very expensive, a friend of mine said "you don't mind paying top price for dinner for top price food, but when you've to go past beer taps and TVs it doesn't have a restaurant feel to it"

admcfad

Has anyone tried Vaughans The Anchor Inn in Liscannor for an evening meal, the menu looks quite pricey but if the food was good it might be worth trying?

haybob

admcfad wrote: »

Has anyone tried Vaughans The Anchor Inn in Liscannor for an evening meal, the menu looks quite pricey but if the food was good it might be worth trying?

Overpiced and overrated, food poor and the service is none better

Has the food in the falls improved a bit lately I'm hearing rumblings