One of the staples of blogging about any location is to list its restaurants. I don’t claim to be a connoisseur, nor can I claim even to be well travelled in Sligo’s eating houses but from experience over recent years I can say that there are now plenty of high quality options both in the town and beyond.
Trip Advisor makes 86 suggestions which should convince us there is something for everybody and it seems to me that the numbers and the quality are growing every year. I haven’t been to anywhere near than many but I can vouch for this ten which I have been in at some point over the past two years.
‘The Bistro’ is located right in the middle of town in Sligo’s ‘Italian Quarter’ on Tobergal Lane midway between the central O’Connell St and Rockwood Parade along the river. This is a classic family restaurant serving pizza, pasta steaks and seafood. It’s equally good for that girls or lads out as it is for a family get-together, the staff gets it and goes with the flow and it is great for children. If you are looking for a versatile, affordable location that caters for varied tastes and is still good value, you can’t really go wrong. Best to ring ahead though to avoid disappointment… its charms are well known
Fleur is in the middle of the middle of town, just next to the halfway point of O’Connell St. It is an ideal spot to met up for a chat over coffee or to take a wee sos from doing the shops. Open early (7.30 on weekdays) it has a widely regarded reputation for quality breads, sandwiches and ‘the best coffee in town’. As a non coffee drinker, I can’t commit but it is one of the most welcoming stop off points I’ve been to.
Donaghy’s pub is close to the Railway Station on Lord Edward Street with a street frontage narrower than your average two up, two down. Don’t be fooled. Whether you eat at the bar, or in the restaurant – similar menu – I can’t imagine you will be disappointed. This is hearty fare with lots of local produce, generous proportions, beautifully presented. Again, ring ahead because even on weekdays, and particular during holiday time, seats don’t stay idle for long.
Away from town to the East (32 km) you will find Cromleach Lodge Country House Hotel – particularly convenient if travelling from Dublin. Moira’s restaurant was has been at the heart of Cromleach for over 20 years and still going strong. It is situated overlooking the unspoilt beauty of Lough Arrow with Keash Mountain standing guard in the middle distance, definitely worth a spin to see of a summer evening.
Northwards out of town – about 10 km is Davis’s Restaurant at Yeats Tavern. The location is in Drumcliffe near to the graveyard where Yeats is buried but this is a smashing modern bright restaurant that has never disappointed my family – from the oldest to the youngest. It is particularly suited to parties of varying age, appetites and sizes with a varied menu that offers something for everybody, and all very well prepared by well trained and attentive staff. Another house that you would be best advised to ring ahead to, particularly at weekends.
Just up the road, a little nearer Sligo town is the Drumcliffe Teahouse which is just at the wall of the cemetery where Yeats is buried with ample parking just metres away. This is an excellent stop off venue serving tasty healthy lunches and those ‘have to be eaten’ cakes and pastries that I justify as a treat on holidays
Back in Sligo town, Hargadons is one of its oldest pubs dating back to the 1860s. Sited on O’Connell St in the heart of the town, it retains much of the authentic feel and sound of the classic Irish urban with its wooden bar, cubicles and snug. It serves great food – hearty soups, locally produces meats and salads as well as home-made desserts and cheeses. After supper it is equally popular with the working folk of Sligo and as a venue and for traditional music and cultural gatherings – a venue well worth a visit.
Kate’s Kitchen in Castle St describes itself as both an ‘Independent Grocery and Eatery’. It is a great place to have ‘elevenses’, lunch or afternoon team and is a must stop / must shop for food lovers with shelves of artisan food products and condiments as well as cooking equipment and books – foodie heaven really.
The Lyons Café is situated on the first floor of Henry Lyons and Sons, (a classic old fashioned ‘department store’) but is best accessed via its own entrance on Quay Street just a door down from the Town Hall. The restaurant is top class and a great lunch venue with exquisite breads, soups and salads in a very traditional cafe setting. If one were looking for a point of comparison, for Irish readers it would be with the Avoca cafes (Powerscourt, Malahide, etc), and they even have their own Lyons Café cook books to prove it.
Back outside Sligo town Shells on the seafront in Strandhill has become a reason in itself to visit the village. It has its own twist on hearty fare and there are few better ways to spend an early afternoon that a walk on the beach or up KnocknaRae and into Shells after with a raging appetite. You won’t be disappointed. Shells too has its own cookbook, or two. This place is worth checking out.
So, these are just ten… I guess I have an excuse now to hit the remaining 76?
From the outside looking in... 