A Restaurant in Ireland for Christmas

November 30, 2006 10:58 AM

Advice on restaurants in Limerick, Ireland that will be open on Christmas Day? Bonus points for restaurants with a fireplace. Alternately, recommendations on reasonably priced restaurants in Dublin with fireplaces for the last few days in December?

We're travelling from the U.S. and will be in Limerick (or the area) on Christmas Day. We will have a car, but we'd like to find a restaurant (in whatever price range) in or near Limerick. Near the Cliffs of Mohrer would be great instead.

Alternately, if you have suggestions for restaurants in Dublin with open fireplaces, please mention those too. Particularly interested in less fancy restaurants as I will be travelling with with two picky eaters who would be happier with sandwiches and fries than fancier fare. Thanks

posted by Caz721 to travel & transportation (9 comments total)

Killaloe is about 25km from Limerick, and there you'll find Gooser's Pub which has a nice fireplace and good food, typical Irish menu with an emphasis on meat & potatoes, but done very well and with very fresh ingredients. I was only in the area for a day, so I can't be any more help than that - sorry.
posted by luriete at 11:32 AM on November 30, 2006

Sorry I don't have restaurants in Limerick or the area, but get out of Limerick "Stab City" as fast as possible. If you are going to the Cliffs of Moher, pick a town like Ennis or Lisdoonvarna instead.
posted by Sk4n at 12:54 PM on November 30, 2006 [1 favorite]

When we were in the Limerick area, we stayed at Clifton House, which was a pretty nice B+B not too far away from the hum-drum steak houses that filled city centre. We ate at a restaurant across the street whose name escapes me. However, they had decent food and a fireplace.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 1:14 PM on November 30, 2006

I hope they won't be staying in Moyross Sk4n! The rest of stab city is okay.

I can't think of restaurants in Dublin with fires, but I'm pretty sure the Long Stone pub in Townsend Street has one. Thinking on the pubs I frequent when I'm home, they're too busy and boozy to have open fires. I can think of a few "neighbourhood" pubs that have them, like the Stationhouse in Raheny. Or try hotel bars?
posted by jamesonandwater at 2:05 PM on November 30, 2006

The Bloody Stream pub in Howth, Co. Dublin also has an open fire and does nice food!
posted by TwoWordReview at 2:48 PM on November 30, 2006

Johnnie Fox's in Dublin, and the The Stag's Head.
posted by luckypozzo at 3:47 PM on November 30, 2006

For less than fancy fare, simply head to Temple Bar and go nuts. Another general area I would recommend is around Grafton, up Wicklow St and there about.
posted by luckypozzo at 3:55 PM on November 30, 2006

Very few restaurants in Limerick will be open on Christmas day, better check. Also do fill up the petrol tank the day (morning) before, again you can get caught out on Xmas day.
posted by Wilder at 8:29 AM on December 1, 2006

On Christmas day in Ireland, most of the restuarants will be closed. About the only places you'll find open to eat will be hotels, some of which hoping to make some money on Xmas dinner and serving muck, and some serving great grub!

A lot of people are saying get outta Limerick and normally I'd agree with them, but Limerick is a fair sized town and there is bound to be somewhere good or middling decent to eat that's serving Xmas dinner. If you head out to the country, some wee small town might have no choice at all!

Two places I suggest asking:

If your staying in a B&B or hotel in Limerick they may know where's open and be able to advise.

Boards.ie: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=77, maybe you can join and ask in one of the regional forums, either Limerick City or The West forum.

Alternatively, there is something like this:
http://www.dunravenhotel.com/christmas_at_the_Dunraven.php
Spoil yourself with a sauna, tonnes of grub, and a big charge on your credit-card! ;)

If it were me, I'd either go to the Clare coast and hope I'd find somewhere nice, either in or around Doolin or Lisdoonvarna, worse comes to worst, at least they'd be a nice walk on the beach. Or I'd pop up to Galway City, great town to visit, tonnes of craic, good shopping, good pubs, gateway to the West ...

Let us know how it goes and where you end up.
posted by zaphod at 9:55 AM on December 10, 2006