Where better to be on a lazy sunny day than by the coast, lathered in sun cream and sticky with sand, your appetite growing as you breathe in the fresh sea air?
Experience tells us that not all seaside towns are created equal however, especially when it comes to the food on offer.
If it takes more than a soggy bag of cheapo chips and a sloppy 99 to top off your seaside experience, here is a select list of towns across Ireland that will meet your needs.
Almost all feature in our list of 100 great restaurants, cafes and places to eat around Ireland for summer 2026 , carefully put together by our restaurant critic, Corinna Hardgrave, and food experts, Joanne Cronin and Ali Dunworth.
The Antrim coast is stunning at all times of year but it comes into its own in summer. Fuel a day on Ballycastle Beach or a boat trip to Rathlin Island with some fine baked goods from Ursa Minor , perhaps punctuated by a cone from Mauds Ice Cream, then finish up with dinner and a view (and maybe even a stay) in The Salthouse. For a more informal setting, try O’Connor’s for pub grub or Morton’s on the pier for the very best of fish and chips.
Down at the other end of the country, a day in and out of the water at Inch, Ventry or Maherabeg will work up an appetite for the excellent seafood at “sleekly simple” 505, where Damien Ring shows local produce at its best. Alternatively, try Solas Tapas, where the plátaí beaga here elegantly celebrate the land and sea that surround them – Dingle lobster ravioli and Dingle Goat’s Cheese Baked Alaska might feature.
There’ll be no shortage of whipped ice cream temptation here but if you want to elevate your food experience, our experts recommend The Pier, a restaurant unsurprisingly located on the actual pier. Expect smoked mackerel pate with classic ravigote sauce in this place self-described as “an eclectic mix of retro and old worlds”. You could also try Beach House, with its lunch menu of pared-back seafood, most of which is caught locally. A good spot for fish and chips.
Not traditionally known as a gourmet seaside location, this veteran of the summer market and long-standing surfer paradise has upped its game this year with the arrival of Stoked in its West End. There’s eating and drinking in the vast Donegal Bay views alone, but the menu will bring you around the world with tacos, tostadas and small plates such as Korean cauliflower and burrata. Work up your appetite with a stroll on the Green Hill.
There’s no novelty in Kinsale’s foodie mecca status, which has justifiably applied for decades. Out of many options, our experts recommend Saint Francis Provisions, which we reviewed earlier this year and described as offering “truly delicious food and wine in a room built for chat”. And if that isn’t enough to tempt you, note that Michelin has recognised the service ethos of owner, Barbara Nealon. Also in this very blessed town, you’ll find The Black Pig and its super wine list and Michelin-starred Bastion. Incidentally, Michelin also namechecked Kinsale in a guide to seaside dining earlier this month, along with Greystones, Co Wicklow, where inspectors liked Caladh and Chakra by Jaipur.
Working your leg muscles with a bike ride on the Waterford Greenway will allow you to justify a few extra calories in this very charming coastal town. The Tannery, a 30-year restaurant success story, is closing its doors here at the end of this year, so you still have time to catch Paul Flynn’s cooking in its natural setting. If y...