Builín Blasta Cafe, Bakery & Wine Bar
Unit 16 Ceardlann Craft Village, Spiddal, Co Galway, H91 HT92; 091-558559, builinblasta.com
With a stretch tent that seats up to 46 people, you don’t need to worry about the changeable Connemara weather when you dine al fresco here. Heather Connolly and Eimear Killian’s Builín Blasta is the all-day place to go for breakfast, lunch or an early dinner, with pancakes, toasties and dishes featuring their famous sauces lined up on their tasty casual menu. Corinna Hardgrave
Camus Farm Field Kitchen
Camus, Clonakilty, Co Cork; 086-8263429, fieldkitchen.ie
Set on the 30-acre working organic Camus Farm outside Clonakilty, the Field Kitchen is where head chef Bob Cairns holds sway. On a fine day, meals are served outdoors, family style, at the cluster of shaded, wooden benches, which engenders a convivial feeling among diners. In line with the farm’s ethos of seasonality, sustainability and biodiversity, plates are vegetable forward, although the farm’s own Dexter beef does feature too. JC
Chez Max
1 Palace Street, Dublin 2; 01-6337215, chezmax.com
The summer months are when the outdoor dining areas at Chez Max, complete with Parisian-style chairs, truly come to life. This much-loved spot from owner Max de Laloubie is always buzzing with happy diners and has been serving French classics for nearly 20 years. Dig into moules marinières with piles of frites, classic warm goat’s cheese salad or even escargots de Bourgogne, sup on a glass of vin rouge and make believe for a little while that you’re in Paris. Très bien! JC
Fisk
The Harbour Bar, Downings, Co Donegal, F92 XR53; fiskseafoodbar.com
It doesn’t get more glorious than an outside table at Fisk on a warm summer’s day in Donegal, looking out across Sheephaven Bay. But you need to be lucky as it is walk-in only, so you may have to wait for that table. The food on Tony Davidson and Lina Reppert’s menu is simple, with dishes such as Donegal oysters with jalapeño granita, Mulroy Bay mussels in ‘nduja sauce, and very tasty fish tacos. CH
Frank’s
22 Camden Street, Dublin 2; franksdublin.com
When a restaurant is operating from a small space, you’d think that plonking a large communal counter right in the middle would be a bad idea. But at this wine bar and cave à manger on Camden Street, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter because the clean and precise modern cooking from David Bradshaw is just that good, while Katie Seward, one of Ireland’s best sommeliers, has the perfect summer wines for enjoying while perched outdoors on Camden Street. JC
Good Day Deli
Good Day Deli, Nano Nagle Place, Douglas Street, Cork; 021-4322107, gooddaydeli.ie
Nano Nagle Place, a contemporary heritage site with a museum, bookshop and restaurant, feels like a secret, with its celestial gardens and scents of rosemary and lavender. Clare Condon and Kristin Makirere’s restaurant has an enviable south-facing patio, with extra seats on the lawn during the summer months. Breakfast and lunch dishes reflect Kristin’s home, with subtle south Pacific influences from New Zealand and the Cook Islands. A new addition is Nádúr Deli, a smaller cafe in the front plaza. CH
Grangecon Kitchen
Main Street, Grangecon, Co Wicklow; 087-7478863, grangeconkitchen.ie
Rose O’Toole, formerly of Misunderstood Heron and Aimsir, has joined Angela Papakonstantinou in the kitchen of this much loved restaurant, where house-made juices and food are served under a large yurt-style tent. Brunch favourites include brioche French toast, buttermilk pancakes and Turkish eggs, with larger dishes such as cider-braised Crowe’s free range ham, mac and cheese, and chicken and leek pie also featuring. CH
Pota
An Tulach, Baile na hAbhann, Co na Gallimhe; 085-7566963, potacafe.com
Pota cafe is the type of place where you get enthusiastic about speaking Irish. Bilingual menus list out the daily specials, which is especially impressive when you consider Irish wasn’t a language originally meant for vegan meze or fish tacos. Owner and chef Diarmuid Ó Mathúna has a sharp focus on seasonal and organic ingredients. Classics such as potted crab and ham and cheese toasties are superb, especially when eaten outdoors in the sun. In a clever move, kids can order half-size portions. JC
L’Atitude 51
1 Union Quay, Cork; 021-2390219, latitude51.ie
Giant parasols cover the seating area by the river across the street from Beverley Matthews’ wine bar. It’s the perfect place to catch the last rays of sun on a summer evening. There is a global slant to the a la carte menu of small plates, which includes dishes such as pan-fried squid with crispy polenta and chorizo; Macroom burrata with roast tomato, and mussel and haddock croquettes. The low intervention wine list features more than 300 bottles, with 25 available by the glass. CH
Little Fish
Cleggan, Co Galway, H71E680; 087-9603735, instagram.com/littlefish_cafe
Tom Mullan and Eva Caulwell return to Cleggan this summer with additional tables outside their smart, simple restaurant. Fish and hand-cut chips, Killary mussels in a spiced coconut sauce, and crab nachos with tomatillo salsa are among the dishes that feature on their concise, well-priced menu. Vegetarians are also catered for with crispy tempura cauliflower tossed in their house buffalo sauce. CH
Pot Duggans
New Road, Ennistymon, Co Clare; 065-7071480, potduggans.com
Ashley Gribben is back at Pot Duggans this summer with The Melting Pot series, a rotating collection of menus with everything from ramen and tacos to pasta and shawarma. There will also be top notch pizza from Brazilian pizzaiolo, Cristian Marcos. There is seating for 60 on the covered terrace. CH
Tãbú Tapas
Marsh’s Street, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny; 083-164 1967, instagram.com/tabutapas
Patio Tãbú is as good as it sounds, a wonderful, semi-covered outdoor terrace at Rodrigo Gonzalez’s vibrant restaurant, where global influences bring a real excitement to the food. Have a cocktail, tuck into padron peppers, ceviche, softshell crab bao buns, or opt for something more substantial such as fish and chips or a steak. CH
The Stables at Sheen Falls
Sheen Falls Lodge, Kenmare, Co Kerry; 064-6641600, sheenfallslodge.ie
When the sun shines in Kenmare, outdoor tables are snapped up in seconds. One of the best places to bag a table is at The Stables restaurant at Sheen Falls Lodge, which has an incredible al fresco dining area. The food is bistro style, with classics such as battered fish and chips and steaks. For a more fine dining experience, it is always a treat to eat Mark Treacy’s food in The Falls restaurant with its dramatic view of the river. CH
The Towers Bar and Restaurant
The Quay, Westport, Co Mayo; 098-24844, thetowersbar.com
An absolute favourite with families for good reason, the sizeable beer garden at The Towers seats up to 200 people, serving Killary mussels, seafood chowder, fish and steaks. There are few better places to watch the sun go down over Clare Island. CH
