Ómós, Co Laois
First up on God’s food trail is recently opened Ómós in Abbeyleix, a visionary concept by chef Cuan Greene, formerly of Noma in Copenhagen and Bastible in Dublin. The fine dining restaurant is just part of the overall experience at this restored Victorian estate, its neutral tones, stone and wooden interiors a lesson in relaxed refinement.
It’s hard to believe this estate had fallen into ruin before it was bought by Irish tech billionaire John Collison in 2022. He and a handful of other investors have allowed Greene the time, creative space and money to pull together a unique addition to the Irish travel and food scene.
The 13-course tasting menu with wine pairing, or a thoughtful non-alcoholic option, is a joy from start to finish. Its summer menu begins with tomato pie, topped with anchovy brought to the table by one of a large team quietly working away in an open-plan kitchen that exudes calm. No thrown pots or kitchen hysterics here, just a love for the produce and in creating an exceptional meal for guests.
Dishes include dry-aged hamachi with rhubarb dressing and magnolia condiment, an Irish summer salad (reimagined rolled ham and egg) line caught fish as well as a snail dumpling that evokes more nostalgia by way of old school chicken Kiev that arrive one after another. Tables at Ómós are mainly held for residents, but some are made available to those not staying. — MM
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Sika, Powerscourt, Co Wicklow
Look out onto the empyrean sight of Douglas Firs, Corsican Pines, Giant Redwoods and Atlantic Cedars from your table at Sika restaurant in Powerscourt estate. The eight-course tasting menu is thoughtfully compiled by executive chef Cormac McCreary and each new course is a triumph. Start with canapés that comprise tuna tartar with ponzo, Coolattin cheddar gougère, brioche feuilleté and Guinness and treacle bread paired with a glass of Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut NV. An assortment of tastes bursting with flavour, this is an exciting start to an exceptional meal. Next tuck into foie gras parfait with peach, native lobster, tomato and parmesan followed by sole Viennoise, broccoli, sudachi and smoked Dashi Sauce, an elegant dish excellently paired with a Trimbach Riesling. Things switch up a gear with the final savoury course and Wicklow lamb with Baba Ganoush, Romesco and Polenta. — MM
The Pullman, Glenlo Abbey, Co Galway
Kick off eight divine courses with nibbles and a glass of Billecart Salmon aboard The Pullman restaurant which is presided over by head chef Angelo Vagiotis. Stunningly located aboard two decommissioned Orient Express carriages on the grounds of Glenlo Abbey and overlooking magical Lough Corrib, Vagiotis’ ethos is to be ever-changing with the seasons. This Michelin-star meal starts with cheese puffs (hastily eaten in one bite), Flaggy shore oysters and Guinness bread, deftly followed by Bonito, topped with caper and raisin, hazelnut and cucumber. The bouquet salad, a signature dish and on the menu since day one is an example of the best use of seasonal ingredients from farm and garden. Fragrant, simple and delicious. A tomato consommé with pea ravioli, red prawn and lovage is followed by Atlantic perch, a new dish that got its first outing the evening we visited. Paimpol beans, the most delicate baby octopus and Luciana top the fish, which is expertly paired with a Spanish Albarino. Service and atmosphere is as good as how I imagine it aboard the Venice Simplon Orient Express and if that is on your bucket list, like mine, The Pullman isn’t to be missed. — MM
Éalú at The Stonehouse, Dingle Peninsula, Co Kerry
Head out around the Slea Head drive and just after the wholesome frolics of the Hold a Baby Lamb (does it get more Godlike?) experience, you will find Éalú at The Stonehouse. On a sunny day there is nowhere finer to sit outside admiring the glistening majesty of the Atlantic spread out before you, with a glass of bubbles expertly chosen by wine buff Clíona Moriarty. With her chef husband Kallam, they took the lease on the restaurant in this unusual stone building and turned what could have been a very standard tour bus café stop-off into one of the Dingle Peninsula’s must-visit foodie destinations. Try some sharing plates of baked Cavanbert or some juicy Nocellara olives, pick a small plate like a lobster bisque, or go for a more substantial elevated take on a seafood chowder. But make sure to leave room for dessert. Kallam’s patisserie skills are of a level rarely seen outside Paris. — DO’C
Ard na Sidhe Country House, Killorglin, Co Kerry
The ethereal magic or Ard na Sidhe hits you full force as you pull into the driveway and the vista of Caragh Lake down below takes your breath away. The old house, all stone, sits unobtrusively, complementing its surroundings. It still has the feel of an exquisite country home, rather than a hotel. The welcome is warm, and whether you come for the famed afternoon tea or stay on for dinner, you are guaranteed to feel entranced. On the menu is fine dining paired with a surprisingly reasonably priced wine list. The pan-fried duck breast with cherries and smoked beetroot is a standout flavour combination, while the excellent hake served with a courgette and parmesan puree, mussels and spicy chorizo is another delight. After a bottle of Gruner Veltliner with our meal, very generous serves of Sauternes dessert wine sent us off to enjoy the cosy lounge with a very warm glow. — DO’C
Mara, Waterford
Mara is somewhere to contemplate, be mindful. The tiny restaurant with just six tables is a far cry from the site’s original incarnation – vegetarian café Haricots. Today, the experience is elevated but relaxed – you can choose between a la carte and an 11-course tasting menu (pre-booking essential). The menu changes seasonally but is inspired by chef Luis Martin’s Spanish roots, paired with the best of local produce, with an emphasis on local organic and foraged ingredients. The highlight for me perhaps was the appearance of padrón peppers as a side to my steak – to my mind a perfect pairing. Gaston, front-of-house, is on hand to advise on perfect wine pairings, with lots of vegan and biodynamic options. — DO’C
O’Sullivan’s Crookhaven, West Cork
An open crab Sandwich in O’Sullivan’s on a sunny July day is a simple but sublime experience.
The crab itself, simply bound, dressed and allowed to sing sweetly and delicately, is the stuff of legend, both local and further afield. But it’s the setting that makes this a one-of-a-kind place to eat and a must on God’s foodie road trip. In a world of complicated dinners, this is on my list for its simplicity, for the way the sea breeze acts as a seasoning and the sound of herring gulls and kittiwakes lapping over waters providing a celestial soundtrack to the food. — M’OL
Mamó, Howth
There is a very understated decadence to the upstairs dining room in Mamó. It’s not just to be found in the walls, fine stemmed glasses or the tablecloths, the true pleasure of the room comes from a deep generosity on the pass and the plate. Allow your palette to be kicked into gear by a Buffalo Ray wing and a signature cod chip - one sharp with cayenne-spiked vinegar against a soft nugget of ray wing meat, the other a masterclass in coaxing nostalgic magic from a spud. Two bites that will stay wedged in your hippocampus for a long time to come. If you’re lucky, and the boats have come in, you may be treated to a whole Turbot to share, and if you’re enjoying it as part of a Sunday lunch, there may be a moment where the sun shines in and casts a halo in the slick, sticky, collagen-rich jus around the fish, blurring the lines between heaven and earth in a single bite. — M’OL
The Landline at the Park Hotel, Kenmare
Being able to see the water from which your Kenmare Bay pot prawns were plucked a few hours earlier is a glorious thing, and The Landline at the Park Hotel, headed by chef James O’Sullivan, is a sublime restaurant. Kerry is a place of otherworldly natural beauty, with produce to match. Mountain lamb, incredible seafood and a million other ingredients make this one of the most special places to dine in Ireland for me. The food itself is considered, fresh and delicious, hyper-local in a way that doesn’t feel like a box-ticking exercise, cooked with a level of confidence that’s rare and exciting to see. Eating in the Landline, looking out at the clouds rolling over the infinite shades of brown and green in the hills leading down to water gives a context to what’s on the plate in a way that feels like a full-circle moment. What you’re eating in the Landline is Kerry itself, and it’s never been better. — M’OL
