Limerick Foodie Trails
Foodies alert! Limerick is one of those cities that knows how to do food. Very good food… It’s never been a place I’d point at a map and say ‘yep we’re heading there for our next munching adventure’. But after the trip I’ve just experienced I can tell you, you’re in for a whopper of a treat!
A city so rich in food – with passion oozing from its producers, this place has a plate full of yum for everyone to grab hold of! From great coffee to some of the best chips Ireland has to offer, let me give you a taster of what Limerick has in store for your next trip there!
Gear Me Up For The Day!
Oh breakfast… One of my favourite meals of the day and definitely not to be missed while in the heart of Limerick city! Canteen, owned and run by Paul Williams is one of those little gems. A short walk from the hustle and bustle brings you to Mallow Street where Willams grey tinted cafe can be found.
Modest both outside and within, this place is a non-finicky spot for superb coffee and simple honest fast food. With minimalistic decor and a few places to sit it’s more of quick pit stop kind of cafe, serving a good chunk of the city’s workforce.
Breakfast is special here… Porridge is one of my best friends and if it isn’t yours then it soon will be after trying a bowl of Canteens! They use organic Flahavans oats and cook them in milk. If you have a sensitive stomach then ask for water cooked oats, it just takes a few minutes more… Grated apple, raspberry and bee pollen was what topped my steamy bowl of porridge plumped up in a recycled white disposable bowl. Nutella like… Really nutty and moreish just how porridge should be! Leave the bee pollen sit and melt for a couple of minutes and this bowl of oats is going to rock your world!
They also serve up ‘Real Irish Breakfasts’ with quality meat from Crowes Farm and the raved about Wild Onion Bakeshop bread! If you feel like something different then try their ‘Breakfast Burrito’ or the ‘Huevos Habaneros’ – Cuban style eggs cooked in spicy tomato sauce and grated with Cacao!
The Sage Cafe
The next place to wet that breakfast appetite of yours! One of the Treaty County’s most loved spots, they do a mean breakfast. After coming here you can basically stamp your foodie passport and clap your back knowing you’ve tried a truly delectable breakie!
The vibrant green exterior echoes the fresh food served up here. Breakfast for champions and a regular spot for some of the drooled over Munster rugby players! It’s a simple no-fuss kind of cafe with minimal furnishings but the atmosphere is buzzing. I noticed two or three people queuing by the door for a table on the Saturday I visited. A place to combat Friday nights hangover or the family’s weekend treat, people seemed really happy and welcomed by the lovely staff.
There eggs… Oh these guys really know how to do some cracking egg dishes! The homemade beans in a spicy Chorizo sauce with a poached egg atop crisp sourdough was what bounced off the menu. Mmmh… Absolutely delicious! I normally like my eggs well done but I devoured that poached egg, in between runny and just set. Their scrambled eggs are also out of this world. Super creamy and silky, seasoned to perfection…
I’m Feeling Something Healthy
Healthy eating is taking the world by storm. Nowadays, we’re all curious as to what’s in our food and where it comes from… So you can be sure there’s a market for serving up some pretty tasty food that’s not going to pack a few pounds around the waist!
Bubble Tea Paradise Healthy Cafe, just around the corner from JJ Kavanagh & Sons main Limerick stop at Arthurs Quay is a healthy foodie heaven that your tummy is going to love you for! Run and owned by the lovely Seamac, his passion for great tasting, vitality filled food is evident.
I love the grassy green theme against the clean white walls. It feels good to be in there – it’s fresh and nice on the eyes. Sit out back where there’s loads of light from the Velux roof windows or snug up opposite the really cool kids corner. If you’ve brought the little ones on your taste of Limerick here is a real breeze!
Have a taste of their peanut butter cookie along with a freshly squeezed juice! The crispy crepe with freshly cut fruits and yogurt is super tasty. Ask for a bit of honey or agave to drizzle over and you’ve a seriously delicious little treat to tuck into! The menu is pretty big, boasting lots of lovely salads, burgers and other hot dishes along with some cracking smoothies and juices. The selection of sweet treats is sublime and don’t forget to sample a Bubble Tea, created in Taiwan which has traveled far and wide with it’s glowing fame!
Something Fishy
I’ve an insider down in Limerick and if you haven’t already guessed we share a love for great food! Whenever we get a chance to meet up it’s at her favorite spot – The Curragower. I have to admit it’s become one of my all time spots to get brilliant food and high quality booze!
Overlooking the River Shannon with a fantastic view of King John’s Castle, the ‘Currag’ which I have come to calling it, is hidden down Clancy’s Strand. Quite a long and narrow pub, pristinely kept by Pete and his A-class team. The decor is traditional with a homey touch.
I always get a Hendricks Gin and Tonic with a nice slice of cucumber and an added preference of lime. Smooth and fresh just how I like it! I hear their pints are famous and my mate always loves their wine selection!
Their Chowder was the main reason for my most recent visit! Silky, hearty and loaded with salmon, whiting, mussels, prawns and baby chunks of potato and veg. Accompanied by arguably the best brown bread a soup could ever ask for, my cousin Elijadh christened it ‘jam bread’ which I’m guessing is due to the addition of Treacle!
He also couldn’t get over how good their mash potatoes were and nagged at me with a spoon full while I was taking photos ‘come on Bella you’re gonna love it!’. That could quite possibly be the best review The Curragower has or will ever get, coming from him the picky little muncher he is!
The Pan Fried Filet of Hake served with potato bonbons, salsa verde, asparagus and parsnip chips is another delicious option on the menu. A very generous portion, cooked perfectly. The bon bons are a real sweet treat – creamy mashed potato perfection on the inside hidden by a crispy breadcrumb coating… Yum!
Not only do they pull out all the stops where food and drink is concerned, they homed Hermitage Green, a popular Irish band in the earlier years of their success and have regular sessions that are meant to be cracking!
Best Burger In Town
This joint is all about chicken and beef. It’s pretty simple – they knock up some of Limerick’s best burgers and rotisserie chicken which is super moist and juicy! Originally started in Cork their popularity saw them take this city by storm.
The atmosphere is buzzing! It has an American diner feel with more of a woody rustic emphasise. People came in droves, the place was full for the entire evening and everyone seemed pretty happy! Staff go loir ready to explain the entire menu or have a quick chat about the place.
Check out their Coq Ranch Burger with a marinated chicken breast, crisp bacon, chorizo mayo and a parmesan ranch sauce or go all out and get a whole roasted chicken to share! Give their sweet potato fries a go and order a side of normal fries too – you can never have enough spuds!
If you’re feeling something more hearty then get your lips around some of their Bull! They have fantastic specials each night. The pizza inspired burger tasted just like a pizza! Mozzarella, mini pepperoni and pineapple chunks atop a thick beef patty sandwiched together in a fluffy bun… What’s not to love?
They also bang out epic desserts and I almost died a sweet death trying to spoon my way through each layer of chocolate, cream and sponge not to mention the amazing gooey mess at the bottom!
Afternoon Tea
No. 1 Perry Square Boutique Hotel, a stone’s throw from Limerick’s idyllic Peoples Park knows a thing or two when it comes to Afternoon Tea. It’s one of those things I’d never imagine to experience in the heart of a busy city but in an isolated manner reached by a long tree lined driveway, hidden amongst a well grown forrest!
But boy oh boy, how wrong of me to have thought that… The hidden escapades do Tea well… But haven’t, in my opinion met the standard La Maison offers at this chic hotel on the side of town.
Delve into my magical experience here 🙂
Market Fare
If you love food markets and your still reading this then I have a strong feeling Saturday at The Milk Market is going to make you weak at the knees! It’s one of the best outdoor food markets in the world let alone Ireland, offering a taste and connection to some of Munsters fantastic food producers.
Diminished are the barriers between the consumer and producer that every convenient store brings. Anything from cheese to coffee or real bread to chocolate, this market has a vast selection to choose from along with the chat that each market so beautifully ignites. A time to get to know the person who makes your bread or plucks your spuds… It’s a truly wonderful experience!
Must tries: Sebastian Ridoux’s Bon Appetite has some of the best crepes I’ve ever had, The Irish Chocolate Shop has a plethora of chocolates, fudges and bars along with a warming must try hot chocy! Harper’s do super coffees just next door and Country Choice is one of the best gourmet delicatessens you’ll ever walk into! Also look out for Jody’s macarons, they have a keen Limerick following and have become a staple at The Milk Market.
Read more about Fresh Five Fridays at The Milk Market here
Best Chip Shop In Town
Donkey Fords has been voted as one of the best places to devour a packet of chips in the whole of Ireland. If like me you go bonkers at the thought of a chunky chip then you’re going to love this spot!
Don’t expect to be fussed over. There’s no frills here just a really good bag of chips (€2.80) waiting to be packaged up like a parcel and devoured while roaming the older side of the city. It’s a few minutes from the famous Milk Market and an absolute must visit whenever you get to Limerick next!
Gimme something sweet and… Italian!
No better place than at Gusto d’Italia, Limericks one and only Gelato parlors! ‘It’s not Ice Cream it’s Gelato’, is exactly what Michael, co-owner of Gusto explained to me. Gelato is made solely with milk and cream whereas Ice cream is made with the addition of egg yolks. So as you can imagine, your bowl full of Gelato is going to be a lot lighter than a traditional Ice Cream!
My mouth drools at the thought of their toasted pistachio along with the exotic mango sorbet! All made freshly downstairs and presented gorgeously at the front of the shop. You can also tuck into a seriously sweet menu full of sundaes, waffles and lots of cake options… Buon appetito!
Pick Me Up Coffee
At some point of the day you are going to need to a pick me up! The best place to get amazing coffee is at Canteen. They take pride in every cup sold and have a special recipe for each bean variety they use. They also change parts of that recipe to correspond with the unpredictable weather Ireland brings! So that might go to show just how hard they work to bring you the best cuppa black in all of Limerick!
The Best Cuppa Tae In The City
All tea lovers aboard, The Stormy Teacup has a remarkable amount of tea to warm you up! You can go for a classic black or choose from a shelf lined with jar loads of the stuff. A Blooming Lilly Flower Tea is a splendid experience. Plonk the Lilly into hot water and sit mesmerised as it blooms over five to six minutes. The hot chocolates here are brilliant, think chili or orange chocolate. And if you have room try their brownie, you won’t be disappointed!
Kick back and relax on comfy mismatched seats and couches. Take a book from downstairs or play a board game if that inner child is screaming out for some fun!
Cocktails
After a food filled day it’s time to get a well deserved drink into you! No better place than the Cornstore Limerick, one of the long standing eat out spots loved by the people of Limerick. It has a cocktail menu that will blow you away and that’s longer than my two arms put together!
Try a cocktail from the Cornstore Cooler to start you off. The Farmer Fizz is my favourite – Beefeater Gin, vanilla syrup, carrot and lemon juice topped with soda water. Not too sweet and perfectly fresh after a hardcore day of eating!
After that the Martini Strawberrycello, advised by Emmanuel is a popular at the Cornstore – Absolut citrus vodka, limoncello, elderflower syrup, lemon juice, cranberry juice and fresh strawberries. A great one to get the night going! Laura tried the Balsamicotini with Grey Goose, fresh strawberries, balsamico, fresh basil, fresh lime juice, cranberry juice and strawberry syrup. Really rich and dark, fab if you’re in need of a warm up!
Coz up in one of the dimly lit intimate booths or watch Alex the mixologist in full swing, front row at the long bar! Ps… They also do brilliant food! If you’re feeling manly and not bothered by getting your hands dirty try their famous chicken wings!
CoqBull also whip up some pretty tasty cocktails to accompany your epic burger meal. The Mojito is done really well here so get yourself sorted with this super zingy and fresh classic!
And the best bit? We can get down to Limerick for as little as €10 one way!
