3 Best Restaurants in The Midlands, Ireland

The Midlands town of Birr may be known as the "belly button of Ireland" because of its central location, not because this region is regarded as one of the cuisine centers of Ireland. No matter that Ireland's best restaurant (according to some)—Neven Maguire's MacNean's, near Cavan town—is in the Midlands, nor the fact that the region is also home to Wineport Lodge, Ireland's first "wine hotel," you'll find that most restaurants here are simple eateries, ranging in price from inexpensive to moderate.

Nevertheless, there are those restaurants that will entice you right in off the street, especially those offering beef—Mullingar, in the center of the Midlands, is the beef capital of Ireland—and fish specialties, as the many lakes and rivers of the region provide an abundance of fresh salmon and trout (in fact, since no place is more than an hour and a half from the sea, expect to find lots of fresh ocean fish).

The Left Bank Bistro

$$$ Fodor's Choice

One of Athlone's culinary highlights, this bistro is noted for its early-bird menu, which runs through the evening (except Saturday, when it ends at 6 pm), filled with such delights as bacon and colcannon mash with cider sauce, or chargrilled pork fillet. Later on, the beige-on-brown dining room fills up for the main dinner menu, which favors steaks, monkfish, duck, and rack of lamb. For lunch, the most popular dish is tandoori chicken breast on focaccia with sautéed potatoes, although the open sandwich of French brie with tomato chutney on brown bread (€9.95) runs a close second. Irresistible desserts include mud cake, banoffee pie, and lemon-and-lime cheesecake.

Ask joint-owner Annie McNamara about the Left Bank dressing, a specially bottled vinaigrette that people come from all across Ireland to buy.

The Fatted Calf

$$$

One of the Midlands food heroes, chef-owner Feargal O'Donnell uses fresh, locally sourced ingredients at his popular Irish restaurant in the town center, where you can sink into comfortable orange chairs made of cowhide leather for signature dry-aged steak. Starter nibbles to excite the taste buds might be crispy pig's ear or silver darlings (herring), while main courses may include panfried cod fillet, 30-day dry-aged beef tenderloin with a scene-stealing pepper sauce, or honey roast farmhouse chicken. If you have space, try the strong-flavored Young Buck blue cheese from County Down; for a divine dessert, an affogato with moondust espresso and a dash of Bailey's liqueur will leave a long afterglow on your taste buds. A notice on the wall advises "Keep Calm and Drink Wine," a small exhortation to sample the recommended French house red: Lue Lapeyre Amour Grenache Syrah, a rich and concentrated blend where the ripe tannins are said to dance across your palate and at €36 won't leave a large dent in your wallet.

Kelly's Steakhouse

$$$

Just across the road from the Midlands Park Hotel, Kelly's Steakhouse expertly prepares cuts of Irish beef in all shapes and sizes, from a 20-ounce porterhouse T-bone to a more modest 10-ounce rib eye. The chef knows a thing or two about gradations, but if you want to try your own hand, the steak house offers the unique chance to cook the meat yourself over a volcanic black rock hot stone. The dinner menu also includes pasta, fajitas, lamb shank, and hake.

The Midlands

The Midlands

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