In search of the best restaurants in Castlebar? Our Castlebar restaurants guide will make your belly happy!
If you’ve just spent a day exploring some of the best places to visit in Castlebar, you’re in luck – there are plenty of great places to grab a feed in the town.
In the guide below, you’ll discover best restaurants Castlebar has to offer, from Asian and traditional Irish food to burgers, pizzas and much more.
Our favourite restaurants in Castlebar
Whether its locally sourced steak or authentic Italian cuisine, this lively little town punches well above its weight in when it comes to places to eat.
The first section of this guide tackles what we think are the best restaurants in Castlebar, from the brilliant Bar One to some often-missed gems.
1. House of plates
Located in the heart of Castlebar, House of Plates is a family-run restaurant operated by Barry and Helen Ralph. After working as a Chef in restaurants across Ireland for about 20 years, Barry decided to open his own concept restaurant that specializes in sharing plates.
The restaurant sources fresh ingredients from local artisan growers and suppliers, which means that everything on their seasonal menu is fresh.
As for the interior, it looks amazing. House of Plates is decorated in a rustic industrial style and many of its features are made from recycled materials.
If you’re in search of Castlebar restaurants for a special occasion, you can’t go wrong with a visit to House of Plates!
2. Lana Castlebar Asian Street Food
In the mood for some tasty Asian street food while exploring Castlebar? Make your way to Lana Castlebar Asian Street Food and sample tasty Asian food delicacies from their extensive menu.
Try the Singapore noodles or order the restaurant’s mouthwatering pad thai chicken. The duck rolls are also worth ordering, as well as udon noodles.
Wash it all down with a bottle of Tiger beer or enjoy some complimentary ice cream. With 4.5/5 from 400+ reviews on Google at the time of typing, your tastebuds are in for a treat here.
3. Bar One
Mark Cadden’s award-winning Bar One is arguably one of the best known restaurants in Castlebar. Located on Rush Street, this modern bar has become a mecca for seafood lovers.
Whether you order the battered cod with homemade chips or try the tiger prawns in filo pastry, the seafood here is delicious.
Meat lovers can order smoked air-dried lamb, spicy chicken wings and bacon wrap, and chicken curry with basmati rice. In addition to delicious food, this fabulous gastropub offers an extensive wine list with wines from across the world.
4. Olive Tree Restaurant & Café
Located just off market square, Olive Tree Restaurant & Café is run by Mustapha Aboubi, and it’s here that you’ll find the best Eastern Mediterranean Cuisine in town.
Satisfy your taste buds with Eastern flavours and sample dishes like crab meat stuffed with bread, spicy smoky lamb, or the delicious tomato soup.
If you’ve space left for dessert, I recommend the homemade dairy-free carrot and courgette cake. The restaurant itself boasts a nice décor with colourful lamps hanging from the ceiling.
5. The PIZZA Bros
If you fancy a pizza (a high quality, wood-fired one, at that), look no further than the Pizza Bros, located just off the main street.
If you’re in need of a solid feed, try the meat feast pizza, which is one of the restaurant’s specialities. The garlic bread with cheese pizza is also an excellent choice.
In addition to pizza, this place also offers homemade burgers, chips, and salads. If you’re looking for places to eat in Castlebar where you’ll get a hearty feed, you can’t go wrong here.
Places to eat in Castlebar with excellent reviews
As you’ve probably gathered at this stage, there’s an almost endless number of great places to eat in Castlebar on offer.
If you’re still not sold on any of the previous choices, the section below is packed with some more highly-reviewed Castlebar restaurants.
1. Al Muretto Restaurant
Opened in 2002, the award-winning Al Muretto restaurant is one of the best dining establishments in the West of Ireland. You will find this family-run restaurant right on Tucker Street in Castlebar.
From a wide range of pizza and pasta dishes like Linguine Al Pensieri Del Mare pasta and Diavolo pizza, to seafood delights such as sole with squid and mussels in tomato sauce, everything on their extensive menu packs a punch.
If you’re in search of Italian restaurant in Castlebar that produce authentic, mouth-watering dishes, you’ll love this place.
2. Blue Serenade Restaurant
This family-run restaurant on Tucker Street boasts a vibrant and exciting menu, with everything from king prawn korma with boiled rice and noodles to taka taka on offer.
Meat lovers can try the beef fajitas or go for the duck with plum sauce. For dessert, order the signature Ferrero rocher cheesecake and you won’t be disappointed.
Although there’s only 47 reviews on Google, this place has racked up a 4.7/5 review score at the time of typing, which should give you a good sense of the experience that awaits you.
3. The Dining Room Castlebar
Run by husband and wife duo, Kevin and Shirley Stirzaker, the Dining Room is all about fine dining. From the attentive service to the elegant menu, everything at this fine dining establishment is organised to perfection.
On the starters menu, visitors will find a variety of dishes including west coast scallops, chicken liver pate, and tiger prawn scampi. For the main course, try the Gilligan farm beef fillet or order the pan-fried sea trout.
This is another great option for those of you looking for restaurants in Castlebar for a special occasion. They even have some great early bird deals.
4. Bistrot 1798
Bistrot 1798 is one of the newest additions to the gastronomic scene in Castlebar. Here, French chef, Michel Nagy, is in charge of preparing a seasonal menu that changes every week or so.
Whether you are craving fish, slow roast beef, duck, or tasty desserts, like Death by Chocolate or Affogato with a twist, everything at Bistrot 1798 smells and tastes fantastic.
The service is equally good – friendly and efficient! Few Castlebar restaurants can go toe-to-toe with this place.
Cafes and other great casual places to eat in Castlebar
If the Castlebar restaurants mentioned above didn’t tickle your fancy and you’d prefer something a little more casual, you’re in look.
This town is home to several brilliant cafes that serve up dishes that’ll make you tastebuds happy!
1. Caroline’s
A delightful café with a beautiful interior, is a must-visit place when exploring the streets of Castlebar. Most customers come here for a delicious breakfast. Try the delicious scones and order a slice of the apple sponge cake.
The brownie bomb is also a popular order here at Caroline’s. Keep in mind that they don’t take bookings and the café gets quite busy on the weekends.
If you’re looking for restaurants in Castlebar for a meal out with the family, you can’t go wrong with an evening spent here.
2. Danolla’s Diner & Takeaway
Danolla’s Diner & Takeaway has an outlet in Castlebar and, if you’re a fan of freshly battered fish and homemade cut chips, you’ll love this place.
In addition to the cod and the chips, this place also offers options like southern fried chicken, gourmet burgers, and sourdough pizzas… just look at the burger on the left above!
Did I mention the milkshakes? They’re deeeeelicious. Interestingly enough, Danolla’s has recently won an award for “The Best Fish and Chips in the West”.
3. Rua Cafe and Delicatessen
Opened over 10 years ago by Ann McMahon, Rua Cafe and Delicatessen is a gourmet deli-café that offers simple wholesome and TASTY homemade foods.
Today, this modest café is run by Ann’s children, Aran and Colleen, who serve delicacies like Ballina smoked salmon, Carrowholly cheese, and warm Paninis with chicken and pesto.
You will also find a nice selection of sandwiches and soups, as well as homemade cakes at this wonderful deli-café. If you’re on the lookout for casual places to eat in Castlebar that produce delish dishes, get yourself here.
What great Castlebar restaurants have we missed?
I’ve no doubt that we’ve unintentionally left out some great Castlebar restaurants from the guide above.
If you have a place that you’d like to recommend, let us know in the comments section below and we’ll check it out.
Or, if you’re looking for places to visit during your time in Castlebar, check out our guide to the best things to do in Castlebar.
FAQs about the best restaurants in Castlebar
We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from the best places to eat in Castlebar for a fancy feed to where to grab something hearty in the town.
In the section below, we’ve popped in the most FAQs that we’ve received. If you have a question that we haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.
What are the best places to eat in Castlebar?
I’d argue that the best restaurants Castlebar has to offer are Bar One, Lana Castlebar Asian Street Food, House of plates and Olive Tree Restaurant.
What are the best restaurants Castlebar has to offer for a fancy meal?
If you’re looking for places to eat in Castlebar that are less on the casual side, The Dining Room Castlebar and Bar One are great options.
What are the best Castlebar restaurants for lunch?
If you’re looking for restaurants in Castlebar for a hearty lunch, you can’t go wrong with Caroline’s, Rua Cafe and Danolla’s.