Doolin Restaurants Guide: 9 Restaurants In Doolin For A Tasty Feed Tonight

In search of the best restaurants in Doolin in Clare? Our Doolin restaurants guide will make your belly happy!

Although Doolin is pretty small, it punches well above its weight when it comes to great places to eat! 

From relaxed pubs in Doolin that serve hearty comfort food to more refined restaurants, there’s something to tickle every tastebud in this lively little village.

In the guide below, you’ll discover the best Doolin restaurants on offer, from tasty pub grub to fancy places to eat.

Our favourite restaurants in Doolin

The first section of our guide to the best restaurants in Doolin tackles our favourite places to eat in Doolin.

These are pubs and restaurants that we (one of the Irish Road Trip team) have munched away in at some point over the years. Dive on in!

1. McDermott’s Pub

Unmissable for food lovers visiting Doolin, McDermott’s is a traditional Irish pub owned and run by the same family since 1876.

Providing excellent homemade meals every day of the week, the pub is open seasonally meaning from March to November. 

When it comes to the food, highlights include fish and chips, Irish stew and a hefty lamb shank that matches up smashing with a pint of Guinness, which is always of the best quality at McDermott’s.

Note from the editor: Many people flock to Fisher St. for lunch, but parking can be impossible. There’s a nice big car park right next to McDermott’s!

2. Oar Restaurant & Rooms

Offering rustic fine dining in the heart of Doolin with accommodation that includes 4 rooms and one suite, Oar Restaurant & Rooms is one of the best places to eat in Doolin if you’re looking for a fancy feed.

You’ll find the Oar a short, 2-minute drive from Fisher Street, just across from McDermott’s and McGann’s.

Highlights on the menu at this spot include elegant pan-seared scallops and a roasted cod main with chicken skin and a spinach gnocchi. 

If you’re looking for Doolin restaurants where you can mark a special occasion, you can’t go wrong with an evening spent at the Oar.

Related read: Check out our guide to 17 of the best things to do in Doolin in 2024 (caves, walks and much more).

3. Russell’s Fish shop

Russell’s is far from your average fish shop – not only are the fish and chips of the finest quality and locally sourced, but the menu is also very adventurous.

Those that nip in here will discover a menu packed with everything from fish curries and pasta dishes to traditional treats.

You’ve also got lobster rolls (fresh from the Cliffs of Moher) and real, tasty hand-cut chips made from Clare spuds!

Ideal for families and groups looking to cater to a wide range of tastes, Russell’s Fish Shop serves as an example in executing a classic dish the right way.

4. The Ivy Cottage

The Ivy Cottage is one of the more unique places to eat in Doolin, as it’s located right on the colorful Fisher Street (there’s limited parking up past Gus O’Connor’s).

This is a great spot to drop into if you’ve just finished the Doolin Cliff walk, or if you’ve just returned back from a long day on the road.

If you’re in search of Doolin restaurants for lunch, the menu here boasts light bites, like soup, toasties and sea food chowder while in the evening, there’s everything from burgers and mussels to scampi and more.

Other great Doolin restaurants with excellent reviews

As you’ve probably gathered at this stage, there’s an almost endless number of great places to eat in Doolin on offer.

If you’re still not sold on any of the previous choices, the section below is packed with some more highly-reviewed Doolin restaurants.

1. McGann’s Pub

Excellent food and a vibrant ambiance are all but assured at McGann’s, where the vibe is every bit as traditional as you might expect.

The food revolves around traditional local fayre like stew with soda bread, lamb shank and fish and chips, whilst the burgers come with all sorts of extras including bacon, cheese and onion rings, ideal for those with an appetite. 

If you read our guide to the best pubs in Doolin, you’ll know were fans of McGann’s – get in here before the music, get fed and whittle away the evening with some live music. Magic.

2. Gus O’Connor’s

A renowned spot among visitors to Doolin, Gus O’Connor’s can be found at the heart of the colorful Fisher Street.

Offering live music every day in the peak summer months, Gus O’Connor’s is cosy, casual spot ideal for a hearty meal, a few pints and a classic Irish cultural experience.

The food is all about delicious local favourites, such as full Irish breakfasts, creamy soups and seafood such as fresh oysters, mussels and more.

If you’re in search of restaurants in Doolin that can accommodate a big group, look no further than Gus O’Connor’s, as there’s a decent bit of seating space to be had.

Related read: Check out our Doolin accommodation guide (it’s packed with everything from the fancy Doolin Village Lodges to some very quirky places to stay).

3. Anthony’s

Although Anthony’s is one of the newer places to eat in Doolin, it’s already started to rack up some rave reviews online.

Offering a taste of the Burren, the region in which Doolin sits, Anthony’s goes big on local artisanal produce.

What’s more, their seafood is freshly caught locally, their herbs and veggies are grown in their very own poly-tunnel and they use meat from farmers based in the west of Ireland. 

If you can, try and get here early and nab one of the seats facing out onto Fisher Street (see above) – you’ll find few restaurants in Doolin that are better for watching the world go by.

4. Glas Restaurant

Glas is another of the more casual Doolin restaurants that’s perfect for a post-adventure bite-to-eat with friends or family.

This place has attracted plenty of attention from both local and visiting foodies since they opened, and for good reason.

This is a real gastronomic experience and the highlights of the menu are not to be missed. Warm summer truffle salad is a top pick, as is the langoustine and black pudding starter.

5. Riverside Bistro Doolin

A stalwart on the Doolin culinary scene, Riverside Bistro offers up good, honest local fayre in simple surrounds.

With highlights including roast duck, fish and chips and sumptuous pasta dishes incorporating local seafood, a trip to this loveable locale makes for a delicious lunch or dinner.

Unpretentious and always delicious, the food at Riverside Bistro never fails to disappoint. This one is well worth nipping into with a rumbling belly!

What tasty Doolin restaurants have we missed?

I’ve no doubt that we’ve unintentionally left out some other great restaurants in Doolin from the guide above.

If you have a favourite Doolin restaurant that you’d like to recommend, drop a comment into the comments section below.

FAQs about the best places to eat in Doolin

We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from what are the best restaurants in Doolin for a fancy feed to which Doolin restaurants are nice and chilled.

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 Doolin?

The Ivy Cottage, Russell’s Fish shop, Oar Restaurant and McDermott’s are our favourites of the many restaurants in Doolin.

What Doolin restaurants are good for a fancy meal?

If you fancy steering away from the more casual places to eat in Doolin, Oar Restaurant, Anthony’s and Glas Restaurant are worth checking out.

What are the best restaurants in Doolin for something casual and tasty?

You can’t go wrong with Russell’s Fish shop, McGann’s Pub and Gus O’Connor’s.