Welcome to Spoon Eats World, where college students dish on the unforgettable food spots they found while studying abroad. They took notes inside and outside of the international classroom, capturing their favorite bites and best local spots – from bustling markets and cozy cafes, to TikTok-famous eateries and hidden gems.
When people heard I was spending my senior year spring break traveling across Ireland, they had two things to say. First, that it was going to be an amazing, gorgeous time. Second, I got hit with the wrinkling of noses and “good luck with the food” comments. But after traveling across the country with greenest grass I’ve ever seen, I can say with confidence those naysayers didn’t know what they were talking about. I ate and drank my way from Dublin to Cork and Killarney to Galway and my tastebuds were not disappointed.
March 6, 2026 — you can’t go to Ireland without trying lamb stew
After a delayed flight forced me and my friend to skip lunch to run around Dublin and cram in as many of the sites as possible, we were starving by dinner time. Thankfully, our cabbie from the airport gave us his dinner spot recommendations, including The Church Cafe and Bar where we ended up.
I felt obligated on my first night in Ireland to try a traditional dish — lamb stew. The American in me raised an eyebrow at what appeared to be a small amount of food but the stew was intensely rich and flavorful, with melt-in-your-mouth hunks of lamb and vegetables, and I was stuffed by the time I got to the bottom of the adorable mini pot. The side of brown Guinness bread was dense, delicious, and deeply savory, and was great for soaking up the broth.
March 7 — a grab and go breakfast to remember
As we were rushing to the Guinness Storehouse, we dropped into Elliot’s Cafe. My chai was super milky and nicely spiced, but the star of the quick breakfast was their babka knot. The wonderfully sticky treat’s dough was sweet but not too sweet, and mixed with nutty, chocolatey filling. I just wish I had had more time to savor it!
March 7 — I didn’t know a ham and cheese toastie could be this good
My final food stop in Dublin was lunch at Ground State Coffee Roasters, where we managed to grab a table outside. I ordered a ham and cheese toastie, expecting a pretty straightforward sandwich, but this was something else. Inside the crunchy bread was mild soft cheese, melty mozzarella, and lightly-salted ham. The side of aioli and slivers of (what I think was) pickled radish really made the toastie though, bringing brightness and bite. The hot sandwich was the perfect pick-me-up to enjoy in the chilly early afternoon while waiting for the train.
March 9 — blood pudding and baked beans for breakfast
One thing I knew I had to do while in Ireland was get a traditional Irish breakfast, and I finally got my hands on the dish on a really early, misty morning in Killarney. Celtic Kitchen Café is a cozy, welcoming little spot with a very friendly and attentive owner who we had a great chat with.
My caramel latte was very caramel-forward, which was wonderful, but enough about the coffee because there were beans on my breakfast plate. I wasn’t sold on the beans flavor-wise, (savory and tomato-based. Definitely better when eaten on toast) but they made for a fun experience all the same. The black and white puddings, which are a mix of sausage and grain, plus blood for the black pudding, were some of my favorite bites on the plate. They were spicy and warming, reminding me of Christmas. Bacon in Ireland is what we would call ham in the US, and it was fatty, salty, and delicious. The sausage links, too, were flavorful and juicy.
Plus, the breakfast was as delicious as it was filling — it fueled us through our 7 mile hike through Killarney National Park.
March 9 — a dinner with a moody atmosphere
Large pillars, fancy chandeliers, red backlighting, and wood and glass cases housing colorful whiskey bottles made the Old Town Whiskey Bar in Cork a relaxed, moody setting to eat dinner after a long day.
I ordered the steak sandwich, which came with perfectly cooked, flavorful slices of medium-rare steak, tons of tasty caramelized onions, and a mild chimichurri sauce on top of crispy ciabatta. I walked back to the hotel stuffed but pleased as (black) pudding.
March 10 — saving the best meal for last
Galway was my favorite city and so it feels right that my favorite meal I had on my trip was in the rainy coastal Irish town. For our first lunch in Galway, we hit Rúibín, a bright, homey restaurant with a fantastic view of the Port of Galway. My view from our table was boats, and that was awesome.
And then there was my lunch — seafood chowder with bread and a side of chips and aioli. I need you to understand that I generally don’t like seafood (I ordered the soup with the mindset of when in Rome/the coastal town of Galway) and I drained the bowl. It was stupidly buttery and rich, with tons of chunks of mild fish. The bread was grainy and savory, making a great contrast to the soup. And the chips? So fresh and perfectly salted. These were the kind of fries that are so good you don’t need a sauce for them, though the aioli was wonderfully bright and herbaceous.
I was stunned. My friend, who ordered the same, and I sat there in that “the food is too good to stop and chat” silence. The whole meal was eyelid-flutteringly amazing. If it was socially acceptable to lick my bowl, I would have.
March 10/11/12 — a bonus sip
While not a bite necessarily, I can’t write about my most memorable foodie experience in Ireland without mentioning Taafes, a pub that we hit all three nights we were in Galway. As someone who doesn’t drink, I was a little concerned about my ability to enjoy the classic Irish pub experience, but Taafes (and other pubs for that matter) had plenty of non-alcoholic options. Kopparberg’s strawberry and lime alcohol-free cider, which just tastes like liquid strawberry candy, became my go-to as we listened to nightly trad music sessions.