Tom Doorley's top places to eat when shopping outside the capital.
Rumour has it that an increasing number of Dubliners are doing their Christmas shopping in other cities. New York seems to be a favoured destination and, at the less glamorous end of the scale, Newry is a magnet for refugees from Rip-Off Ireland which John "Speedy" O'Donoghue assures us is a myth. A myth? He must be taking the pith. Anyway, it seems that some Dubs are heading south, having discovered that the city of Cork has just about everything the capital has to offer in terms of retail therapy. And rather less in the way of traffic congestion, crowds and English stag parties. There is a homely scale to Cork that Dublin lost a long time ago.
Lunching in Cork is easy, despite the fact that the city has fewer outstanding restaurants than its inhabitants like to think. For example, excellent coffee, cookies, wraps and panini are available in Café Gusto (3 Washington Street). This is a bright, airy place with high stools and small tables and a really eclectic customer base. Generous portions, too. The Crawford Gallery Café (Emmet Place) looks rather more staid - but there is an underlying funkiness to the food, especially at lunchtime. The fish is always exceptional and the short, eccentric wine list hits the spot. Service is unfailingly charming.
Isaac's (48 McCurtain Street) is as good as ever and only five minutes' walk from Patrick Street. Eclectic menu, cleverly chosen wines and a great buzz in a lovely, big, high-ceilinged dining room.
One of the cheapest lunches we have had as a family recently was at Table 8 (8/9 Careys Lane). The food was decent if not quite flawless - my squid was excellent - and five of us got out for under €50, including glass of wine for the two adults. This place is really trying. A new restaurant which I have yet to visit, but which is attracting very favourable comment is Cibo (Paul Street), where Isaac Allen of the Crawford Gallery Café is producing pizzas. Other Cork establishments to consider for lunch would have to include Café Paradiso, The Farmgate Café and the little coffee bar just beside On The Pig's Back in the English Market.
In Waterford, it's easy to overlook the café at the Waterford Crystal Visitor Centre (Cork Road) but this self-service restaurant does excellent traditional Irish food, with some exotic twists, in the home-cooked manner. In the city itself, Bodega (54 John Street) offers very sound value at lunchtime, lots of wines by the glass and some good beer, too. This, despite the name, is essentially French cooking. Bodega is particularly child-friendly, which is a further point in its favour. The Wine Vault (High Street) is another sound place to eat in Waterford.
I'm a lot less familiar with Limerick, but du Carte's at the Hunt Museum (Rutland Street) seems a pleasant enough place to refuel. Salads are good and the environment is bright and calming. Not far away, my old favourite The Green Onion (Rutland Street) continues to do an excellent job at keen prices. It has great sandwiches with salad on the side, and the pasta isn't bad.
Galway is not exactly bursting at the seams with good places to eat. Why this should be is a complete mystery to me; it's a vibrant city with lots of well-travelled people who must want to eat out occasionally. For a full-blown lunch I'd be inclined to try KC Blake's (10 Quay Street) for its modern, fusion-influenced menu. But I think I might prefer a straightforward sandwich and a coffee in Neachtain's (Cross Street) where the quality of the pint would be a further draw. On the other hand, Goyas (Kirwan's Lane) might be even better, especially if coffee and cake will suffice. The baking here is exceptional. Revive Coffee and Sandwich Bar (35 Eyre Street) does excellent sandwiches at lunchtime but it's even better for a breakfast of toasted ciabatta filled with smoked bacon, Cumberland sausage and tomato. As it happens, I'd quite like to do all my Christmas shopping in Nenagh, for the simple reason that I'd like to have lunch in Country Choice.