8 Must-Try Traditional Irish Foods and Where to Find Them

Irish Food Is More Than Just Potatoes

Let’s clear something up—Irish food is so much more than just potatoes and pints.

Sure, there are potatoes (and they’re incredible), but there’s also buttery seafood, slow-cooked stews and enough baked goods to make you forget what self-control is.

If you’re in Ireland and not planning your days around where to eat next, you’re doing it wrong.

This is the land of hearty comfort food, fresh-off-the-boat seafood and Guinness in places you wouldn’t expect (desserts, stews, maybe your bloodstream).

So if you’re wondering what to eat between castle hopping and pretending you understand Gaelic road signs, then you are in the right place!

These are the Irish dishes you have to make sure to try in your trip to Ireland – and exactly where to find the best of them. Let’s eat!

What to Eat in Ireland: Classic Dishes You Can’t Skip

From quick bites in Dublin to long, slow meals in a countryside pub, these are the dishes you need to try at least once.

Bonus: Most of them pair perfectly with a pint.

Irish Stew: The OG Comfort Food

A slow-cooked mix of lamb (or beef), potatoes, carrots and onions; Irish stew is the definition of cozy pub food.

It’s rich, hearty and exactly what you want after a long day of getting rained on while pretending not to be a tourist.

Every pub has its own take, but the best versions keep it simple—tender meat, thick broth and just enough seasoning to let the ingredients do their thing.

Pair it with a pint of Guinness (obviously) and a side of soda bread to mop up every last drop.

Where to get it: The Brazen Head, Dublin – Ireland’s oldest pub, serving stew that have been perfected over centuries.

Seafood Chowder: Fresh-Off-the-Boat Goodness

This creamy, chunky seafood chowder is made with fresh fish, mussels and sometimes even smoked salmon, it’s the kind of dish that makes you forget you came for the scenery.

It’s my favorite Irish food! You can find in the menu of most restaurants, I always order it and I’ve yet to be disappointed by one.

It’s rich without being heavy and warming without feeling like a nap trap – perfect combination after a day’s exploring!

Where to get it: Moran’s Oyster Cottage, Galway – A thatched-roof gem serving next-level seafood with a side of postcard-worthy views.

Soda Bread: The Carb You Didn’t Know You Needed

Every country has a bread they swear by. In Ireland, it’s soda bread.

Made with just a few ingredients – flour, baking soda, buttermilk and salt – it’s a dense, slightly tangy bread that is best served warm with a thick layer of Irish butter.

You’ll find it everywhere, from hotel breakfast spreads to tiny bakeries. It’s the kind of thing you casually try once, then suddenly start Googling recipes at the airport so you can recreate it at home.

Where to get it: The Fumbally, Dublin – A modern café with a no-fuss, perfectly crusty soda bread that locals swear by.

Boxty: Ireland’s Answer to the Hashbrown

If a pancake and a potato had a baby, it would be boxty.

Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, this Irish classic is proof that potatoes can do no wrong.

Depending on where you get it, boxty can be pan-fried, griddled or even turned into a wrap stuffed with cheese and meat.

It’s the perfect pre-pub crawl meal—hearty enough to keep you going but not so heavy that you’ll regret it later. Locals eat it at breakfast, lunch or whenever they need an excuse to carb-load (which, let’s be honest, is always).

Where to get it: Gallagher’s Boxty House, Dublin – A whole restaurant dedicated to boxty. If you’re going to try it, this is the place.

Colcannon: Mashed Potatoes, But Better

Mashed potatoes are great. Mashed potatoes with butter, cabbage and scallions? Even better.

The secret is in the texture; it’s creamy but still has some bite from the cabbage and the amount of butter is borderline reckless (which is why it’s so good).

Traditionally served with sausages or ham, it’s too good to not try.

Where to get it: O’Neill’s Pub, Dublin – A classic Irish pub

Black Pudding: Don’t Overthink It, Just Eat It

Black pudding is a spiced blood sausage with oats, onions and a deep savory flavor that somehow works with everything—from a full Irish breakfast to a fancy starter at a gastropub.

Crispy on the outside, rich on the inside; black pudding is one of those dishes you might hesitate to try but will absolutely order again.

Where to get it: Farmgate Café, Cork – Overlooking the famous English Market.

Guinness Pie: When Beer Meets Pastry

Guinness is great in a glass, but it’s even better in a pie.

Guinness pie is made with tender beef, caramelized onions and a rich, Guinness-infused gravy.

It arrives at your table piping hot, smelling like pure comfort and makes you forget about whatever plans you had after lunch.

Where to get it: Sheehan’s Pub – A classic pub that serves Guinness pie the way it should be: rich and drowning in gravy.

Coddle: Dublin’s Ultimate Comfort Food

Coddle isn’t winning any beauty contests, but what it lacks in looks it makes up for in pure comfort.

This slow-cooked mix of sausages, bacon, potatoes and onions was originally made from leftovers—because Dubliners don’t waste good food.

The flavors are simple, the broth is rich and every bite tastes like something your Irish granny would make (even if you don’t have one).

It’s the kind of dish that was made for cold, rainy nights—which, let’s be real, it’s basically any day of the year in Ireland.

Where to get it: The Gravediggers, Dublin – A no-nonsense pub serving proper, old-school coddle with a side of history.

Food In Ireland: Eat First, Google Later

Irish food is packed with flavors that make sense the second you take a bite.

From buttery soda bread to Guinness-infused everything, these dishes aren’t just worth trying—they’re worth planning your trip around.

Skip the sad airport sandwich, say yes to extra butter and don’t overthink the black pudding. You’ll thank me later.

PIN FOR LATER!