Restaurants in Counties Galway, Westmeath and Offaly
Most small towns in this area have little in the way of restaurant life. In some villages, the only place in town serving food at all is the pub. But Athlone has some good restaurants, along with a couple of sophisticated coffee shops. Many of the hotels have excellent restaurants, too.
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12 Results
- Middle Eastern/Mediterranean
Al Mezza
Athlone is an unlikely location in which to find a top-notch Lebanese restaurant, but Al Mezza has fast become one of the best places to eat in the area. After seating you at one of the nicely shabby-chic tables (ours was an old sewing table), the staff helpfully takes you through…$$County Westmeath - Cafe
Bastion Kitchen
Delicious, healthy meals are served at this charming little cafe and deli. Organic pitta sandwiches; salads served with fresh falafel or quinoa cakes; and excellent daily soups—try the pea, kale, and coconut broth served with spelt bread, if it’s on offer. Most items can be ordered…$ - Cafe
Beans & Leaves
This cheerful cafe/deli is a great place to know for a quick, healthy lunch in Athlone. In addition to excellent sandwiches, it also offers tasty light meals—fishcakes, seafood chowder, and specials such as a steaming-hot plate of tasty chicken curry. Desserts are well worth checking…$County Westmeath - Bistro
Hatters Bistro
Black-and-white portraits of movie stars adorn the walls of this friendly little bistro in the center of Athlone. The menu doesn’t present too many surprises, but it’s all done very well—honey-glazed roast pork, Irish lamb, burgers, or maybe cod fillet with traditional champ mash or…$$County Westmeath - Bistro
Hatters' Lane
Black-and-white portraits of movie stars adorn the walls of this friendly little bistro in the center of Athlone. The menu doesn’t present too many surprises, but it’s all done very well—roast pork glazed with honey and mustard, lamb shank with garlic and herb mashed potato, or…$$Athlone - Irish
Preston House
Classic Irish food, elegantly prepared and presented is the mainstay of this popular fine dining restaurant in the center of Abbeyleix. This is very much a special occasion kind of restaurant locally, with all the seasonal ingredients and technical skill that you’d expect. A starter…$$$County Laois - Irish
The Blue Apron
This great little bistro is in Tullamore, about 3.4km (2 miles) northeast of Charleville Castle. Start with a plate of tender king scallops with prawn toast, or a spiced pear and Cashel blue cheese salad, before choosing from honey-and-thyme-glazed duck breast or slow-roast lamb…$$County Offaly - Cafe
The Coffee Club
A popular lunch place with Tullamore locals, this busy, friendly cafe also serves a huge range of sandwiches from the deli counter, plus delicious healthy stir-fries (you choose the ingredients), salads, and other snacks. The upstairs dining room, lined with shelves full of…$County Offaly - Modern Irish/International
The Fatted Calf
A funky ambience pervades at this gastropub just outside Athlone. They take their local, seasonal produce seriously here—as well they might, as the owner has been a national commissioner for a European-wide chef’s organization since the 90s. The menu takes Irish flavors and gives…$$County Westmeath - Breakfast/Bistro
The Gallic Kitchen @ Bramley
If you’ve come this way from Dublin, there’s a chance you’ve already sampled Gallic Kitchen’s tasty pies, quiches, and desserts—these folks started out running a stall at Dublin’s Temple Bar Food Market, which is still very popular. This is the main HQ, however, and it’s a great spot…$County Laois - Irish/International
The Old Fort
Well this is certainly a unique place for a restaurant: a converted artillery fortification, constructed to guard against a potential French invasion in the early 19th century. The building has been interestingly restored, with slightly wry touches like lighting sconces in the dining…$$$North of County Galway in County Roscommon - Modern Irish
Thyme
Offering fine dining without being overly fussy or formal, this excellent bistro is one of the best places to eat in Athlone—or anywhere in the Midlands, come to that. Local ingredients feature heavily on the imaginative menu; to start, you may be offered young buck cheese mousse…$$County Westmeath
