Summit Inn

Hmmmm. Not really understanding the 4 and 5 star reviews here.
Came here today with 2 friends. Heard the food was good. Reviews on Unilocal seemed good. So we drove out of the harbour area up to the Summit.
I ordered the steak and chips. I asked for it rare. Of course it came out just about medium. Argh. This pisses me off so much in this bloody country. It’s like because our Mothers all over cooked beef throughout our childhoods we are terrified of eating anything that may be pink. I think staff are also terrified to serve something that could be called raw by a customer. It’s mind boggling. You need to go to a French restaurant or an FXB’s to get get a properly cooked steak. It really is infuriating. Over cooked eggs and over cooked steaks are my pet peeves and Irish people seem to have a wonderful knack of f**king both of these things up.
My chips were just OK. Some of them were not 100% cooked. I left most of them.
My friends ordered the quesedillas. For € 10 with NO chips or side [apart fom a couple of lettuce leaves and half cherry tomatoes] I thought this was extremely overpriced for them just on their own. The quesedillas themselves, average.
We shared a large portion of chicken wings. These were pretty tasty but they were too dry IMO. More sauce missues!
My friend asked for coffee after our meal and the server was like oh OK and ran off in a hurry to the bar. Didn’t give the rest of us a chance to order coffee or desert. Everyone was in a hurry. They didn’t seem understaffed either which would have explained it.
I found the service not BAD bad per say but just in different. The staff were never rude and were pretty friendly in fairness but just not attentive in any way shape or form. Like not once were we asked how IS everything, or how WAS everything. If they had done this I would have been like eh my steak is overcooked. It’s seemed really difficult to get anyones attention properly so not really a great position to tell them your food is not 100% how you asked it to be. So I just left it. I was out to relax on a Sunday afternoon, not try to chase staff in a pub to tell them my food wasn’t up to scratch.
If I was to come back I would probably just stick to having a pint which I didn’t do on this occasion. But I would not be coming back for the food.

Came here with my boyfriend and 2 other friends ordering ribs, wedges, chicken tempura and nachos. Nachos were vegetarian (not implied on the menu) with VERY limited topping UNDER all the chips) and tasteless. We left almost an entire plate and were never asked by the waitress if everything was ok. Clearly it wasn’t and she didn’t want to hear it. The chicken tempura was more fish and chip heavy batter than tempura but the ribs were tasty. Won’t come here for food again but a drink stop is worth it! Wish we could have had dessert but didn’t want to risk paying for something else average!

Stopped here for lunch after a hiking tour yesterday. My boyfriend and I ordered fish and chips, mussels, and the Howth chowder. My favorite was the mussels. The sauce was soooo delicious! I slurped up all the sauce I could get because I couldn’t get enough of it! I highly recommend the mussels, and that’s coming from an American! Service was very nice too.

No idea why I never got around writing a review for the Summit Inn — maybe because I’m coming here for years — even before my Unilocal time — yes, there is such a thing.
Seeing that walking around Howth is one of my favourite walks — be it via the Cliff Walk or up Deerpark Golf Club — a break, possibly pint and some food in the Summit Inn is part of that.
In summer it’s brilliant to sit outside on their terrace watching life go by but inside is just as nice, especially if you sit on one of the bar stools facing the windows.
My drink varies on my mood but as for food their mussles (with brown bread) is my all time favourite. Again I’m sometimes in the mood for something else and there is enough to choose from inclusive daily specials. But I’m always happy with my choice.
The audience is a mix of locals, regular walkers and tourists — everyone peacefully just enjoying the pub, no matter how crowded.
And the staff is always very friendly and patient — well used to visitors that are there the first time and possibly not fluent in english. And especially in summer they have bowl of water for the dogs.

Nothing fancy but an honest-​to-​god cosy pub with sound staff. Had a few glasses of a nice enough white wine and a tasty apple crumble. Very family friendly place which added a nice buzz to the place. Enjoyed my visit and would come back.

Although I didn’t expect to expand my Mexican palate while on a weekend vacation in Dublin, the Summit Inn was the obvious lunchtime choice after hiking around the cliffs of Howth. We stopped here with our minor tour group to find a very local atmosphere, delicious food, and great drink prices. Really hit the spot! Miami, Florida seal of approval.

Si vas a Dublin, Howth esta solo a unos 20 minutos de tren aprox.
Alli vas a ver acantilados, gente en el agua si hace calor (15 grados ya se meten. Brrr!!)
El plan que vas a ver que todos siguen es quedarse cerca del muelle, o de cualquier lugar y comer Fish & Chips, yo preferi seguir el camino de a Pie hasta el Faro, y de alli volver por el camino interno, ahi fue que muerta de hambre encontre Summit por recomendacion, una amiga se sumo a la onda Fish & Chip, la otra pidio un plato sin Gluten, y yo pedi el Wrap vegetariano!
Todos los platos increibles, tanto afuera como adentro es un hermoso lugar, eso si armate de paciencia para esperar la cuenta

After a smashing lunch on Howths West Pier with the in-​laws, we decided to wash that down with a pint in The Summit, before taking them to the actual summit of Howth head.
I was surprised at how busy the place was with tourists. I figured everyone would be in Howth proper. One massive table had what must have been 20 string tour, whose guide was translating the menu for them into Spanish. I quickly realised that practically everyone was here for food.
We however were here for the beverages on offer. I had a pint of the black stuff and it was a lovely pint at that. Everyone else enjoyed their beverages.
The staff were pleasant, all the while busily working the floor and keeping the masses happy.
The facilities were nice too. Clean.

5 stars? It might be, but wasn’t here for a full craic, so will be a bit shy and give 4.
When ever I drop by here, enjoy as everyone should. Great dishes. TVs for sports. My top choice is onion rings and omelet.
Staff is always great. I cycle by a lot here and they will fill the bottle up with tap water no problems.
Even today, we ordered some food and teas. And paid only when leaving. Nice restaurant like attitude.
Has outse tables as well, nice heaters.

Great place right at the top of Howth — you can walk up to the top for breathtaking views. Service was friendly, food was good. Definitely worth stopping in for a pint.

Great location, charm, décor, good food, will return. Definitely worth stopping in for lunch. Good transport available outside into and out of Dublin city too.

Demotiviertes Personal, aber sehr nette kleine Speisekarte und landestypisches Ambiente.

On a tip from Emily C, my beau and I tripped out to Howth on a beautiful, sunny Saturday in March for a bit of fresh air, exercise, and…
BEER. At Summit Inn.
This wasn’t exactly a planned pitstop — but after he took me trekking through a bog, over a few cliffs and it started raining in a sideways fashion, he probably thought it wise to situate me with some booze inside for awhile.
Luckily, Summit Inn is perfectly positioned as a halfway point for hikers/​walkers that have started near the train station and are making their long loop back. We enjoyed a few pints, warmed up a bit, used the restroom and were on our way.
I highly recommend the hike (there are shorter versions!)…and making this a little respite to gather your bearings before being on your way back to Howth. It’s all on its own up here, quite cozy.
And, if you get a bit too drunk/​full to complete the hike — there are taxis that seem to be milling about, and a bus line that goes straight back to the town center/​train station. So there you have it!
Howth is a 25 minute train trip from Dublin on the DART — about 5 euro return, give or take. Really nice side trip that can be done easily. Beautiful area.

After a good two hour walk around the gorgeous Howth head, what a great place to settle in and get cosy. (Just as the snow was closing in too!)
They seem to have lots of staff here, all of whom are really very pleasant and accommodating. There is a fire in one corner, although it was more of a ‘blisterer’ than a ‘roarer’, twas a lovely sight to behold.
We filled ourselves with a bowl of soup and toasties for a fiver. Not a bad Guinness (honestly not the best, but nothing offensive about it) They had all sorts of amazing deserts advertised which unfortunately didn’t take advantage of, but next time I’m back, there’ll be no faffing around with soup and I’ll be all over that Ferrero Roche cheesecake. (In fact, what was I THINKING eating anything else!!)
All in all, a nice cosy pub with decent food and nice staff.
Tip: This is NOT on the Howth Circuit Walk — you will have to either cut up to the summit half way through, or do the circuit and drive back up to the summit. Just so’s ye know.

Nice place, anytime again!

The Summit Inn is well placed for those who have walked either around Howth Head, well worth it, or for those who have walked up from the town. As for the likes of Sebastian… I don’t think they deserve such a nice place: P
The staff are the first thing you meet when you get into this lovely pub, and they are so helpful & friendly. Their service is very fast, and yes it will be slightly slower when they are busier, but as far as I have seen from the 2 times I have been in here they are very well trained and generally seem happy which makes you happy in return.
Their food, of which we tried 3 dishes, were very tasty and decently priced — as was the same with their beer and refreshments.
So for any tourist or regular walker going around Howth Head I would recommend a stop in here for a rest, and some food if you feel the need. Free WI-​FI BTW if you need it.

I have to agree with Gilbert when it comes to the quality of their pub food (highlights: Homemade Cheeseburger, Shrimp & Chips, Fresh Mussels) and the service — they’re usually pretty fast and the waitresses do pay attention.
However, I’m more of a lazy sleazeball and recommend you to take the car all the way up to Howth Summit. For two good reasons: the gorgeous views of the Dublin bay at any time of the day (including a stroll to the lighthouse), followed by a stop at the Summit Inn.
Come early on sunny weekends though — it may be hard to make your way through the crowds.

The Summit Inn is probably my favorite pub. Today anyway. I think it saved my life. After 3 hours of stumbling along the cliffs and then through the hills of the peninsula I was lost. You know that feeling when the blisters on your feet stop hurting in a traditional sense and you’re like: «F*ck it, I probably gonna lose my feet but I have to march back to civilization.» And then suddenly before your eyes: The Summit Inn!
The staff is super, very young but very friendly. There is always some game on, a crackling fire in the corner and the beer is, well Guinness, and the burger is delicious. I was positively surprised about the salad on the side. It was small but really good. Usually a pub wouldn’t care about the salad. Not so on the Summit. You get a pint and the burger with fries for 16 € which isn’t cheap but considering the quality it’s totally worth your money.
One more tip: Don’t drive up there, it’s cheating! Besides, your burger and beer will taste so much better when you earned it.

This pub has the best views of any pub in Dublin as it looks over the whole of the north coastline of the city which is beautifully scenic. My favourite part of this pub is the garden which is very pleasant to sit in and enjoy a glass of wine. This is the local of many residents of the Howth area so it has a great feeling of community to it, but at the same time I have always been made to feel totally welcome there. Drinks aren’t cheap, but relfect prices that are seen throughout Dublin and they’re by no means overpriced. There’s a pool table too which I always think is a welcome addition to any pub.