Roadside Tavern

Went to the Roadside Tavern looking for a restroom and a cup of tea to warm up with and ended up having an unexpectedly great time. It was around noon and the sign said «open», but after going inside we were the only ones in there till the proprietor, Peter Curtin, came down to say hello. Peter has the Irish gift-​of-​the-​gab because after 10 minutes I felt like I was in the living room of an uncle or old friend, knew all about him, what his family are up to in their lives, and the goings-​on of the town. The tea was 3.60 for two, but the experience was priceless.

Et Bim, un petit avis pour ceux qui parlent aussi bien anglais que moi !
Et moi, je repasserais volontiers une soirée au Roadside !
Après quelques heures de routes (vous savez comment c’est l’Irlande: on regarde la carte, on fait un pronostic optimiste en oubliant qu’ici chaque kilomètre est laborieux), vous mettez les pieds à Lisdoonvarna. Là déjà je vous demanderais bien pourquoi vous êtes venu vous perdre ici, mais chacun ses problèmes !
Au bord de la route, à l’écart du village, la Roadside Tavern. Le patron né s’est pas fendu pour le nom, ok. Mais il a fait de ce lieu un point incontournable de la région.
L’ambiance y est très chaleureuse et les pièces sont à l’image des routes irlandaises: à double fond. Plusieurs salles se succèdent dans ce décors tout en bois. Dans un coin trôné un piano et je vous souhaite d’arriver un soir de musique.
Côté boisson, pas de problème on est en Irlande. A noter quelques bières locales en bouteille ! Je n’ai plus les noms en tête mais la dégustation valait le coup.
Dans l’assiette c’est encore mieux ! Une carte simple (2 entrées, une dizaine de plats) avec une bonne sélection de saumon bio et local. C’est pas dur, ils l’achètent à 20 mètres sur le même trottoir, à la burren smokehouse.
Leurs plats sont régulièrement primés par la «restaurant association» irlandaise et les desserts conçus par une pâtisserie partenaire.
Enfin que du bon je vous dis !

One of the great meals in my time in Ireland — terrific seafood chowder and a smoked fish plate with four different specialties of the house. Really enjoyed the food and friendly atmosphere. One in our group had the mussels and they were beautiful as well. Craft beer is rare in Ireland (still) and even more rare in the West and the local Red is excellent. Stop by this little gem on your tour of the Burren, and check out the next door smoke house as well for some snacks later.

I had read reviews of this place and wanted to check it out. We drove through the town once and didn’t see it. My husband said let’s drive through one more time. Glad we did. Their stout is excellent and the master brewer was very friendly. We heard their food is excellent… We’ll back some day to try it out.

Wow. This might be one of my favorite pubs in Ireland. Somewhat hidden off the main drag in Lisdoonvarna, the place completely took me by surprise. There’s a Wild West feel to the pub that I can’t quite explain — the lure of a frontier that’s comfortable but also pushing boundaries. The pub is affiliated with the Burren Smokehouse and has its own brewery as well. Does it get better?
Rather than your typical bar food, this tavern serves freshly smoked salmon (or course), entrees that are upscale iterations of pub food and delicious home brews (get the stout, it’s actually VERY GOOD). I’d call it a gastropub except that there’s nothing modern about it and this, my friends, is one of the very best parts.
We walked in and were told to find a seat in the front or back dining rooms — spaces with simple wooden furniture so casually arranged, there’s almost an old schoolhouse or library ambiance to it. The waiter we had was spectacular — passionate about the food, full of excellent recommendations, and clearly invested in making sure that we enjoyed the experience. We settled on the seafood chowder, slow-​roasted pork belly and hot smoked salmon. The seafood chowder was creamy with a full, rich smoky flavor imparted by the bits of salmon. The slow-​roasted pork belly had heavenly chunks of figs to offset the saltiness of the tender, cut-​with-​your-​fork meat. And the hot smoked salmon was a gorgeous filet of salmon with the most amazing smoked flavor I’ve had in a piece of seafood before, I must say. It was all very, very good and totally relaxed.
The Roadside Tavern is a County Clare gem. Shh! Don’t tell everyone! ;)

I went here in early April this year on a trip with my wife to Ireland and out all the places we ate at this is the one I cherish the most. The bar tender (an older gentleman) was a riot and made our experience one I will never forget. He spoke in a dialect no one understood completely (including the staff), but everyone enjoyed utterly. The owner/​head chef was very open to all guest (many of which were the usual locals I assume) and made us feel not only welcome but displayed great pride and enthusiasm in his tavern. The food was all locally sourced and absolutely delicious. I had the Smoked Salmon (smoked at the adjoined smokehouse), and could not have been happier, although the spicy Moroccan Lamb looked delicious and the smell was mouth watering. My wife had the Cod special which was a huge serving and she proclaimed it to be very tasty.
The on site brewery served three beers: a blond, a red and a stout. I tasted the blond and red, but continually ordered the stout. Guinness is the obvious beer of choice in Ireland and many of the customers that came in ordered it as religiously as it is ordered everywhere else. However, I found their stout to be a welcome departure from Guinness, it was had a robust roasted and earthy flavor.
I was not that worried when I went to Ireland about where I would spend my 30^th birthday, because I knew that wherever my wife and were at the time would be perfect. However, I feel lucky to have chosen this establishment!

We visited Dublin, Dingle, Galway, Inish Oire, Kilkenny and Doolin and this was by far my favorite restaurant we ate at! OMG the food was delicious. They not only brew their own beer, but they also own the smoke house right next door. Best smoked salmon ever! Also, the older male bar tender was hilarious and the rest of the servers were incredibly friendly. It was my husbands birthday and when we told the bar tender, he gave him 10 Euros! Was not expecting that at all! My husband and I had such a great time that we spent the entire night here. This was an amazing experience and a night I will never forget!

Delicious food, yummy homebrews, great atmosphere and live music every night. If it was just a little less expensive, it would be a five star home run! I must return for the hot smoked salmon!