When people think of Irish food, they often think of the traditional dishes Ireland is famous for. But Irish food is about much more than stew and potatoes.
What we are particularly proud of in Ireland is the quality of our ingredients. Our mild climate, plentiful rainfall and grass-based farming traditions give us fantastic dairy and meat, while being an island means some exceptional seafood is never far away.
So rather than giving you a list of traditional Irish dishes, these are 10 Irish foods and drinks we think you should try before leaving Ireland.
And, of course, you can tick quite a few of them off the list on one of our Dublin food tours!
1. Irish Butter
Once you’ve tasted really good Irish butter, it’s difficult to go back.
Ireland’s climate is particularly well suited to grass-based dairy farming. Bord Bia’s grass-fed dairy standard requires qualifying herds to have at least 90% grass in their diet, and Irish cows spend a significant part of the year grazing outdoors.
The result is the rich, golden butter we’re so proud of.
Unlike in many countries, salted butter is very much the norm in Ireland, particularly when it’s going straight onto a slice of good bread.
Kerrygold is our best-known butter internationally, but while you’re here, look out for smaller Irish producers and farmhouse butters too.
Our advice: get some good Irish brown bread, spread the butter generously and don’t feel guilty about it.
2. Irish Beef
Ireland has a very long cattle-farming tradition, and our pasture-based farming system is one of the reasons Irish beef has such a strong reputation.
You’ll find Irish beef everywhere from traditional pubs to some of the country’s best restaurants.
Whether it’s a beautifully cooked steak, slow-braised beef or a really good burger, it’s definitely something worth ordering while you’re here.
3. Irish Lamb
The same landscape that suits cattle farming is also perfect for sheep.
Irish lamb is particularly associated with our mountains and coastal landscapes, and you’ll find regional lamb from places such as Wicklow, Connemara and Waterford appearing on restaurant menus.
Spring lamb is especially prized, but good Irish lamb can be enjoyed throughout much of the year.
If you see locally sourced Irish lamb on a menu, it’s well worth trying.
4. Irish Smoked Salmon
Smoked salmon is a staple of Irish menus and one of our favourite simple Irish foods.
Give us some Irish smoked salmon, brown bread, proper butter and perhaps a little cucumber pickle, and we’re very happy.
Ireland has a number of excellent artisan smokehouses, including the Burren Smokehouse in County Clare, and you’ll find different styles of smoked salmon around the country.
It’s perfect as a starter, a light lunch or part of a picnic.
5. Irish Shellfish
We’re an island nation, so it should come as no surprise that seafood plays a huge part in Irish food culture.
Oysters and mussels have been eaten around the Irish coast for centuries, and some of the best seafood experiences in Ireland are also the simplest: oysters opened in front of you, mussels cooked in a pot, or seafood eaten within sight of the water.
The west coast is particularly famous for oysters, while mussels are farmed in sheltered bays around the Irish coastline.
If you’re a seafood lover, make sure to seek out Irish oysters, mussels, crab and other local shellfish while you’re here.
6. Irish Farmhouse Cheese
This is one of the great success stories of modern Irish food.
Ireland has a long history of cheesemaking, but the modern farmhouse cheese revival really began in the late 1970s. Today, Bord Bia estimates that more than 200 different farmhouse cheeses are produced by around 70 cheesemakers across Ireland.
And there is an extraordinary variety.
You’ll find cheeses made from cow’s, goat’s, sheep’s and even buffalo milk, ranging from fresh and delicate cheeses to washed-rind, hard and blue varieties.
Some names to look out for include Milleens, Durrus, Gubbeen, St Tola, Cashel Blue and Crozier Blue. Milleens, first made in 1976, is particularly important because it is widely associated with the beginning of Ireland’s modern farmhouse cheese movement.
Our recommendation? Try as many as you can.
7. Black Pudding
Don’t be frightened by the description!
Black pudding is a traditional blood sausage and an essential part of a full Irish breakfast. But these days you’ll find it well beyond the breakfast plate.
Irish chefs use black pudding in everything from starters and salads to more contemporary dishes because its rich, savoury flavour works beautifully with other ingredients.
Clonakilty Black Pudding is probably the most famous Irish brand, but independent butchers around Ireland also make excellent versions.
If you’ve never tried black pudding before, Ireland is the place to do it.
8. Irish Bread
You can’t properly explore Irish food culture without eating some of our bread.
The best known is, of course, Irish soda bread, traditionally made using bicarbonate of soda rather than yeast. Brown soda bread is still an everyday staple in homes, cafés, pubs and restaurants around the country.
But don’t stop there.
Look out for the Waterford blaa, batch loaf, traditional white soda bread and the excellent sourdough breads now being produced by artisan bakeries across Ireland.
And remember: Irish bread is really just an excuse to eat more Irish butter.
9. Irish Whiskey
Irish whiskey has one of the most fascinating stories in Irish food and drink.
After a dramatic decline during the 20th century, the industry has experienced an extraordinary revival. There are now 50 operational Irish whiskey distilleries, compared with only four in 2010.
Irish whiskey exports exceeded €1 billion in 2024, and more than one million people visited Irish whiskey distilleries in the 12 months to June 2025.
If you’re in Dublin, you can visit working distilleries such as Teeling, as well as historic whiskey experiences including Jameson Bow Street. Elsewhere in Ireland, there are distilleries and visitor experiences from Cork to Donegal.
Or, of course, simply find a good Irish pub, ask for a recommendation and enjoy a glass.
10. Irish Craft Beer
Guinness may be Ireland’s most famous beer, but there’s much more happening in Irish brewing.
Ireland’s independent b
eer scene has developed enormously over the past couple of decades, with breweries producing everything from traditional stouts and red ales to IPAs, lagers, sours and barrel-aged beers.
Drinks Ireland now counts more than 100 brewery and cider producers across the island of Ireland.
Some Irish breweries worth looking out for include Galway Bay Brewery, Kinnegar Brewing, The White Hag and Dublin’s Rascals Brewing Company, all of which are operating today.
Better still, seek out an Irish craft beer pub or visit a brewery taproom and taste the beer as close to the source as possible.
How Many Can You Tick Off?
Butter, beef, lamb, smoked salmon, shellfish, farmhouse cheese, black pudding, bread, whiskey and craft beer — how many will you manage before you leave Ireland?
The good news is that you don’t have to travel the entire country to get started. A Dublin food tour is a great introduction to Ireland’s food culture, bringing together traditional favourites, great Irish ingredients and some of the people and businesses shaping the way Dublin eats today.