10 foodie destinations you have to visit

If you love your food, chances are you’ll know the best local haunts to grab a good meal, or you’ve paid a visit to towns close by for a Saturday date night out. But Ireland is known for its good foodie joints that are scattered the country over – with some places hailing more than just one restaurant. Recently, ten locations were shortlisted for the best ‘foodie location’ in Ireland with just one location being crowned ‘Foodie Destination of Ireland 2016’ next month.

The Foodie Destination initiative was originally set up as part of the Irish Restaurant Awards but proved to be so popular that it became its own entity in 2015. Last year, the Burren won the coveted crown and is in the running once again this year.

The award is given to an area where there are a cluster of high quality places to eat – including restaurants, food festivals, farmers markets etc.

This year, the 10 finalists include:

Boyne Valley

Cong, Co. Mayo

Howth

Malahide

Skerries

Kilkenny

Leitrim

Monaghan

Sligo

The Burren

The Loop Head Peninsula, Co. Clare

The 10 finalists will each receive a visit by some independent judges over the next few weeks and the assessment will be combined with a national voting system by members of the public.

To vote, visit www.foodiedestinations.ie.