Location: Athlone
Top Restaurants in Athlone
Top Things to do in Athlone
Province of Leinster, Ireland Food Guide: 3 Gastropub food Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Athlone
Discover Restaurants offering the best Gastropub food in Athlone, Province of Leinster, Ireland. Athlone (/æθˈloʊn/; Irish: Baile Átha Luain, meaning "town of Luan's ford") is a town on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree in Ireland. It is the second most populous town in the Midlands Region with a population of 21,349 in the 2016 census, and is considered the commercial capital of the Midlands.
Things to do in Athlone
1. The Bailey Bar & Lounge
Overall Ratings
5 based on 70 reviews
The Bailey Bar & Lounge is a traditional Irish pub in the heart of Athlone just minutes away from the world famous oldest pub in Ireland Sean's bar. We serve Irish home cooked food with a twist and a very popular Irish breakfast which will set you up for
Reviewed By Andrew C
Traditional pub close to town centre and all visitor attractions. Lovely pub grub reasonably priced and good service. Great beer garden and staff are very accommodating overall. Will be back.
Where to eat Pub food in Athlone: The Best Restaurants and Bars
2. The Villager
Overall Ratings
4 based on 182 reviews
Formerly The Fatted Calf - The Villager Bar & Restaurant is in the heart of the beautiful village of Glasson. Ran by local husband & wife team Chef Cathal Moran & Maeve Lennon, The Villager has something for everyone. Call in for a coffee, a pint, meet up
Reviewed By hiba123
A friend and I visited The Villager recently for an evening meal. We were both very impressed with the food, the ingredients were excellent quality. Service was very good, friendly and efficient. Setting was very relaxing also. I would recommend and I'll be back again.
Best Contemporary food near Athlone, Province of Leinster, Ireland
3. The Junction Beer & Wing House
Reviewed By Dfinnerty
Thankfully Athlone has embraced the Craft Beer Revolution and quite a few pubs are now offering more than the usual staples and catering for all tastes. Longer established Bars such as the Malt House on the main street through town (Near the Prince of Wales Hotel) and Maguireâs on Connaught street across the bridge have been serving a good selection of Craft Beers on draught and in bottles for years, while others have kept to the limited options available from the big breweryâs. The junction is perhaps the first bar in Athlone (that I know off) to reverse the natural order of this by marketing themselves are a craft Beer pub supported by the more regular beers. With at least half a dozen craft beers on draught they boats a decent selection and for the more traditional tastes, Guinness, Coors Light, Cider etc, so while the focus is on the Craft, they do enough to keep everyone happy.Those familiar with Athlone would remember the premises on lower Sean Costello street in its previous incarnations of âRaynarâsâ & âSuedeâ, and from memory Rayners was possible the longer running and more successful of the two. To be honest I donât know the circumstances for either of the closures, so whether it was a problem with footfall of they fell prey to the demon of spiralling rent costs, but either way the building had remained vacant for some years. Aptly renamed as the junction, as it sits below the Sean Costello Street, Old Dublin Road junction, its gone through a significant makeover. The new holders of the building is none other than the Carrick Brewing Company, who have developed similar brewery/Gastro pubs in Tullamore and in Dublin. I recently had a quick chat by email with the company MD and was delighted with a strong customer focus on customer interaction.I have to say they have done some fine work on the internal décor and have combined a modern sleekness with a some great rustic overtones, combined with some really classy lighting and fixtures the place really looks the part. It sings craft beer. Opening the catch phrase of being a Beer & Wings house they offered a limited but tasty and ideal finger food type menu of Wings, tenders, chips, wedges and some desserts etc. The menu has since been expanded to include burgers and ribs and the dessert menu has been rejigged. The addition of a pool table is for me personally not the best of moves as from experience pool tables can if not managed properly can become a focal point for patrons who are not necessary reflective of the clientele you are aiming to attract or similarly become a draft for an age group that is not reflective or ideal from the line of business you are in. I can understand its appeal, plenty of people will like a pint and a game of pool, itâs when have of the people are either not drinking or old enough to drink, thatâs when you have a problem. I have found that the competitive nature of some people enhanced by a few beers can create quite a boisterous atmosphere when doesnât always lend to the appeal for a person interested in working their way through the craft beer selection. Anyway its just a thing you either like a pool table or you donât.The staff here I have always found very pleasant and helpful, and more than willing to give you a little taste of the craft beers youâre not sure of, or what on the rotational tap when you visit. The food I have always found tasty and the portions are pretty good. Its great pub food, salty, greasy and full of flavour, takes like more and helps the pints go down easy too! Just one thing which has been a occasional disappointment is that on one day I visited three of the 1st drinks I asked for where not available, so I had to go with my 4th pick, not really a major problem as I still had a 5th and 6th pick if I needed it, but at the same time I would of thought that if this is the niche youâre going for its better to have the taps on rather than not. If youâre looking for a recommendation Iâd suggest the Shepardâs Delight IPA (if available) it has been on for my last few visits. Itâs a very decent and drinkable India Pale Ale in the American Style, donât let the colour put you off its quite red for an IPA so you might easily confuse it with something else. The Poachers pale ale is pretty decent to, but a definite second to the shepherds Delight. Itâs probably a bit more ordinary when it comes to the IPA style, but still with a lot of American influence with Cascade and Chinook hops, itâs not dissimilar to something like Sierra Nevada and is very drinkable. Its lower ABV makes it a bit more suitable if you sitting for a while with it, but still higher than a session IPA.Anyway long story, slightly shortened this Venus is well worth a visit, the food menu is limited so if you go, do so armed with that knowledge. It a beer drinkers bar, and those appreciative of the craft beer trends will enjoy it.Thanks for you kind words! We are delighted to hear of your positive experience with us in the bar, the food, and about our beers and we will take all of your feedback on board!Kind RegardsSinéad
