Irish Food

Whether you're sampling some fresh-as-a-morning-swim oysters, or the hearty mix of neck of lamb, potato, onion and seasoning in Irish stew, you can’t help but love the down-to-earth, tasty Hibernian fare. Gulp down Guinness with your oysters in the hubbub of a pub, sit down to some haute cuisine, or something in between. London's Irish restaurants are a diverse, often overlooked, bunch and this is the time of year to try them out.

The Toucan

19 Carlisle Street, W1D 3BX
This is not so much a restaurant as a tiny atmospheric Irish bar. Having grown out of its minuscule basement into the bar upstairs it's always cramped, and come St Patrick's Day crowds of carousers will be overflowing into the street, all the way down to Soho Square. There is a spectacular collection of Irish whiskeys, including a little known blend called Henry Downes No 9 - all the way from my cousin John's pub in Waterford. They also mix a fine list of delicious Guinness-inspired cocktails. Nowadays every pub and his dog is serving Magners cider, but The Toucan goes one better and sells it on tap. This is certainly not the place to come for quiet nosh, and not for those who don't like small dark spaces but on St Patrick's Day it will be utterly enjoyable, smile-inducing pandemonium. The place to come if you want to combine drinking, dancing, revelry and a bite to eat.

More info: The Toucan Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

The Cow

89 Westbourne Park Road, London, W2 5QH
Sitting on top of a noisy, packed bar, this gastropub venture from Tom Conran isn't strictly an Irish restaurant, but they serve perhaps the best combo of chilled oysters and Guinness in west London. While much of the menu tilts steeply into the ocean with a delectable fresh selection of fish and crustaceans sourced from local Notting Hill fishmongers, the dining room also serves some excellent traditional British food. The Cow is hugely popular with locals, and it's easy to see why. Wonderful, seasonal food comes in huge, steaming portions, the service is friendly and efficient, there's an impressive wine list and happy faces all around. For a gastropub it really is rather expensive but everything about this place is spot on. Early booking essential.

More info: The Cow Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Lindsay House

21 Romilly Street, W1D 5AF
Low-key and sophisticated in the extreme. Set over three floors of a Georgian townhouse in the heart of Soho, head chef Richard Corrigan brings all his talents from across the Irish sea to bear on the urbane London dining scene and he's received a coveted Michelin star for his efforts. The menu is ever-changing but you are always guaranteed some novel taste combinations, made with the neat, fiddly intensity that is usually reserved for European or Japanese cuisine, but full of the gutsy power and indulgent richness of classic British comfort food. The menu is, in truth, modern European but Corrigan never loses touch with his roots; almost all the dishes have earnest Irish undertones. This isn't the place for St Patrick's Day revelry but it does have simply the finest food cooked by one of the best Irish chefs in the city. Book early and prepare to be impressed.

More info: Lindsay House Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Callaghan's

Holiday Inn Bloomsbury, Coram Street, WC1N 1HT
Hidden in the lobby of Holiday Inn Bloomsbury, Callaghan's offers surprisingly genuine Irish hospitality. True to the traditions of those friendly folk from the Emerald Isle, they serve up smooth Guinness and tasty Irish cuisine, both seasoned by a good helping of Irish music and sport on the big screens. They are staunchly, and quite rightly, proud of their Irish stew. It's also worth sampling their fresh seafood and mouth-watering grills too. On St Patrick's Day you can wave, whistle and whoop at the parade, throw your Guinness hat in the air while doing an Irish jig and then retreat into the cavernous depths of this very authentic Irish restaurant for the afternoon and on into the evening. When you've finished eating, there will be a whole host of rosy-cheeked Paddy's Day punters to share a pint of the black stuff with and party till the small hours. It may be a little chaotic come but that's all part of the merry Irish fun.

More info: Callaghan's Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Mulligans

14 Cork Street, W1S 3NS
"We'll be serving mainly Guinness," says the barman at Mulligans of their St Patrick's Day celebrations. It's very fitting that this cool little Irish restaurant is found on Mayfair's Cork Street. The place resolutely retains its affinity with the Emerald Isle. It also upholds a pretty smart reputation, attracting the cream of Mayfair into its hallowed Celtic caverns. Very trendy Guinness guzzlers sit alongside Champagne sippers, lounging on the rather plush leather sofas that are peppered across the first floor. Its dark wood panelling and polished timbered floors give the place a certain Irish charm while also preserving the more refined appeal the restaurant is so famous for. It's their menu however that betrays their tenacious loyalty to Ireland. It offers a wide selection of exquisite Irish cuisine. For starters you can choose from Guinness rarebit, lamb's kidneys on soda bread or Irish salmon. For mains, the house specialities are Kildare rib-eye steak, Mulligans Irish stew, sausages with Guinness and onion gravy and of course fresh oysters. All rinsed down with a creamy pint of the black stuff!

More info: Mulligans Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Bentley's Oyster Bar and Grill

11-15 Swallow Street, W1B 4DE
Set over two floors, this restaurant is an absolute gem. Yet another creation from true Irishman Richard Corrigan, the celebrated chef at Soho's Lindsay House, it's a fun and authentic place to dine come St Patrick's Day. Just for the day, on 17th March, Richard is laying on a special celebration of fine food, live music and - most importantly - great craic. Sign up for the event held in the private Jameson Room and you'll start with a Black Velvet reception followed by an Irish buffet lunch - think Irish stew and drunken apple tart with whisky and cloves. Live music from Hungry Grass gets the party atmosphere going and rasher butties provide sustenance for an all-day celebration with a cash bar open until late. Bentley's is renowned for its seafood and if you do have a partiality for the odd oyster The Oyster Bar downstairs is alive with a vibrant buzz and general joviality. Enthusiastic diners can have the full works - the ritual with chopped onion and Tabasco, the gentle squelchy slip down the throat and the saltwater aftertaste followed by the obligatory gulp of Guinness that restores your mouth to normality once more. The Grill upstairs is a completely different experience. Serene, sophisticated and elegant, the interior is made up of blue and whites, warm wood and Bentley's fish prints. The waiters are in tails and the seating space generous. Up at the Grill there is a good balance between fish and meat dishes, many of which flaunt their provenance. The Singapore crab and mussel soup is a big hit. If you're resolutely keen to eat only Irish produce, the menu lets you know exactly where your smoked salmon originated from. The whole place has been restored by Corrigan and the menu is his brainchild. It's a very popular venue over St Patrick's Day - booking is advised.

More info: Bentley's Oyster Bar and Grill Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Did you know??

The apparent aphrodisiac powers of oysters have yet to be proved. Scientific tests have revealed the molluscs have a high zinc content and this is perhaps one of the reasons why they have gained a reputation for boosting bedroom energy levels - with the mineral improving not just sexual performance but overall health and vitality.