2012 Award Winners TASTE OF THE WATERWAYS AWARD

The Cottage Restaurant - Jamestown, Co Leitrim

Since 1999 GCGuides has produced an independent guide to the best places to eat & drink along Ireland’s waterways and, three years ago, we decided to introduce a Taste of the Waterways Award. It brings an unusual element to the Guide’s selection, highlighting lovely and lesser-known watery parts of Ireland that are a joy to explore – and many pubs and restaurants of great character along the way.

Carrick-on-Shannon is an attractive riverside town and, easily accessible from both the northern and southern counties, it’s an understandably popular destination for short breaks. There’s a good choice of places to eat and drink in the town, of course (including a former Taste of the Waterways award winning pub) but, whether visiting by land or by boat, it’s well worth taking the time to venture further, as there are some treats in store.

One not to be missed is just a couple of miles outside Carrick, in the pretty village of Jamestown, where you will find The Cottage Restaurant, a cheerful white-washed restaurant with bright red paintwork, window boxes and hanging baskets – and the delicious modern European and Asian food created by well known local chef-patron, Shamzuri Mohid Hanifa.

Both the village itself and this charming restaurant sum up all that is best about visiting the waterways and, although it’s about half a mile from berthing at the quay, it’s a pleasant walk through the village - pavement all the way and past two particularly enticing pubs, for a visit in each direction, perhaps...