Prominently situated overlooking the quaint centre of this famous village and the Atlantic Ocean beyond, you can't miss the Doolin Inn - and once you arrive you can park the car and relax, as everything is within walking distance.
Now owned by experienced hospitality professionals Anthony and Deirdre Moloney, it was established by Anthony's parents as a hostel (and Doolin's first B&B) in1983. Since taking over in 2012 Anthony and Deirdre have gradually improved the property, reaching a high in 2020 with the opening of the restaurant, Anthony's and there's also a protected terrace providing a spacious outdoor dining area, plus a new bar and hidden garden lounge that was added in 2021 - all with views to the west and the chance of catching one of those famous Atlantic sunsets.
The rooms vary from compact 'cosy' doubles, to superior doubles big enough for a queen bed (5ft) to triples and several suitable for families of four, but all have pleasing sea or country views and are well equipped with smart TV, Netflix, a digital tablet, in-room safe, tea/coffee making and ironing facilities.
2020 was a landmark year with the arrival of Chef Tomas Walsh, returning from Cork to his home county to head the Doolin Inn kitchen team and open Anthony's Restaurant. It's a spacious room with floor to ceiling windows and a protected terrace taking advantage of the view and, with food to match the outlook, it soon built up a following. As members of Burren Ecotourism Network and the Burren Food Trail, their aim is to showcase the superb foods of the area and support the best local and other Irish producers, so this is a place where you can expect to see suppliers credited on the menu and get an authentic and very enjoyable taste of the region.
Seafood is a major player of course, especially in summer, but local meats including Neil Hawes Aged Burren Steaks are also a big draw. The cooking is excellent, with imaginative twists creating an element of surprise in many dishes. House specialities to check out include a lovely starter of Gubbeen Chorizo & Prawns, Roasted Garlic, Chili and Peppers, which is served with stone baked garlic baguette; an appealing main course of Warm poached halibut (or other fish, as available) which comes with Connemara crab salad, pickled courgette, Heirloom tomato, quinoa & avocado cream; and an all-Irish cheeseboard. With its pleasing surroundings, good service and an interesting drinks list that includes some local producers as well as very good food, a meal at Anthony's should be very enjoyable.
A really good cooked to order breakfast is also served here - with the Big Burren Breakfast providing a great foundation for a busy day's activities and plenty of other tasty alternatives such as Eggs Benedict (with terrific bacon slices) and pancakes too.
Also to note, there's an all day coffee shop in the reception area, and you can get packed lunches to see you through a long day of hiking, biking, surfing, sea kayaking, rock climbing, bouldering, horse riding visiting the Aran Islands or exploring the Burren.
They certainly have a lot of boxes ticked at the Doolin Inn.
