With its sandy Blue Flag beach, ruggedly picturesque coastline and the famous Narin & Portnoo Links, Portnoo is a favourite family holiday and golfing destination for those in the know - and, thanks to the warm welcome and good food offered to visitors at The Links Restaurant, it's fast becoming a dining destination too.
Approached – somewhat unexpectedly for the first-time visitor – through a small road off Portnoo village centre that’s lined with residential property and holiday homes – the smart clubhouse soon reveals itself and there’s plenty of parking space beside it. On a good day the outdoor tables on the terrace will be buzzing with golfers hanging out before or after their round, along with locals and holidaymakers in for a pint or a bite to eat, and the indoor space is well organised with picture windows for enjoying the view over the links from your table or the bar – where an open fire is a welcome sight on chilly days.
Chefs Odhran Devine and Garry Evans have brought a wealth of experience to the restaurant since it first opened in 2023 and the menus are carefully tailored to meet the changing demand at different times. Lunch menus are kept casual, for example, with plenty of light bar bites - White & black pudding sausage roll with spiced apple, perhaps, or Crispy beef croquettes with sauerkraut & mustard - and tasty casual dishes including the signature meal-in-a-soup-bowl, Smoked haddock & mussel chowder with potato, leek, parsley, lemon & Guinness bread, and a seriously good Ham & Gubbeen cheese toastie with pickled red onion & Ballymaloe relish. Also cakes and pastries to enjoy with a coffee, and a nice little kids menu too.
Then things move up several gears in the evening, when Odhran Devine (formerly of Belfast's Eipic and The River Café, no less) flexes his gastronomic muscles to produce a 'fine dining without the fuss' experience, with Small Plates offering classics like Ham terrine with cornichon, sauerkrat and Savora mustard, mains including market fish and a choice of elevated steak dishes, followed by classic desserts such as Chocolate fondant with vanilla & whiskey caramel... Sunday brings a change of tempo with an all-day menu that includes several traditional Sunday roasts - with Roast sirloin of beef with Yorkshire pudding,celeriac and shallot almost certainly in the mix. While there are no specific producer credits, a general commitment to using best quality Irish ingredients and local suppliers is noted on the evening menu - and the quality of everything served here is very obvious on the plate.
Service, led by Restaurant Manager Adele Cullen, is friendly and professional and, of course, there's a full bar (including alcohol-free options) as well as a well balanced wine list, so plenty of reasons to stay on for a couple of drinks after dinner. All round, a great place to know about - and a real find for visitors to the area.
