Eating healthier is a popular practice this time of the year, it requires planning and determination. But it doesn’t need to be all doom and gloom. We are here to help you to have fun and enjoy a nice lunch out without compromising your diet. 

1.  Farmhouse Café & Bakery

You’ll be able to choose from an exciting selection of dishes that are homemade and full of flavour. Fresh greens are grown at owner Susan O’Sullivan’s market garden located at her Co. Kildare home. Here Susan has a wonderful selection of gardens and tunnels that are teeming with fresh fruits and veggies that are carefully cultivated and harvested at the exact time of optimum taste and nutrition.

Farmhouse Café is rooted in a wholesome and quality food experience that places home bakes and homegrown produce at the very heart of what they do. Have a sip of the delicious fresh daily juice made of ingredients from chard, spinach, cucumber, apple, ginger, and others. Taste the piping hot herb hotpot that is full of delicious flavours.  Customers can choose from a vegetarian option or they can add fresh baked Irish ham or Irish roast chicken. They also have other healthy options such as soups and salads.

2. GIY HQ Café – Waterford

Grow HQ provides its customers with a fresh and seasonal food offering with ingredients grown right on-site, supplemented with produce from local producers and suppliers. The café is a must-visit for green fingered gardeners and those who in general just love good and healthy local food. The menus at Grow HQ are full of wholesome dishes that suit all appetites and requirements from vegan to vegetarian.

The team at GIY are great ambassadors and educators on sustainable food solutions and encourage budding gardeners to get involved in the Grow It Yourself movement whether you have a top-notch polytunnel, a small allotment, or even a pot of herbs on your kitchen windowsill.

3. Phoenix Café – Phoenix Park

The Phoenix Café is located on the grounds of the Visitor Center in Phoenix Park adjoining The Victorian Walled Kitchen Garden and Ashtown Castle.

The fresh produce grown in the Victorian Walled Garden adjacent to the cafe is available to the kitchen team at the Phoenix Café to work into their daily menu ensuring a fresh and superior quality of food at all times. The all-day menu is peppered with homemade dishes, and one of the stand-out elements includes fresh salad ingredients, herbs, and vegetables sourced from the garden.

4. Gourmet Parlour Café – Collooney and Gourmet Parlour Bakery & Deli – Bridge St.

This wholesome café creates amazing food each day using local ingredients where possible. Moreover, everything is made from scratch. A true homemade experience!

Gourmet Parlour is a well-organized professionally run kitchen with a retail shop, the business also provides a catering service. This pre-ordered service can be collected from the shop in Bridge St or delivered by arrangement.

Both locations have a great selection of soups, salads, and seafood dishes as well as vegetarian and vegan dishes.

5. PERRY STREET MARKET CAFÉ – CORK CITY AND perry street market cafÉ – Ringaskiddy

Perry Street Market Café has an ethos around a quality food and beverage offering using locally sourced ingredients delivered with a smile in a warm and friendly environment. Visitors in the area walking their dogs can also expect a ‘dog-friendly’ welcome.

The cafe’s menu has a wide variety of salads and bowls and some other delicious and healthy options as a main dish. The food and drink offering is wholesome and delicious and you’ll no doubt leave well-fed with a satisfied smile on your face.

6. The Curragh Café By Lucy – co. Kildare

Located in the TRI Equestrian Superstore, the place attracts horse enthusiasts, visitors, food lovers, and dog lovers. The Curragh Café by Lucy offers healthy, wholesome menu options such as salads, soups, and omelettes with healthy sides including avocado, muesli, fruit bowls, etc.

The café uses the freshest local produce, sourced directly from Kildare farmers and food producers.

Did we mention the café is also a dog friendly place?!

7. SWEET N GREEN CAFÉ – co.clare

Sweet n Green Café is a lively cafe & restaurant located in the heart of Ennis Co Clare.

The owners Siobhain & Frank say the menu at ‘Sweet n Green is designed to suit all customer requirements and is a reflection of our view of life preparing and serving food to nourish and enrich the Mind, Body and Soul’. This is very much experienced with every bite when you dine at Sweet n Green.

Salads at Sweet n Green are a mouthwatering experience, the touch points are healthy, fresh, and full of exciting flavours. There is an ethos of homebaked and freshly made at Sweet n Green. The restaurant also offers a  delicious variety of soups, healthy meals and snacks. Many of the ingredients are sourced from local artisan producers. These producers are given proud recognition throughout the daily operations of the business.

8. Hungry Bear – Gorey

A selection of top local suppliers makes the Hungry Bear a lovely local dining hotspot. The menu is peppered with a selection of homemade fresh food options, including a great selection of delicious vegan and vegetarian dishes for customers to enjoy.

Lunch options vary from light quick bites to larger meals depending on your appetite. Their Kilmore Quay Seafood Chowder is the height of comfort food and will warm you up in no time.

Local producers are ever present on the Hungry Bear menus. Ingredients are sourced conscientiously with local ingredients taking precedence.