Best Irish restaurants that locals go to

Define the upper 2/3rds of Eire which if my geography is correct is Northen Ireland, a seperate country.

Tourists and locals go to the same places to eat, Burger King, pubs, restaurants. Ask your B and B hosts, the front desk or any store clerk, sales person, for their favorite spots. The Irish have great pride and love sharing. You might even get an invite to break bread with their family.

In many smaller towns, there are really only so many places to go so you will find yourself with locals at the pub. I also would advise to read the RS books for some good recommendations. Ask people in hotels, shops etc. The Irish are the friendliest people and will love to give you insights

In finding a good place to eat, I usually ask someone in a store. A clerk or a manager. I have even asked people in line at a store checkout or when riding a bus or train, where is a good place. You can get a lively discussion started that way. To a man, I would ask where would you take your Mum out to lunch or dinner. I ask a woman the same question. They might ask you how much do you wish to spend.

I found most pub food to be very good, especially in a country that is not known for its cuisine. For lunch, get the soup. It's usually around €5 for a big bowl of thick vegetable soup with freshly baked black soda bread and butter. That and a pint will hold you nicely until dinnertime. I met lots of locals and interesting tourists (many from the UK) throughout the country. All the pubs I was in were authentic - take time to wander, many are a warren of rooms, each with its own ambiance and decorations. While most of the time, I initiated conversations, several times it was the other way round. You just never know what's going to happen. Most of Temple Bar pubs in Dublin are crowded with tourists, one afternoon I was in a quiet one and a woman sat next to me at the bar and started chatting. She had decided to get away from Belfast for a day and we had a fascinating hour-long conversation about politics, religion, racial/religious tensions and controversies and I learned a lot about Belfast and she about Israel. In another pub, down the street from Kilmainham Gaol, I was introduced to darts by a couple of local geezers who were spending the afternoon in their "local." Great fun while I recovered from a drenching rain.

If you want to chat with locals, do so. I didn't meet an Irish man or woman who wasn't happy to chat. I found a great used bookstore because I chatted with the clerk at a pricey bookstore. I learned a little about village life when buying souvenirs in a small shop in a small town. The hardest part was turning off the conversation when I had to leave the shop because people were waiting for me.

You can wander into a pub and have a look around. If it suits you, buy a drink. If not, just go on to the next one. If you want to have dinner, there's usually an upstairs dining room with a full menu. If you want to stay downstairs with the live music and the 'action' the menu may be limited.