Proper attire for nicer restaurants?

We always carried a dresser pair of pants and a nice, collar, shirt - often a solid color knit. With nicer restaurants we have always found it to our advantage to dress a little bit than the average tourists who might show up in t-shirts, shorts, and flip-flops. We think we get better tables and better service. Don't know if it is true or not but often have noticed sometimes that the more tourist dressed groups are sitting by the kitchen door. And the same goes for making reservations in advance.

I ate at Fishy Fishy with a RS tour group while taking the Ireland tour. I wore long khaki pants, polo shirt, and boat shoes. Wasn't over dressed nor under dressed. Seemed most men wore long pants that night that I noticed. Women were mostly in skirts. Not really dressy.

We are in Kenmare now and headed to Kinsale tomorrow. In Kenmare it seems like people wear better clothes in the evening for dining at nice restaurants, Limetree and The Mews for instance, but it is summertime here and things are on the casual side. Long pants and solid color buttton down shirts should be fine for the guys. Women tend to wear skirts or slacks and throw on a scarf in the evening. Cooler weather is coming back this weekend.

I tend to wear nice jeans with a dressier top and jacket/cardigan from a female perspective, but I'd make this decision at the start of the day, knowing where we were headed for dinner as opposed to changing especially. My partner wore khakis or nice jeans with a button down from a male perspective at similar restaurants, but did the same planning as I did. We were there in April, so I wore boots with my outfits. It was not awkward. I took a pair of black trousers, but I didn't wear them.

I felt like the clientele at these nicer restaurants were typically one of two people: 1) tourists (wearing pretty much the same thing as we were) or 2) locals who appeared to be celebrating special occasions (therefore dressed slightly nicer) and ignoring the tourists. But again, if it makes you feel more comfortable, then by all means!

I am disappointed with the responses, based on criticism of the responses I have previously posted, the response is now "Wear whatever you are comfortable with" this includes short-shorts and a tank top (for men).

Yes, I am being a bit sarcastic, but in general, you should be bringing long pants and button shirts anyway, that would be appropriate, younger people (teens) can get away with shorts and t-shirts.

Thank you everyone for the responses. We have decided to bring nice pants and button down shirts for the guys and a nice outfit for me. We live in a very touristy area (Bar Harbor, Maine) and while we are trying to travel light, we would not want to stand out the way some of our visitors do on occasion. Thank you so much for the thoughtful responses. Can't wait to arrive in Dublin in a couple of days!

If my goal was to travel light I would not want to bring an outfit I may or may not wear. I personally would not bring "dress clothes" unless I knew I was going to be wearing them more than once. We usually start out in the morning with our sightseeing and most of the time don't return to our B&B till we are ready to retire. I am not advocating short/shorts but I live in California and unless a restaurant specifically post a dress code anything within reason will work. I have found that as long as you are presentable restaurants have no problem with jeans, etc. We will have long pants and button down shirts with us but they will be travel pants and travel shirts...nothing we would not wear all day long.

@rlaber having just eaten at Fishy Fishy in Kinsale I might second kse. It was much more casual than I expected. Two qualifiers, we dined early and there is a big sailing race in town this weekend and at least early in the evening the yacht club crowd and tourists were NOT very dressed up.