Non-drinker and No Red Meat Vegetarian Going to Ireland

Rachel, No one will think twice about your ordering ginger ale in a pub in Ireland. We only have the odd glass of wine and we were in pubs most nights for three and a half weeeks in Ireland. If you are ordering water, they will bring you bottled water unless you specify tap water. Depends on what you want. You will also find fish all over Ireland, not just the south. We love fish and it really is fresh over there. I think my wife had it for dinner probably 30 nights, while I had it more often than not.

As for other vegetarian food, I do not know. We are not vegetarians, just like fish!

Hi Rachel,

My husband and I were in Ireland for 10 days last spring. I'm not a vegetarian, but I don't eat a ton of red meat. I try to stick to vegetarian dishes or poultry. You'll definitely be fine. I ate a lot of wonderful vegetarian dishes (I remember some kind of foccacia sandwich with goat cheese and a bean burrito-type thing being some of the best) at traditional pubs and lots of great chicken dishes, too (not sure if you eat poultry or not). We ate dinner at an Indian restaurant one night, and there are always lots of vegetarian options there. And you'll see lots of fish on the menu. I had my share of fish and chips!

Meals in Irish restaurants come with a great choice of vegetables (including many times three different kinds of potatoes). If you're eating well, you can get great seafood with lots of vegetables.

If you're eating cheap, there's always fish and chips.

Check out www.happycow.com. They have listings of veggie restaurants all over the world. I am vegan, so it is even harder for me, but I ate at a fantastic restaurant in Dublin that was listed with HappyCow.

I think ginger ale is not very common outside this country, but not as unknown as root beer! Pub menus are usually pretty small, so pubs will be your challenge. I think if you are ready to be flexible and work with what they have, they will work with you. The Irish are wonderfully hospitable.

Thank you all so much for your replies, I really appreciate it! I am thinking of Ireland as was my trip to Australia, it is not the food I am going there for, but for the experience. I could fly to France or Italy just to eat their food. Of course the temperatures there are warmer for fresher vegetables. Thank you so much!!

No one will give it a second thought if you order a soda. Whenever I'm in a pub I order coke. There are lots of people that go into pubs who do not drink they either have tea or a soda. You will have a great time. Enjoy your trip.

I ordered bottled water in Paris and no one scoffed at me. Nowadays its not weird to order a diet coke or water... or even orange juice.

I'll be going to Dublin and I'll visit the Guiness brewery, but passing on the beer.

Also there's a lot of places which will offer meat free items. Pasta, cheese dish, and ethic foods like hummus, etc. are quite popular now.

I got addicted to seafood chowder when in Ireland last year and I'm not a vegetarian!!! Every pub we went into served this wonderful dish. You will have absolutely no problems with not drinking alcohol