Arán Artisan Bakery and Bistro ★ 4.7
Arán on Barrack Street won Ireland's Best Brunch at the Georgina Campbell Awards, with fresh-baked sourdough and seasonal brunch plates all day.
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 500g floury potatoes (Roosters), peeled
- 300g cold mashed potato
- 150g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 egg
- 200ml whole milk or buttermilk
- 30g unsalted Irish butter, melted, plus more for the griddle
- 4 spring onions, finely sliced
- 60g Knockdrinna goat's cheese, crumbled (optional)
- Black pepper
- To serve: fried bacon, soft-boiled egg, chives
Method
- Grate the raw potatoes coarsely. Squeeze hard in a clean tea towel to remove as much liquid as possible; reserve the liquid in a bowl.
- Let the reserved potato liquid sit 5 minutes; the starch will settle at the bottom. Pour off and discard the water, keep the starch.
- Combine grated potato, reserved starch, mashed potato, flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
- Beat egg and milk together, then stir into the potato mix with the melted butter and spring onions to form a thick batter.
- Heat a heavy griddle or cast-iron pan over medium heat. Smear with butter.
- Drop large spoonfuls of batter and flatten gently to 1.5cm thick patties. Cook 4 to 5 minutes per side until deep golden and cooked through.
- Crumble Knockdrinna over while hot. Top with crisp bacon, a soft-boiled egg, and chives. Eat immediately.
Tip from the editors. The squeezed-out potato starch is the binder; throwing it away leaves you with a soft pancake rather than the characteristic snap-crisp boxty edge.
Where to eat boxty (irish potato pancake)
Boxty (Irish Potato Pancake) in Kilkenny
Matt The Millers ★ 4.0
Matt The Millers on John Street is a popular late-night pub for trad music and live acts in a converted mill, with food until 20:30 and late bar trading.
Foodworks ★ 3.8
Foodworks on Parliament Street offers farm-to-fork lunches under €14 that draw directly from the owners' family farm, consistently strong value for money.
Stathams by Pembroke ★ 3.9
Stathams Supper Club at the Pembroke Hotel serves built modern Irish sharing plates and hosts a heated outdoor courtyard in the heart of Kilkenny.
Order: Seasonal sharing plates on local Co. Kilkenny produce; the wine list favours Irish and European.
Tip: The heated outdoor courtyard is one of the better al fresco dining options in the city on a clear evening.
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