You can map your own route to choose the cuisine that you love best. What makes Sligo such a fantastic foodie destination is the culture that goes hand in hand with your food experience! Producers and Food Trail members take pride in giving you fresh, local, healthy, (and very often) organic food that nourishes your body while the scenery nurtures your soul. Artisan foods – such as cheeses, chutne
ys and honey – are plentiful at farmer’s markets and festivals, so you can enjoy a picnic with your loved ones while immersing yourself in the countryside. As you drive through Sligo, you’ll witness the outstanding landscape which yields the fresh ingredients that create its exceptional cuisine: the lush green fields, the majestic mountains, the charming farms, the salmon rivers, and the mighty Atlantic Ocean! Indulge your taste buds on Knocknarea honey, wild Mullaghmore lobster, Lissadell oysters, and fresh eggs from the foot of Benbulben Mountain. Throughout Sligo, food producers, restaurants, cafés, gastro pubs, brewers, and farmer’s markets have combined their talents to give you one of the most sensational food experiences in Ireland: the Sligo Food Trail. You can weave your own path, select your favourite delicacies, taste a locally-produced beverage and make your own special memories. Sligo’s premiere location on the Wild Atlantic Way means you can enjoy freshly-caught fish in any local restaurant. In fact, Sligo derived its Irish name ‘Sligeach’ – meaning ‘a shelly place’ – from the abundance of fresh shellfish along its coast, and in its rivers and estuaries. In Culleenamore, there is evidence of shellfish being consumed by humans 5,000 years ago! The Atlantic also gifts us seaweed: one of nature's true wonder foods! With a Sea Shore Identification Walk experience, you can take a guided shore walk, learn the health benefits of seaweed, enjoy a cookery demonstration and top it off with a seaweed delicacy for dinner. Whatever your food preference, Sligo Food Trail not only meets your expectations, it surpasses them! Whether you like steak or lamb, Irish stew or seafood chowder, sushi or traditional potato cakes, homemade ice cream or cookies, fresh juices or craft beers, you’ll be wowed by the variety, textures and flavours. Build up an appetite with an adventurous hike, a vibrant cycle or a relaxing walk, before delving into the liveliness of the cafés, pubs and restaurants. There’s also an exciting annual festival in Sligo town – the Só Sligo Food and Cultural Festival – which features talks, tastings and cookery demonstrations from leading food entrepreneurs and innovative chefs. Sligo is rich in historical and cultural experiences, such as a visit to Lissadell House where Sligo’s own revolutionary, Countess Markievicz, dined. Today you can dine in the adjoining courtyard’s authentic tearooms with delicious and sumptuous fare. While at Lissadell, behold the view from the Bow Room windows made famous by the poet W. Yeats. The real magic behind Sligo Food Trail is the passion of the people, who are quick to share a smile, a bit of craic and wonderful insights into the food they serve. So for the freshest quality food, the finest service, and a magnificent mix, treat yourself to Sligo Food Trail Experience!
