The Best Brunch and Breakfast Spots in Limerick, Ireland

The Hook and Ladder is a conceptual café that goes above and beyond, taking on a ‘living city’ view that involves everything from showcasing the café’s furniture to hosting cooking classes with top class local chefs. You can get a taste just by dropping in, though, and this high street outlet has a fantastic breakfast menu you’ll be thrilled to explore. Alongside the healthy (detox juices, organic porridge) and the full Irish breakfast, you’ll also find a few interesting asides, like the ‘Ampersand’ (sourdough, beet hummus, avocado and egg), and the beautiful date and cinnamon scone.

Whatever you think of the exterior of this slightly clunky-looking hotel overlooking the River Shannon, it’s beautiful inside, and you won’t be looking at its stark outline while you’re chowing down. In a scene that’s oddly competitive (the Irish do love a good hotel breakfast), the Absolute has a spectacular array of breakfast options, taking in the Full Irish, fruit, cereal, porridge, pastries and (pride of place) a clever pancake machine. There’s a nice atmosphere, and no chance you’ll leave the buffet hungry.

The Good Room Cafe is an institution in quaint, gorgeous Adare, focused on serving up beautifully produced, largely local products alongside excellent coffee. Tucked in close to the thatched cottages in a space that does feel a lot like the posh living rooms its name alludes to, this is a great spot for a decorative coffee and a scone, a full Irish, a bagel, or a slow pot of tea, newspaper in hand.

The Pier Hotel was once notorious for its €5 breakfast, which drew lots of people from outside the hotel. They’ve upgraded quite substantially since then (in fact, the entire hotel has had a reboot), but the slightly more pricey new breakfast is still excellent and served in more impressive environs. You can pick from a full Irish, lots of continental options and the usual array of fruits, yogurts and other tasty asides. One to dive into and kick-start a day. It’s a great location, too.

A popular coffee shop overlooking the Shannon River, Jack Monday’s varied menu and terrace from which you can ogle the city’s castle and bridges make it a fantastic morning stop off. The menu ranges from a few American imports (such as waffles and cream cheese bagels), wraps and beautiful coffee. They’re particularly known for their hot chocolate, which is rich and luxurious and comes with marshmallows floating on top, though you might need its warmth to cope with anything but the height of summer on the terrace.