Setting up shop in a remote, rustic cottage near an Irish cliff may sound like a risky move for a seasoned culinary professional, but that is exactly what Chef Robbie McCauley has done. In an empty field south of Doolin, Ireland, a white cottage topped with flagstone welcomes visitors. The stonemason’s cottage is estimated to be 200 years old, but don’t let the homey aesthetic fool you. McCauley and his wife Sophie opened Homestead Cottage in 2023, and it has since received recognition from Michelin Guide inspectors. Other diners have described it as Ireland’s best restaurant.
The couple maintains a garden onsite and cultivates relationships with suppliers like Moy Hill Farm, Gourmet Game, St. Tola Goat Cheese, and Michael O’Connell, who carefully grow, source, and cultivate local produce and intentional ingredients. Homestead Cottage prides itself on boosting the local economy in this way and seeks out growers and producers who practice regenerative farming and sustainable approaches. This ethos is reflected on both the menu and in the overall dining experience.
If you build it they will come
Homestead’s set lunch and dinner menus are dictated by the seasons using Irish produce and are prepared meticulously and plated with care. Winter menus can offer servings of game, meat, wild mushrooms, and root vegetables, and diners eat by a lit fire. Spring menus deliver wild sea bass, lamb, greens, and locally-grown asparagus to tables, while summer meals emphasize fish and shellfish, fruits plucked fresh from the garden, and locally-sourced veggies.
Guests who visit Homestead Cottage have likened the experience to a familiar, family-style setting that isn’t comparable to the stuffy, linen-covered table experience associated with many Michelin-starred restaurants. Instead, the atmosphere at Homestead is casual and friendly. Though the setting may appear rustic, guests have commented on the warm hospitality and cozy service.
Before or after dining, visitors can stop by Ireland’s famous Cliffs of Moher and explore the surrounding area known as The Burren, a UNESCO-designated global geopark, that contains 330-million-year-old limestone. You certainly don’t need to be a history buff to appreciate any of this.
