DAY 1
Hotel: Castle Leslie Estate
“We were here for a wedding, so we experienced everything this estate has to offer—catering for the wedding, the breakfast restaurant, the lunch restaurant, dinner, etc. We stayed in the Stable Mews and those are equipped with full kitchens. Plenty of grocery stores nearby. Hotel rooms in the Lodge and in the actual castle do not have kitchens. There is an allergen key at the bottom of all menus here stating what allergens are present in each dish and they were very good about avoiding cross-contamination. Lots of choices here and relatively limited nuts. We felt safe and that all staff was very aware of allergies. It’s also gorgeous! Tons of activities on site including falconry (through Newgrange Falconry), horseback riding, fishing and more!“
Breakfast: Watters Supermarket
“This is a small supermarket, but it’s great for some essentials. Allergens are super easy to identify, and they even had a grill inside where kids could safely eat a meal.”
Dinner, Drinks + Desert: Castle Leslie Estate
Sightseeing: Exploring castle grounds
DAY 2
Breakfast: Snaffles Restaurant
“This is one of the restaurants inside Castle Leslie. We only had breakfast here, which had continental buffet items and/or hot items prepared individually in the kitchen. The buffet had a couple of unsafe items, so our kids stuck to the menu. Allergen keys were at the bottom of every menu, which made it easier to make decisions and the waitstaff clearly communicated allergy to kitchen (I actually heard them saying ‘severe nut allergy’ on their orders. Great with allergies!“
Lunch: Conor’s Bar at The Lodge at Castle Leslie Estate
“We are here several times during our visit and they were great with allergies. Food is delicious and there are limited nuts on the menu!”
Dinner + Dessert: Castle Leslie
Sightseeing: Castle Leslie Victorian Treatment Rooms
Sightseeing: Lake walk around Castle Leslie
DAY 3
Breakfast: Snaffles Restaurant
Lunch: Conor’s Bar at The Lodge at Castle Leslie Estate
Drinks: Coachhouse and Olde Bar
“No food here, but fun Irish pub with traditional drinks. My cousin had a post-wedding celebration here and ordered pizza from a nearby restaurant.”
Sightseeing: Falconry at Castle Leslie
Sightseeing: Exploring Glaslough
DAY 4
Hotel: Grande Central Hotel Belfast
“Great hotel that is centrally located and close to tons of restaurants, coffee shops and grocery stores. Our room was huge and well-equipped, but did not have a refrigerator. Its proximity to everything made eating safely very easy. The staff was also friendly and accommodating. There are two restaurants in the hotel as well.”
Lunch: Bunsen
“Nut-free burger chain in Ireland that our kids loved. Able to eat everything on menu and even have the milkshakes! Their menu is very simple and they have a clear allergy chart.”
Dinner: The Dirty Onion & Yardbird
“This rotisserie chicken restaurant was our favorite dinner spot in Belfast. No nuts on the menu, but waitstaff used cautious language around it not being a nut-free kitchen. Not certain whether Ireland and UK have certifications around allergies. Waitstaff clearly marked allergy and we felt comfortable eating there.”
Sightseeing: Titanic Belfast
“We walked to the Titanic museum, located on the actual site where the Titanic was built.”
Sightseeing: Exploring Belfast
DAY 5
Lunch: Bushmill’s Inn
“Great food, and staff were wonderful with allergies. We were there for the Sunday roast, which was so much fun!”
Dinner: Fratelli
“We had an impromptu switch to this restaurant after a confusing communication surrounding allergies with the restaurant we were supposed to go to. They were extremely accommodating with allergy and very knowledgeable. Kids menu was completely nut-free and had plenty of options. All nuts are identified on the menu and pesto says it is a pistachio pesto, but easy to avoid.”
Snack: The Causeway Hotel
“We didn’t stay here, but rather popped in to buy some drinks after going down to Giant’s Causeway as the hotel sits right above it. They sell a bunch of snacks and prepackaged ice cream, all of which was safe so the kids got a little ice cream treat!”
Sightseeing: Giant’s Causeway
“We drove to Bushmills after breakfast to see the magnificent Giant’s Causeway.”
Sightseeing: Dunluce Castle
“We then explored the ruins of Dunluce Castle (the castle used to model Castle Greyjoy in Game of Thrones)!”
Sightseeing: Exploring Bushmills
DAY 6
Hotel: Staycity Aparthotels – Dublin Castle
“This is our second time in a StayCity and they are great for families (especially in Europe) because they have kitchens! Plenty of nearby grocery stores, restaurants and coffee shops!”
Lunch: 1837 Bar & Brasserie at Guinness Storehouse
“Great food and there is an allergen key on the menu and waitstaff noted allergies on order as well. Kids menu is completely nut-free and lots of options on the main menu as well. I think menu changes frequently, but it’s large enough to have options for everyone. Allergens marked on the menu, but Irish soda bread may contain nuts, so be sure to double check when in Ireland.“
Dinner: Peruke & Periwig
“Very fun little cocktail bar/restaurant. I was only able to view a sample menu prior to our booking, but noted allergy on reservation. Upon arrival, the small menu contained more nuts than I would typically be comfortable with, but the staff were amazing with allergies and assured us that dishes would be prepared safely. My sister ordered something with walnuts on it and someone from the kitchen came out to make sure she knew her dish contained nuts. Very vigilant.”
Coffee: Tesco Express
“We stopped in here for a coffee and snack on our way to the Guinness Storehouse. Lots of safe food and drinks!”
Drinks: The Westbury
“Had drinks in their bar and they have peanuts in their snack mix that they serve with drinks, so waiter just removed it when we informed them of allergy.”
Sightseeing: Guinness Storehouse
“The Guinness Storehouse is huge and we spent time navigating all the different levels. We had a Guinness with our own faces in the foam and visited the Gravity Bar at the very top with 360 views of Dublin. There are several cafes and a couple restaurants and all can accommodate allergies. We ate at the 1837 Bar & Brasserie and allergens were identified. Lots of choices!”
DAY 7
Breakfast: Londis city
“This supermarket was great! Not terribly large, but had great selection of pre-packaged pastries that were nut-free and had all allergens listed. Also, had coffee bar and great selection of groceries. Right by our hotel too!”
Lunch: Merchant’s Arch
“Incredibly friendly and accommodating staff. The kids (with allergies) all ordered virgin daiquiris and our waitress even double-checked that the blenders were safe. Tons of food options and like most restaurants in Ireland, there is an allergen key at the bottom of each menu. We also noted allergy on order as well to prevent cross-contamination.”
Dinner: Trocadero Restaurant Dublin
“Amazing service at this restaurant with very knowledgeable staff. Menu has an allergen key and waitstaff is careful to avoid cross-contamination. Allergens are marked on the menu, but Irish soda bread may contain nuts, so be sure to double-check when in Ireland.”
Sightseeing: Irish Whiskey Museum
“One of the best activities we did in Dublin and no food served, just drinks and lots of Irish whiskey!”
Sightseeing: St. Patrick’s Cathedral
“Beautiful cathedral, but no food or drink allowed inside. We had to dump the coffee we were carrying. Lots of restaurants, grocery stores, and coffee spots nearby.”
Sightseeing: Trinity College Library
“Gorgeous library housing the Book of Kells. No food or drink allowed inside, but lots nearby.”
DAY 8
Lunch: The Bull & Castle
“Fantastic upscale pub with an allergen guide for all dishes. Overall, limited nuts on the menu and very accommodating staff. Favorite lunch in Dublin! Would definitely do lunch or dinner there again if we were back in Dublin!”
Dinner: The Café en Seine
“Beautiful restaurant with clear allergen guide. I informed restaurant of the allergy on my booking. The main menu didn’t contain any nuts that we had to avoid—only pine nuts, hazelnuts and almonds. One appetizer (the wings) said it had peanuts, but it wasn’t listed as an ingredient, so not sure if it was a typo or just a cross-contamination issue. We didn’t order it, so I’m not sure. One dessert had a pecan topping, but again, we didn’t order dessert. Waitstaff was great at noting allergy and food was great too!”
Drinks: Merrion Hotel Dublin
“We had drinks at the Merrion Hotel Dublin, which were excellent.”
Sightseeing: Dublin Zoo
“We had snacks and coffee here and allergens were easy to navigate.”
Sightseeing: Grafton Street
“We wandered around Dublin and shopped for souvenirs on Grafton Street.”
Dublin Airport
“We didn’t eat much here, but there are food options and I saw an allergy guide at a coffee stand I went to. Plenty of packaged food with allergens listed and restaurants. I did notice that Ireland as a whole, while adopting the EU’s allergy key on most menu’s, has very cautious wording around safety and some restaurants are more comfortable than others. Also, surprisingly nut heavy overall.”
