Upcoming events worth clearing the calendar for …
There’s something deeply optimistic about a food event. A room full of strangers willingly gathering to discuss (or just eat) cheese pairings, regional Mexican cooking or beef fat fries as though these are matters of national importance.
Blas na Bealtaine
Galway’s month-long food festival on now has a packed programme celebrating chefs, local producers, and wine and seasonal cooking across the city. Highlights include a Portuguese food and wine evening at Alma Restaurant on May 15, whiskey and cheese tastings with Micil Distillery and Trieste on May 16 and 23 – don’t miss their limited edition Micil Irish Cream cheesecake launch with Gourmet Tart – plus Aniar’s “The Italian Job Part II” dinner on May 17, featuring the magnificently named Spaghetti “West”ern Bolognese. There are also foraging walks, folklore talks, bao brunches and cocktail competitions, which is to say the majority of the city will spend most of the time either eating, drinking or discussing fermentation with great intensity. @blasnagaillimhe
I’ll Have What Rick’s Having At The Purty Kitchen
The Purty Kitchen in Dún Laoghaire is teaming up with fourth-generation master butcher Rick Higgins for a week-long collaboration from May 13-17. The changing menu includes braised Iberico pork ribs, Wagyu beef burgers with black garlic mayo, eye fillet tartare, and côte de boeuf for two with truffle and pepper sauce. Sunday shifts outdoors with a pig on the spit in The Courtyard, served with smoked potatoes and organic salads. Altogether, exactly the sort of event that requires both restraint and elasticated trousers.
Ballymaloe Festival of Food
From May 15-17, Ballymaloe does what it does best, bringing together big names and genuinely interesting food in a setting that still feels relaxed. The Woodshed dinners are always the hottest tickets, with London duo The Fat Badger and Homestead Cottage chef Robbie McCauley leading the charge this year. Ed Wilson of Brawn brings a slice of London, while dim sum brunches and more long table feasts keep things varied. Highlights include a Friday night dinner from James Henry of Le Doyenné and a lively Sunday lunch hosted by Thomasina Miers. Add in workshops – on everything from fermentation to chocolate – and you have a weekend that’s equal parts indulgent and informative.
An Evening With Ryan O’Sullivan At The River Lee
Hell’s Kitchen winner Ryan O’Sullivan returns to The River Lee Hotel in Cork on May 18 for another intimate dinner takeover at The Grill Room. Working alongside executive head chef Paul Lane, the menu includes West Cork Wagyu tartare, Ballycotton Bay lobster tartlets, wild garlic ravioli and spring lamb with za’atar carrot purée, before finishing with rhubarb and custard. Tickets are €70 including four courses, tea, coffee and petit fours. A surprisingly civilised way to spend a Monday evening.
Street Feast
Not every great food event involves a tasting menu or natural wine, sometimes it’s simply your neighbours standing around a folding table eating sausage rolls making small talk. Street Feast returns on May 23-24, inviting communities across Ireland to host street parties, lunches and neighbourhood gatherings everywhere from front gardens and apartment courtyards to local greens and carparks. Now in its 16th year, the initiative has become one of those genuinely lovely ideas that sounds small but quietly makes life better. Research from the organisers found participants were twice as likely to know their neighbours afterwards, while 75% said their area felt friendlier following the event, which feels especially impressive considering most Irish people would normally cross the road to avoid prolonged interaction. Anyone can register to host and receive a free party pack with invitations, bunting and hosting guides included. The only real requirement is food, a few chairs and at least one person willing to awkwardly suggest, “we should do this more often” … it’s the thought that counts!
El Milagro x Brother Hubbard Mexican Supper Club
On May 30, the team behind El Milagro takes over Brother Hubbard for a one-night-only supper club inspired by the flavours of Oaxaca, Michoacán, Yucatán and the State of Mexico. Guests can choose between a four-course tasting menu or a taco-focused feast, all paired with Mexican cocktails and plenty of storytelling. Expect vibrant flavours, lively energy and the kind of dinner where people suddenly become very passionate about mole.
Dash Burger x Alvin Cailan
Cult smash burger outfit Dash Burger teams up with LA burger heavyweight Alvin Cailan at The Devlin in Dublin 6 on May 31 for a collaboration likely to attract serious burger pilgrims. The headline act is Alvin’s onion burger featuring double smashed patties, caramelised onions and special sauce, alongside beef fat fries, cocktails and DJs. Tickets are €25 including the burger, which feels reasonable considering people now queue three hours for significantly worse sandwiches.
Beyond The Pale, Glendalough
From June 12-14, this Wicklow festival blends music, arts and a surprisingly strong food programme. This year’s Beyond the Plate series leans into global influences on Irish food, with a fun theme dubbed The Spice Bag Edition. The key bookings are the restaurant style residencies with Host, Reggie’s and Ibíle all offering dining experiences that go well beyond typical festival fare. Add in tastings, demos and a setting that practically insists you slow down, and it becomes a weekend where the food is every bit as compelling as the music.
Blackwater Valley Opera Festival
For something more refined, this late May into early June festival pairs opera with seriously thoughtful dining. Eunice Power leads the formal Opera Dining at Lismore Castle, with a four course Don Giovanni menu served around the performance itself. There are also gourmet table picnics in the castle grounds, more relaxed options at Dromore Yard and a clever Opera and Dining package at Fuller’s Bistro paired with a performance of Acis and Galatea for €80 per person. It’s polished, romantic and designed to be savoured slowly. @b_v_o_f
Taste of Dublin
Taste of Dublin returns to Merrion Square from June 12-15 for four gloriously food-obsessed days packed with restaurants, chef demos, drinks, music and general merriment. This year’s line-up includes Ibile, Bigfan, Parrilla, The Salt Project, Daata and Achara, alongside more than 50 chefs and over 60 exhibitions across the weekend. Essentially, it’s Dublin’s annual excuse to spend an entire afternoon saying, “we’ll just share one more thing”.