Places to eat

Enjoy the foodie delights of the Causeway Coast

Do check with our recommendations according to the season that you visit, but generally Bushmills is rather spoilt for choice when it comes to places to eat. Our favourite foodie destination is Maedgen: Cheese & Supplies. The ladies there will whip you up possibly the best cheese toastie you’ve ever tasted, feed your cake cravings with their selection from Vittle Bakeshop in Portstewart and send cheese lovers into a spin with their extensive selection of cheeses and delicious deli wares.

Also, in Bushmills you’ll find Tartine at the Distillers Arms, which does lovely food. There are several fish & chip shops too. Both Flash in the Pan and the Hip Chip are good and have won awards, but we reckon the Hip Chip just edges it (though they don’t do mushy peas). You can ring in your order ahead, so you don’t have much of wait when you get there.

If fish and chips are your thing, when you’re out and about, Morton’s in Ballycastle is really excellent. We recommend the deep-fried scallops and chips (when it’s on). They also have a fishmongers, but it’s only open a couple of days a week.

In the summer, The Cream of the Coast ice cream van opens in the Maghera Cross car park on the coast road between Bushmills and Whiterocks. Set up by a farming family, the soft whip dairy ice-cream is delicious and comes in a cone or as a sundae, with lots of additional extras. Check their Facebook for more info. They also do a small version for dogs.

For fish fans, head down to old yacht club on the outskirts of Coleraine to visit the award-winning Lir Native Seafood, which has had a massive following ever since it opened during lockdown. They operate as a award-winning restaurant, seafood café and a fishmongers (one of two on the north coast) – so watch their Instagram to see when the catch comes in. Lobster, langoustines, and oysters are all on the menu here, but again be quick as things can sell out quickly. We sit outside here with our dogs in the sunshine and enjoy the food. They also stock Ursa Minor sourdough (legendary in these parts) and the delicious Vittle cakes.

Tillys Pet Café in Portrush is dog friendly and a great spot to shelter from the rain and eat cake. If you’re after a canine cuddle, then this is the place to go. The last time we were there, there were pugs, old English sheepdogs and a very cute westie all enjoying the warmth.

If you’re in the car, drive a little further to Lost & Found in Portstewart. The coffee is excellent and so is the food – even the soup comes in some very interesting flavours. Plus, they have their own car park and a covered outside space, which is great for dogs. You can also stop here park on the strand and then walk round the coast walk to the town.

Up on Portstewart Promenade is where you’ll find Vittle Bake Shop, which is definitely making a name for itself. They supply half the eateries round the coast because their cakes are that good – but don’t go when you’re in a rush. The chat is part of the experience.

Over in Ballycastle, you’ll find the Ursa Minor bakery on the Main Street, (they also have a mini version on the main street in Ballintoy village, which is only open round the weekend), who do an excellent sourdough (but don’t take dogs), and the Shorebird coffee hut, down near the beach, who make a mean sausage roll, are lovely people and have outside seating, which makes them dog friendly.

Up on the hill outside the town you’ll also find the Salthouse hotel – we’ve not eaten there yet, but we know the interior designer and it looks stunning with views out over the sea.

Other dog-friendly establishments include the Fullerton Arms in Ballintoy village, which are famous for their extensive mussel menu (and you can take the dog inside), and the Bothy at White Park Bay, which does a lovely fresh pizza, some excellent cakes and has dog-friendly outside seating. Expect queues at the Bothy for brunch at weekends.

Of course, for ice-cream fans there is the Cream of the Coast van in Maghera Cross, branches of Maud’s and Morelli’s in Ballycastle and Portrush. And if you want a different take on dairy, head to the milk hut at Chestnutt’s farm just outside of the town, where bottles of fresh milk are dispensed by a vending machine.