So who would resist digging into this seductively delicious bowl of seafood chowder? Not me, that’s for sure. I’m in Limerick, Ireland looking for a good meal. I followed the Shannon River towards the ancient castle and stumbled upon the Curragower Seafood Bar. The Curragower is in a residential area, away from the hustle and bustle of the downtown area just across the Shannon.

I walked into the tiny bar into a few groups of people huddled around little tables in the dimly lit, age worn pub. We seated ourselves by a frosty window and sipped on pints of Smithwicks, a great Irish beer.

That’s when the bartender began to brag about their seafood chowder. When it came, the mussels in their shells were perched on top of the thick, creamy chowder. I pulled the mussels out of their shells and mixed it into the chowder. The steam rose from the hot chowder in the cool pub. The dreamy texture was smooth, creamy, rich and pure with flavours that ranged from sweet lobster to earthy mussels, juicy salmon and soft potatoes. It had no pasty, cloying texture that coats your tongue from chowders thickened with powdered thickening agents; this was the real thing. It was the chunkiest chowder I’d ever tasted served with thick slices of Irish brown soda bread. This is a seafood chowder worth bragging about!

It’s easy to taste why the Curragower has been voted Best Gastropub for 4 years straight by the Irish Restaurant Association and it’s constantly mentioned in McKennas Guides. This independent pub is owned by two local guys with a real flair for good food!

The next pint of Smithwicks came with a giant bowl of mussels in garlic broth. The bowl of mussels would easily feed two for dinner and luckily we got one order to share. The next table ordered fish and chips and they came with two oversized, thick pieces of lightly battered fish. The Curragower is a place for really great food!