Restaurant in Cavan, Ireland
Rural Cavan's Michelin-recognised case for the detour.
A Michelin Plate-recognised chef-owner restaurant in a converted 1800s Cavan post office, with back-to-back Michelin recognition in 2024 and 2025 and a 4.8 Google rating. The kitchen focuses on classic cooking with strong local sourcing, a game speciality, and notable sauces. The best special occasion table in County Cavan, and worth the drive from Dublin for the right diner.
At the €€€ price tier, The Olde Post Inn in Cloverhill asks you to make a deliberate trip to rural County Cavan — and based on a Google rating of 4.8 from 367 reviews and back-to-back Michelin Plate recognition in 2024 and 2025, that trip is worth making. This is not a compromise dinner for people who couldn't get a Dublin reservation. It is the destination.
The building itself sets the tone before you sit down. Housed in an 1800s post office, the space divides into two distinct dining environments: the original flag-floored bar, where aperitifs beside an open fire are the recommended way to begin, and a choice between the atmospheric original dining room and a conservatory extension. For a special occasion, the original room carries more character — low ceilings, stone floors, and the kind of quiet that lets a meal breathe. The conservatory works well for groups or if you prefer natural light. Either way, this is a room designed for a full evening, not a quick turnaround.
The cooking sits firmly in the classic tradition. The chef-owner works with leading local ingredients to produce dishes that are described by Michelin as flavoursome and classic in essence, with game as a noted speciality and sauces as a highlight. In a county defined by lakes, forests, and agricultural land, that sourcing approach is entirely coherent , Cavan's larder lends itself to exactly this style of cooking. If you are visiting in autumn or winter, the game menu is the main reason to come. The sauces in particular have drawn consistent attention, which suggests a kitchen where the fundamentals are taken seriously.
Timing argument for The Olde Post Inn is direct: come in the colder months. Autumn and winter are when game cookery is at its most relevant, and a fireside aperitif in a converted 1800s post office lands very differently in November than it does in July. That said, the conservatory makes summer visits more than viable , the room is well-suited to long lunches with light coming through the glass. For a special occasion dinner, Friday or Saturday evenings will give you the full atmosphere, with the bar populated and the kitchen at its most engaged.
Booking is rated easy. Given the Michelin recognition and the Google rating, that is a minor advantage worth noting , you are not competing with Dublin walk-in queues or six-week-out reservation windows. Book ahead as a courtesy, particularly for weekend evenings and larger groups, but this is not a venue where you need to plan months in advance. The address , Knockateery, Cloverhill, Co. Cavan , puts it firmly in the countryside, so a car is the practical choice for getting there. Plan for a full evening; the journey and the format both reward it.
For context on where The Olde Post Inn sits in the wider Irish restaurant picture, it belongs to a category of chef-owner country restaurants that have become one of Ireland's most reliable formats for serious cooking outside the cities. Venues like Terre in Castlemartyr and Homestead Cottage in Doolin operate in comparable territory , strong local sourcing, small teams, rooms with genuine character. Chestnut in Ballydehob and dede in Baltimore follow a similar model in West Cork. The Olde Post Inn's distinction is its location: there is no comparable Michelin-recognised option within Cavan itself, which makes it the anchor restaurant for the county and the natural choice for anyone dining in the region who wants cooking at this level.
If you are driving through the midlands or planning a Cavan weekend, this is the table to book. For broader regional planning, see our full Cavan restaurants guide, our full Cavan hotels guide, and our full Cavan experiences guide. If the classic-with-local-sourcing format appeals and you want comparisons further afield, Campagne in Kilkenny, The Morrison Room in Maynooth, and Aniar in Galway are worth considering depending on your route. For Irish restaurants operating at the highest level, Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin and Liath in Blackrock remain the reference points , but they are a different category of commitment and price. The Olde Post Inn occupies a more accessible position and delivers something those city venues cannot: a genuinely rural Irish atmosphere, with the quality to back it up.
The Olde Post Inn is located at Knockateery, Cloverhill, Co. Cavan (H14 W577). A car is the most practical way to get there given the rural setting. Booking is direct , reserve ahead for weekend evenings and groups, but this is not a hard-to-get table. Hours are not confirmed in our database; contact the venue directly to confirm service times before making the journey. No dress code is on record, but the atmosphere and price tier suggest smart-casual as a sensible default.
It works for solo dining, but it is better suited to two or more. The format , aperitif at the bar, full dinner service , is designed as a shared experience, and the price tier at €€€ sits more comfortably when split. If you are travelling solo through Cavan and want a serious meal, it is still a sound choice; the bar area offers a more relaxed entry point than going straight to a table for one.
The flag-floored bar is explicitly part of the experience here , Michelin's own description of the venue recommends starting with an aperitif there before moving to the dining room. Whether full dinner service is available at the bar is not confirmed in our data; contact the venue directly to check. As a pre-dinner space, it is one of the better aspects of the room.
The kitchen works with leading local ingredients and classic techniques, which suggests some flexibility, but specific dietary policies are not confirmed in our database. Contact the venue directly before your visit if you have requirements , phone and website details are not listed here, so a direct search for current contact information is the quickest route.
Yes, this is one of the better special occasion options in County Cavan. Michelin Plate recognition two years running, a 4.8 Google rating, a historic building with genuine atmosphere, and a format , fireside aperitif followed by a full dinner service , that supports a celebratory evening. At €€€, it is priced for the occasion without reaching the top tier of Irish fine dining. Book a weekend evening in the original dining room for maximum atmosphere.
Within Cavan itself, there is no direct Michelin-recognised competitor, which is part of why The Olde Post Inn matters to the county. If you are willing to travel, The Morrison Room in Maynooth offers comparable classic cooking at a similar price point with easier access from Dublin. For a step up in ambition and price, Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin is the reference. See our full Cavan restaurants guide for a wider local picture.
Specific menu formats and pricing are not confirmed in our database. What Michelin's assessment does confirm is that the kitchen produces flavoursome, classic dishes with strong sauces and a game speciality , the building blocks of a tasting menu worth ordering. If a tasting menu is available, autumn and winter visits give you the leading version of it, when game is in season. Confirm current menu options directly with the venue before booking.
At €€€ with Michelin Plate recognition and a 4.8 Google score across 367 reviews, the answer is yes for the right diner. This is a chef-owner operation in a converted 1800s post office in rural Cavan, not a city restaurant with high overheads to justify. The price reflects the cooking quality and the experience, not a location premium. If classic cooking with strong local sourcing is what you want, it delivers good value at this tier. If you want a more progressive or experimental style, look at Aniar in Galway or Liath in Blackrock instead.
The venue has two dining spaces , the original room and a conservatory , which suggests some capacity for groups beyond the standard two- or four-leading. Specific group policies and maximum party sizes are not in our database. For groups of six or more, contact the venue directly to discuss availability and any set menu requirements. Booking in advance is advisable regardless of group size, and more so for larger parties.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| The Olde Post Inn | €€€ | — |
| Patrick Guilbaud | €€€€ | — |
| Bastible | €€€€ | — |
| Bastion | €€€€ | — |
| LIGИUM | €€€€ | — |
| Host | €€ | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
It works for solo diners who are comfortable in a destination-restaurant setting. The flag-floored bar — where aperitifs are served fireside — gives solo visitors a natural place to settle before dinner, which takes some of the pressure off a solo table in the dining room. At €€€ per head, you're paying for a considered meal rather than a quick one, so go in with that expectation.
The bar at The Olde Post Inn is designed as a pre-dinner aperitif space rather than a standalone dining counter. If bar-dining flexibility is a priority, this format may not suit — the experience is structured around moving from the bar through to the restaurant. check the venue's official channels to confirm current bar seating arrangements before visiting.
The kitchen is built around classic cooking with a strong focus on game and seasonal local ingredients, which gives the chef-owner room to adapt within that style. For specific dietary needs — allergies, vegetarian or vegan requirements — reach out ahead of your visit, as this is standard practice at Michelin-recognised restaurants operating at the €€€ tier. The menu focus on game means meat-free guests should confirm options in advance.
Yes — this is one of the stronger cases for a special occasion in County Cavan. The combination of a Michelin Plate recognition (2024 and 2025), an 1800s post office setting, fireside bar service, and stylish on-site bedrooms makes it well-suited to milestone dinners and overnight celebrations. The rural location adds to the occasion rather than detracting from it, provided you're driving or staying the night.
Within County Cavan there are few direct comparisons at this recognition level, which is part of what makes The Olde Post Inn worth the trip. For Michelin-starred cooking in Ireland more broadly, Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin is the benchmark at the top end. For a more urban, modern-Irish alternative at a closer price point, Bastible in Dublin's Portobello is worth considering. If you're specifically after rural destination dining in Ulster, The Olde Post Inn has limited like-for-like competition.
The venue data does not confirm a tasting menu format, so this cannot be verified. What is documented is that the chef-owner produces classic dishes with an emphasis on local game and notable sauces — a style that typically suits à la carte ordering. check the venue's official channels to confirm current menu formats before booking around that expectation.
At €€€, yes — provided you're making a deliberate trip and not expecting Dublin-level convenience. Two consecutive Michelin Plate recognitions (2024 and 2025) signal consistent kitchen quality, and the package of atmospheric dining rooms, fireside bar, and stylish bedrooms adds value beyond the plate. If you're comparing it to urban restaurants at the same price tier, factor in the overnight option; the drive alone doesn't justify the spend, but the full experience does.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
