Taste the Atlantic - Salmon Experience at Burren Smokehouse

What to Expect

Taste the Atlantic is a 45-minute visit at the Burren Smokehouse in Lisdoonvarna, taking in the interactive visitor centre and a smoking process demonstration, tracing Irish salmon from the mythology of the Salmon of Knowledge through to how the fish is cured and smoked today. The smokehouse was built up over more than 35 years by Birgitta and Peter Curtin, and the visitor centre shows the custom kilns and smoke boxes at work, with interactive displays and quiz-style panels aimed at families. The visit finishes with a tasting of Burren Smoked Irish Organic Salmon and other products made on site. Information panels are in English with French and German translation, and the short films run in six languages, so it works as a walk-in stop for touring visitors.

The centre doubles as a shop for smoked salmon, other smoked fish and local food and craft, and the experience continues next door at the Roadside Tavern, which is on the same site and run by the same family. There the smokehouse products appear on the food menu alongside live music and craft beer tastings from the Burren Brewery, the tavern’s own microbrewery. Paid add-ons are also sold at the visitor centre for anyone who wants more than the standard visit, including a Meet the Maker guided tour and a seafood and champagne pairing.

Good to Know

• Usually open every day through spring, summer and autumn. Check the current week’s hours before travelling.
• Adult (19+) €15, teen or student (13-18) €10, child (5-12) €8, under-5s free, family ticket (2 adults and up to 3 children) €40. Booking fees are not included.
• Book at burrenexperiences.ie, phone 065 707 4432 or email sales@burrensmokehouse.ie.
• Venue: Burren Smokehouse Visitor Centre, Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare, V95 HD70.
• The adjoining Roadside Tavern runs craft beer tastings through the Burren Brewery plus live music and food.

Getting There

Lisdoonvarna sits on the N67 in the Burren, between Ennistymon and Ballyvaughan, about 40km north-west of Ennis and 9km inland from Doolin. The smokehouse is on the Kincora Road side of the town on the same site as the Roadside Tavern, with parking outside. Bus Eireann route 350 between Ennis, Doolin and Galway serves Lisdoonvarna during the day, which makes this one of the few Burren food stops reachable without a car.