Study Ireland – Stories & Guides from International Students

In this insightful blog, Irish World Academy Student, and foodie, Núria Estrada highlights her favorite spots in Limerick for grabbing a delicious ice cream or sundae.

Food in Ireland is quite special. In general, you can have typically anything with milk, butter, meat, and chocolate (with milk, obviously!). So one of the prime foods you can get is all sorts of sundaes. Here’s a guide to my preferred spots in Limerick for ice cream. In general the prices are quite standard, don’t expect them to be cheap, but not too harmful for getting yourself a treat every now and then. The cheapest 99 cone would be €1 and the most expensive sundae would probably be around €6.  

The best sundae for me is from the Locke Burger, it is very big and tasty. The area is lovely, located in the center of the city with a view of the river Shannon.

In the Locke Bar, you can also get lovely desserts involving good ice cream, such as a banana split, but they’re a bit more pricey, around €8 each.

Supermacs is also a safe pick and has many different options to match your mood and appetite, plus they’re made from Irish dairy!

If you prefer traditional gelato, in Gusto d’Italia you can find a wide range of options for it and fancy combos with crepes or waffles.  The price for the standard cone, which is €3.50, is really good, and they serve generous portions, and the taste is strong and true to its flavor. Plus, it is located in William Street, one of the main streets of the city where you might casually be for any other reason.  

NOM, which is really close to the main bus stops in the city, offers a variety of sweets such as donuts, waffles, crepes, sundaes… and you can mix them up! That’s a place to get creative, keeping within the budget.  

Nana’s bubble tea shop has a unique product in town: The bubble waffle ice cream. They also offer sundaes, waffles, and many beverages worth trying. In my opinion, the food is better quality than fast food restaurants, with a deeper flavor and texture, although in a smaller serving size. 

The truck vans are a feature on campus from the town. If you hear the creepy nursery rhymes/children’s melodies it means it is your lucky day. They are a bit hard to catch but it feels more special when you do. They are normally cheaper (you can even get a €1 cone with syrup), but not as good as in other places.  

It’s a fantastic choice for a spontaneous treat! 

Alternative options are the shops in gas stations on the roads, such as Centra, Spar, Smooch… they are similar to the above, but I feel like in such places you have to be in on the right day as sometimes there are issues with the machines, employees, rush or other factors that might not offer you the most amazing ice cream experience. 

This is a Smooch swirly. Swirlies have a better value, they are almost the same as the big sundaes but cheaper and can be more personalized.

Big fast food chains such as McDonalds or Burger King also have a dessert menu, but they are not as exclusive to Limerick or Ireland.