Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [598]
MIDRANGE
Dollakis ( 6634 2616; 2 Cross St; lunch £5-7, dinner £13-19; 10am-4pm Tue, to 10pm Wed-Sat, noon-4pm Sun) Our prize for best coffee in town goes to this very chic little cafe-bistro. And, as well as serving coffee, cakes and snacks through the day, it transforms into a Greek-Mediterranean restaurant in the evening. The menu includes things such as seafood-and-leek tart topped with hollandaise sauce, chicken breast with a poppy-seed crust stuffed with olive tapenade and mozzarella, and souvlaki and vegetarian moussaka.
Scoffs Wine Bar & Restaurant ( 6634 2622; 17 Belmore St; mains £9-19; 4.30pm-late Mon-Sat, to 10pm Sun) This busy restaurant has a modern vibe with shades of chocolate-brown and burgundy, dark wood and dim candlelight, and an international menu that includes braised lamb shank with creamy mash and redcurrant and rosemary gravy, and spicy vegetable and sunflower seed tortillas with tomato sauce and créme fraiche. The downstairs wine bar offers lighter meals. Three-course Sunday lunch costs £18.
Franco’s ( 6632 4424; Queen Elizabeth Rd; pizza £10-11, mains £12-22; noon-11pm) An atmospheric warren of wood-panelled, candlelit nooks set in a former blacksmith’s forge, Franco’s is always bustling and noisy, and serves a range of Italian, Asian and seafood dishes as well as filling pizzas and pasta.
TOP END
Terrace Restaurant ( 6632 0333; Westville Hotel, 14-20 Tempo Rd; 2-/3-course dinner £30/35; dinner only) The restaurant at the new Westville Hotel combines understated elegance in the dining room with a deft touch in the kitchen – candlelight creates a romantic atmosphere, while delightful dishes such as ballotine of quail stuffed with smoked-bacon mousse, and pan-fried turbot with white beans, asparagus, parmesan crisps and chive velouté, make for a memorable meal.
Drinking
Blake’s of the Hollow (William Blake; 6632 2143; 6 Church St) Ulster’s best pint of Guinness awaits you in this traditional Victorian pub, almost unchanged since 1887, complete with marble-topped bar, four huge sherry casks, antique silver lamp holders and ancient wood panelling kippered by a century of cigarette smoke. There’s traditional music from 9pm on Fridays.
Crowe’s Nest ( 6632 5252; 12 High St) A lively bar with a conservatory and patio out the back for those sunny summer afternoons, the Nest has live music most nights from 9pm in the back bar and traditional music sessions downstairs on Tuesday nights during summer.
Entertainment
Bush Bar ( 6632 5210; www.thebushbar.com; 26 Townhall St) The nearest Enniskillen comes to a nightclub, with leather chairs and banquettes in various shades of coffee, from dark roast to cafe au lait, a reasonable cocktail menu, and an upstairs lounge that hosts DJs or live bands on Friday and Saturday.
Ardhowen Theatre ( 6632 5440; www.ardhowentheatre.com; Dublin Rd; box office 11am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-7pm before a performance, 11am-1pm, 2-5pm & 6-7pm Sat) The program here includes concerts, local amateur and professional drama and musical productions, pantomimes and films. The theatre is about 2km southeast of the town centre on the A4, in an impressive glass-fronted building overlooking a lake.
Enniskillen Omniplex ( 08717 200400; www.omniplex.ie; Factory Rd) A seven-screen cinema, 700m north of the town centre on Race Course Lough.
Shopping
Buttermarket ( 6632 4499; Down St) The refurbished buildings in the old marketplace house a variety of craft shops and studios selling paintings, ceramics, jewellery and even fishing flies.
Erneside Shopping Centre ( 6632 5705; The Point; 9am-6pm Mon, Tue & Sat, to 9pm Wed-Fri & Sat, 1-6pm Sun) A modern complex of shops, cafes and a supermarket. The Millets store stocks camping and outdoor equipment.
Fermanagh Cottage Industries ( 6632 2260; 14 East Bridge St) A craft shop selling linen, lace and tweed.
Home, Field & Stream ( 6632 2114; 18 Church St) Has a wide range of fishing tackle and also sells fishing licences and permits.
Dolan’s Centra (3 High St; 7.30am-9pm Mon-Sat, 9am-9pm Sun) A handy, late-opening