The best restaurants in Kilkenny

29/08/2026: Had a great time, hurling was fun, the band was great and had everyone involved.

11/08/2026: If you find yourself anywhere near Stoneyford (Co. Kilkenny), go to Malzards. If you are not particularly near Stoneyford, this remains my recommendation. We went to hurl. It rained. Ireland. (: So instead there were pints and rooms that kept leading to other rooms and people at the bar and fresh chips and Billy and Jim playing music, and somewhere along the way we stopped being people watching the evening happen and became people participating in it. We sang. We danced. Billy and Jim handed me a drum. I played the drum. Eventually, being a polite person who understands that one cannot simply move to Stoneyford and become the permanent third member of Billy and Jim, I tried to give the drum back. They declined. So. I was in the band now. There was a Guinness pouring contest. Several people competed. A particularly attractive young woman roughly the bartender’s age won. Was hers the superior pour? Perhaps. Was the judging conducted according to internationally recognized standards of Guinness-pouring impartiality? I have questions. No objections, mind you. Just questions. This is Malzards. It’s a wonderful, rambling pub with big rooms, small rooms, cozy corners, and seemingly a space for whatever kind of gathering might break out. But mostly, it’s full of really lovely people. The owners are genuinely welcoming. The patrons are warm. Nobody makes a production out of making you feel welcome. You just are. And before you know it, you’re talking to everyone, singing with the band, and apparently employed as a percussionist. Go. Have a pint. Talk to the people at the bar. Stay for Billy and Jim if they’re playing. Enter the Guinness pouring contest if you’re feeling confident, particularly confident if you happen to meet certain entirely unrelated demographic criteria. (: If someone hands you a drum, understand that you may have entered into a binding agreement. Thank you to everyone at Malzards for the hospitality, the music, the craic, and a ridiculously fun night in Stoneyford.

13/09/2026: If you’re reading this you need to come here. This place is a literal hole in the wall. A true gem that attracts interesting characters and just creates a great vibe for chatting and getting to know people. We stumbled across this once and found ourselves coming back every day

06/09/2026: Best pub in Kilkenny! We were going to have one drink, ended up having 8. Great rock band playing upstairs.

05/09/2026: By far the best Italian authentic food you can have ! Very good service,great menu selection and the food is amazing and cooked as it should be ! It makes you feel like Italy!

03/09/2026: Had a lovely tasty meal here with family, staff, food athmosphere were excellent

03/08/2026: Located on a side street in Kilkenny, they offer very good coffee and tartlets. Super friendly service. Highly recommended, away from the tourist crowds.

03/08/2026: Lovely atmosphere and service. Food was amazing. Highly recommend for brunch or pastries

05/09/2026: Myself and my Boyfriend came to Rive Gauche to celebrate our anniversary and we had the most magical time. Our server David was amazing. He was so attentive and lovely and made our dinner so special. I couldn't recommend this place enough. Our food was amazing. The atmosphere, food and overall vibe was 10/10. We will 100% be coming back. A special thanks to David for helping us celebrate!

05/09/2026: Friendly staff and very good food.

14/09/2026: Food is dire, last time I ordered takeaway I was given a portion of stone cold chips, each of the approximately 10 times I ordered food with bacon, the bacon was way overcooked, pizza missing toppings with no substitution or warning, chicken in Cesar salad way overcooked.

11/09/2026: Had a pizza and dirty fries, absolutely delicious, and the beer was fantastic, especially the black session on nitro!

02/09/2026: There is plenty of free parking available. We had to search a bit to find the check-in area. This could perhaps be made clearer. It was at the bar. The room was modern and spacious. We didn't want to open the windows because the kitchen was directly below the room and the exhaust air came right out. However, there was a proper air conditioner, which was sufficient. The room was quiet. A note about privacy: the bathroom door is a sliding door that doesn't lock. It only provides some visual screening; noise simply passes through it. We drove into Kilkenny city center; it was too far for us to walk.

23/08/2026: Excellent room, clean and comfortable. Coffee maker and teas included. Extremely friendly from the moment we arrived. We had dinner upon arrival, breakfast the next day, and everything was wonderful.

21/08/2026: Clean pub and friendly staff, always a good atmosphere 🥰

14/07/2026: A spectacular pub I stumbled upon. Congratulations on the beer selection; the quality absolutely did not disappoint. I recommend making a reservation, especially if you're in a large group.

13/09/2026: Service-minded staff who really help the customer, very good! Cozy old-style place, which feels a bit luxurious and very fresh. The food was fantastic and the wine as well, really recommended for a visit.

03/09/2026: Petronella is outstanding , food, service , atmosphere . Do yourself a favor and make a reservation .

26/08/2026: A charming and welcoming place where you can enjoy a delicious meal. A great little find to satisfy a small hunger!

25/08/2026: Such a lovely spot in the center of Kilkenny. We went here everyday of our weekend there. Very dog friendly too we all had great food and a lovely time. Also the greatest brownies maybe ever are sold here too !

06/09/2026: Honestly, some of the best steak I’ve had. One of the few places where the sides are just as good too. I always go for the cowboy or ribeye and you really can’t go wrong with any of the sides - but the sweet potato fries are especially good. The staff and service are great too, although the music can be a bit loud sometimes

04/09/2026: "The best steak I've ever had". I cannot stop telling people about this place! My wife and I were there midweek- very busy. Glad we booked! We both ordered the 10oz striplion.. all the trimmings, mash, chips, veg - we wanted to try everything! Cant fault a thing. Booking was for 7.30. We were welcomed in, seated AND served by 7.45. Very friendly staff. Well done 👏

01/09/2026: The food was phenomenal! And ALL of the staff could not have been nicer! Lovely surprising find! ❤️ The GF potato/celery soup ! Yum!!

29/08/2026: LOVELY! daily specials, breakfast all day, resonable prices, very friendly staff, very busy though as others like them too. tx.

05/09/2026: Amazing food would highly recommend. 10/10 will be back.

25/08/2026: Dropped in for pizza in the pizza garden. It was delicious and service was fast and friendly.

31/08/2026: Any time I'm in Kilkenny, I cannot leave until I've had a La Bottega sandwich, they're incredible, so fresh and beautiful flavours. I don't know of anything else like this in Ireland, it's a must visit if in the area!!

17/08/2026: We stumbled upon this place by chance, looking for something quick and vegetarian. What a find. Friendly, attentive service, and truly Italian sandwiches, well recommended. The Caprese sandwich with pesto deserves top marks, even if it were in Liguria! Generous and very reasonably priced. Feeling like I was in Italy, I even relied on an espresso, a rare treat for me! It was a great experience, it was delicious!!! If you're passing by, Italian or foreign, pop in for a taste of true Italy!

14/08/2026: Lovely restaurant. Has a very good local reputation for good food. Lovely ambience. However, consideration for a new customer arriving for the first time is really poor. There is no indication at the door whether one must wait to be seated or not, so the first option is just to stand in the doorway, in the way, and feeling foolish. As no staff member approaches, second option is to move to an empty table with menus on it. Catch the eye of a staff member who is not friendly, to be told snappily that the table is reserved. Nothing on the table to indicate that this is the case. Table with one chair in the middle of the floor and flow of traffic offered. No query as to whether this would suit. Sit for a moment, feel really uncomfortable so stand up and leave as requesting an alternative table does not seem like an option, due to the unfriedliness of the staff member. If one must wait to be seated, this needs to be indicated. If a table is reserved, this needs to be clearly indicated. Two easy fixes. As for the unfriendliness of staff... perhaps that person was just having a bad day. The next experience at The Lime Tree might be lovely.

28/07/2026: What a lovely little cafe. Decor really nice. I had a chicken Caesar wrap which was lovely. & a bowl of soup. My partner had a blt which he said was really nice & soup. When we arrived we were told the fryer was broken so no chips. Bit disappointed but the food was lovely so no big deal. I will be back to try the chips!! We also tried the rhubarb lemonade and omg it was gorgeous. So refreshing and had a very sweet taste!! We also had warm apple pie which was lovely. believe it had an outdoor area and is dog friendly. I would definitely recommend this place. Plenty on the menu for everyone. I thought the price was really good too for what we got.