The best restaurants in Kilkenny

22/12/2025: Great location, Gerry is a brilliant host, room was clean and comfortable, bathrooms could do with a little facelift but clean and functional, breakfast was delicious....we will definitely stay there again

05/12/2025: I rarely leave reviews, and now I'll be honest this did happen a while ago. But the experience was so bad it's actually stuck with me, I think about it a lot. I believe it actually changed the course of my life, if I didnt go to rafters that morning for the fry with my friends id be a different man... a better man. But the service was so bad it tainted me. I hear the waitress' shrill voice everytime I close my eyes. "A cappuccino?" she says to my friend quizzicaly, "but id have to make that... just for you" she screeches. Followed by a torrent of obscenities and abuse. I thought the experience was over but then the slop arrived. Lads honestly I cant even put into words how bad the entire experience was, from the start the place was dead empty and she was still trying to run us out the door, saying the guests would be awake soon and there'd be no room for us, 40 minutes later still waiting for the grub and not a sign of a guest... it actually had me thinking we weren't real for a bit, that we were wandering spirits only she could interact with. But then the amount of abuse she muttered at us anchored me back to the mortal realm. The overall experience was 0 stars, but the strangeness/funniness of every interaction in there and the fact we get such a laugh talking about it gives it 5 stars on the banter scale

25/12/2025: Our reservation was cancelled 3 days in advance, even though it had been made weeks ago. The reason given was a system error.

07/12/2025: Dined at The Hound as part of my stay at Mount Juliet and I cannot emphasize how amazing the entire experience was. From the complimentary bread, to the locally fished trout starter. Everything was absolutely divine. Highly recomnend booking at table !

13/09/2025: Great spot for a pint also they do an amazing no frills lunch that is super tasty, fresh and fast. Certainly worth the stop.

26/09/2025: Today I was in SuperValu in Thomastown getting cigarettes for my husband and myself when I reached the till and I was struggling to get the right word out the operator was visibly annoyed with me, I found this to be very disarming, secondly I handed over €51.10 for cigarettes when the change was thrown back at me and I was told she didn’t want it, I found this very disrespectful and unprofessional behaviour, if the same person is there again the next time I go to the store I will not go near them as I do not appreciate the attitude of them it’s absolutely unnecessary

12/08/2025: Really just a glorified corner shop. Basic enough and not somewhere I’d consider doing a weekly shop. Free parking is plentiful.

28/11/2025: Had the best time. Shoutout to Mia and her father. The Otter Bar was a highlight of my trip while traveling Ireland. We originally stopped in for a bite to eat but ended up getting take out delivered to the bar from another village. “The people of Inistioge are hungry!” I’ll cherish the memories. Spice bags and Sláinte!

18/07/2025: A lovely country pub will definitely return they facilitated delivery of food for us for which we were grateful no other food options available

11/08/2025: Traditional Irish music session on the first Friday of the month. All musicians welcome. Well worth a visit. Roaring open fire on the colder nights. Pool table. Large smoking area. A hop, skip and a jump from where the library was on John's Quay.

08/08/2025: Lovely spacious spot to socialise

30/07/2025: Have had the pleasure of eating here twice over a few days. Brunch/Breakfast on a busy Saturday... pancakes excellent with bacon and maple syrup. And a kids portion of Nutella pancakes all went down a treat We had beetroot and avocado toast which was lovely could have eaten more. Was nearby for lunch on a second occasion and the food didn't disappoint. Burger and fries where tasty. Kids sliders and chips went down a treat. Missed out on dessert as it was closing time. Coffee was good. Both occasions staff where very nice and friendly service was quick. Will be back!

24/07/2025: Had the most amazing birthday breakfast for my wife at Doppio’s and couldn’t fault a single thing. The staff were warm, welcoming, and made the whole experience feel relaxed and special. We ordered the full Irish and the blueberry pancakes both were absolutely delicious. Perfectly cooked, great quality ingredients, and full of flavour. The pancakes especially were a real hit fluffy, fresh, and packed with blueberries! I’ve also had lunch here in the past, and the steak sandwich still stands out as one of the best I’ve ever had served on a rustic baguette, packed with flavour, and cooked just right. Consistently great food, lovely atmosphere, and fantastic service. Highly recommend Doppio’s it’s a gem! 👏🍳🥩🫐

13/08/2025: A lovely spot for lunch. Friendly staff and lovely fresh homemade food. Spotlessly clean and fairly priced…

07/04/2025: Best panini I ever had, duck, hoisin sauce, spring onion and mozzarella. Top class.

22/12/2025: Tony was the best bouncer ive ever met fair play to him

21/12/2025: Food was scandalous. Cheap packet ham & chicken on a club sandwich .... avoid for food

31/12/2025: We dined here on new years eve as part of the supper club. There was a 7 course meal, each one well crafted with artsy flavour and garnish. The service and atmosphere were fluid, everything exceeded our expectations. Excellent!!! Thanks Ash, Julien and Lekker team.

09/11/2025: I went here for the first time on Friday and wow I wasn't disappointed. I got the build your own breakfast, excellent value for money the mushrooms were absolutely amazing. There was a great selection for breakfast, The staff were very friendly staff I will definitely be returning again.

18/12/2025: We all had delicious food. This was my second visit travelling through Kilkenny in a week, a treasure of a Café.

23/11/2025: Don't recommend the tapas, the pork belly is particularly bad. Employees are quite condescending too.

22/11/2025: Well what can we say? Each and every dish was so good! Especially the fish course. Not much of a fish person but Lady Helen converted me! We were full by the veal course but it was so good that we finished it. We did not go for wine pairing but ordered a bottle between the two of us. I meam the wine was lovely. Every time we come to Kilkenny, we come to the Lady Helen. Thank you again and can't wait to be back!

19/11/2025: The best Michelin restaurant I've eaten at. Will come back for sure. Every dish was amazing. And the wine pairing was unbelievable. I can't say enough about the chef. Not one dish disappointed us.

03/10/2025: The staff are friendly and the food is good

14/07/2025: Very good restaurant with a traditional atmosphere