The best restaurants in Laois

20/08/2026: I came by chance to this pub / restaurant and honestly, the food was worth every penny. The meat is exquisite, as well as the side (home made crispy onions, mushrooms and potato chips). If you wanna have a good piece of beef, you are at the right place.

17/08/2026: We arrived genuinely excited. Beautiful thatched roof, gorgeous from the outside and given the overwhelmingly positive reviews, we were really looking forward to lunch. We walked in to a “Please wait to be seated” sign, behind which were about five members of staff chatting (including two in white shirts, who I can only assume were supervisors or managers). Not one hello, welcome or acknowledgement. Eventually a woman with her back to us grabbed two menus and said she’d seat us. Strange start, but grand. It was Bank Holiday Monday and having worked in hospitality for 10+ years, I completely understand everyone was probably exhausted after a busy weekend. Except… it wasn’t particularly busy. Plenty of empty tables, plenty of staff and nobody appeared under any pressure. The atmosphere wasn't stressed or overwhelmed. It was just strangely indifferent. At one point another customer came in and didn’t walk directly to the “Please wait to be seated” sign. One of the staff in a white shirt joked to the others “I’ll be getting my steps in. Hope they don’t think I’m walking over to them.” That probably sums up how uncomfortable the whole experience felt better than anything else. Then the bruschetta arrived. I genuinely couldn't believe how miserable it looked. I asked my partner whether I should send it back (ordinarily, I absolutely would have). But we'd already been made to feel so uncomfortable and so much like we were inconveniencing the staff simply by being there that neither of us wanted to create another interaction with them. So, in the very Irish tradition of avoiding a scene at all costs, we paid for it instead. And that's probably the most disappointing part. Clearly decent food can leave this kitchen and, with thousands of predominantly positive reviews, obviously plenty of people have had a completely different experience. Ours just wasn't one of them. When a restaurant takes pride in its food and its customers, you feel it. Staff check in, they ask how everything is. And if something poor does leave the kitchen (because bad days happen and mistakes happen) the floor staff are usually the ones who catch it or at least give you the opportunity to say something. Nobody checked how our food was. Nobody asked if we needed anything. The problem wasn't just a bad plate of food, the photo can speak for itself on that one. It was the complete lack of care around it. There seemed to be no standard of hospitality being set on the floor at all and the attitude towards customers felt, at times, genuinely disrespectful. Bad food can leave a kitchen. That's an off day. Making customers feel like they'd rather pay for it than say anything is a hospitality problem. This place missed the mark completely for us and I won't be returning. Beautiful building. Unfortunately, on our visit, the hospitality stopped at the front door.

29/08/2026: Vegetarian option of no beef teriyaki was great. Would eat this and only this next time it was that good 😊👍

28/08/2026: I ordered a Salt and Pepper chicken with noodles. Lakhvir made sure I was extremely happy with my food and the service was outstanding.

21/08/2026: This is my new favourite place in Portlaoise. The food is so tasty and fresh. Flavour combos are fabulous, staff are super and the food quality is consistent, in both the restaurant itself and delivery. I highly recommend this - there's something to suit everyone; from smashed beef burgers to chicken to vegetarian. The quality food leaves you feeling happily full - it's a proper, freshly prepared meal, not fast food. The restaurant itself has been refurbished and the stairs is now wide with relatively shallow steps and a sturdy handrail so it's far more accessible now than what it was with previous businesses.

11/08/2026: Great tasting food, good friendly service. Takeout food is just as good.

24/08/2026: Food here is very good starters and mains top class wine very good not the cheapest place to eat but can't have it every way.

15/08/2026: I had two servers. The person leading me to my table, which they managed on zero notice, seemed a bit shy and maybe new, or grumpy. The gentleman taking my food order was friendly and understanding of my request on dietary issues and smaller portions. The fillet steak is melt in your mouth and everything on your plate complements each other in the best possible way. It's a bit out of a drive for me to dine here. I will definitely come back at some stage. Highly recommend!

20/08/2026: Exceptional selection of Wines, Cheeses, treats and snacks. They do gift hampers and take away coffee. This was my first trip and it wont be my last.

05/08/2026: Has to be the best in portlaoise or even I rather say in the entire county for a excellent selection of great wine,hampers and more. I enjoy getting my weekly wine from here , never had a bad experience and the staff are always happy and very acknowledgable on their wine . There is also great selection of cheese too . I would highly recommend Grape and Bean .

20/08/2026: The food was excellent . Coffee ok. Sat at a window seat. However there were disposable cups napkins crumbs etc left by previous diners that staff did not remove in the 40 minutes we were there, we moved them to one side. The Coffee is a bit expensive. Nonetheless a great premises, friendly staff and atmosphere 👌

18/08/2026: You can tell a good place, by the queues. I go here once a week and the food, service and quality can not be faulted. If you are visiting Laois anywhere it’s worth the spin to try the food, and the pastries.

03/09/2026: Great old pub full of character, had coffee and cake today, you've got to try! Update: Had the Guinness, not bad at all, lacks a little atmosphere but not a bad pub.

02/09/2026: Very old traditional Irish pub featuring many items from the past when Irish pubs and grocery stores were frequently amalgamated

24/08/2026: Great place and really nice pizza

24/08/2026: Delicious pizzas and amazing staff! Thank you! 😊

14/08/2026: The best food I've ever had. Juicy meat. Crispy fries. They met my culinary expectations. Love that place

14/08/2026: Good quality food and service. I got the steak sandwich on one visit which had very little meat in it but still was tasty. Chicken and chorizo pie a separate evening was very good quality.

29/08/2026: Terrible bad service in the bar/restaurant and bad menu choice.

26/08/2026: The Best...good time not to go as the entitled musicians attending EP will be there

04/08/2026: Love stradbally fayre, staff are amazing, always friendly and polite especially Teresa and Ann, always make time for a chat and acknowledge their customers, they are massive assets to the business extremely hard workers top marks to all the staff. Food is super hearty, dishes always so fresh, portions are v decent. Spotlessly clean and the cafe us always well presented as are the staff,. The standards are exceptional. Beautiful little cafe with a lovely community vibe, a little gem in Stradbally town centre ideal stop off for a 🥥 coconut latte my fav, breakfast, lunch and dinners. Super menu👏👏 Thanks and we'll done Stradbally Fayre

28/07/2026: Lovely food and friendly staff always feel welcome

01/07/2026: Great, lively, classic Irish pub!! We had a cousin reunion here when visiting from the States. Jack and Billy were wonderful accommodating our reservation requests. They even helped coordinate food being brought in for us. We really enjoyed our evening here and will definitely visit again when back in Ireland!

30/06/2026: I had my 21st birthday here this week, and the team at Rams was absolutely amazing! They truly made the night so special for us it was truly a night we will never forget. The venue itself is perfect – spacious and family-friendly. I would definitely recommend this venue to everyone!

16/08/2026: When me and my friend got our food there was a hair in the sauce which is okay because she asked for a new one and the lady was very nice but my chicken tenders tasted very sour and like the oil was burnt and it was cooked in it I could only eat the chips it was very unpleasant I just hope u can pay more attention towards stuff like that

06/07/2026: Extremelly slow. Food was very average. Staff nice.

15/08/2026: I never eat my life so amazing salads.So fresh and everything warm bacon and chicken.The chicken was so juicy and bacon great 👍 Well done guys.Ypu did deliver the best.Amazing and healthy more important and with options.I hope one day there will be stake sandwich option also.

12/08/2026: Cute cafe / restaurant. Such a pretty place. Fab menu 😋

18/08/2026: 5/5 Stars – Incredible coffee, delicious food, and outstanding service! If you’re in Portlaoise, Brew Cafe is an absolute must-visit. The coffee is exceptionally tasty, expertly prepared, and presented beautifully every single time. The food is just as impressive—everything is fresh, appetizing, and served in very generous portions at very reasonable prices. What truly sets this spot apart, though, is the amazing team. The staff are incredibly friendly, polite, and attentive. We had a lovely chat, and the level of service was top-tier. We highly recommend Brew Cafe to anyone looking for great food, incredible coffee, and a welcoming atmosphere!

30/07/2026: The place was very nice, the staff were lovely and quick service despite the amount of customers at the time.