The best restaurants in Castlerea

18/01/2025: We went to this restaurant tonight for a long overdue Indian meal, first impressions were good, the decor was nice and everything looked very clean. We were told that our table was by the window and was round, but if we wanted a different table we could change, we weren't shown to our table or made to feel overly welcome, but we didn't mind, the restaurant was warm, and quiet at the time and we were happy with the window seats. The young lady who was serving and seemed to be the only waiting staff was pleasant and friendly, she brought menus and took our drink orders. We perused the menu which was quite small and not a lot of choice, but the basics were there, to my disappointment there were no karahi dishes listed, I was really looking forward to enjoying my favourite dish, but had to decide on something else, we decided to order poppadoms and dips for starters, which turned out to be approx 7 quarter size poppadoms and a teeny tiny shallow 2 inch bowl of onion salad, definitely not enough for 3 people (I did ask our waitress if we should order more than 1 between us and she said no) and a bit miserable considering that they were just under 5 euros, this was very disappointing as I was expecting at least three dips, just the standard cucumber raita, some mango chutney and onion salad, I would have happily paid a bit extra if these were provided, but my usual Indian restaurant provides poppadoms and 3 dips gratis and serve them immediately on arrival. For the main I chose lamb bhuna, whilst my two companions ordered chicken tikka masala and chicken tikka jalfreizi respectively, we ordered 2 servings of pilau rice, 1 garlic naan and 1 plain naan The waiting time for the main to arrive was considerable, but not to the point of complaining. The portions when they arrived were decent and the naan breads were beautiful. My bhuna was so so, but I wasn't blown away, there was a fragrance to it that I haven't experienced before, and although it didn't stop me enjoying the meal, it certainly didn't add to my enjoyment, I would have preferred if whatever was used to add such fragrance was left out, the naan was delightful though and the rice was cooked to perfection. I tried some of the chicken tikka jalfreizi and it was nice but again I wasn't blown away by it. I didn't try the tikka masala but my friend enjoyed it and said it was good. The ladies toilet was spotless clean and overall I had no qualms about the general aesthetics of the restaurant, but I think a bit of effort could be made with some music playing and a more welcoming atmosphere, I certainly didn't feel inclined to stay any longer than we did, but probably would have ordered coffee and dessert had there been a good atmosphere. I appreciate that we arrived at tea time on a Friday evening, and they were clearly busy with takeaway orders, but I was expecting a bit more authenticity, as I am used to eating at Indian restaurants where that would be standard. I terms of value for money, I would say it was fair to middling, but no more than that. 1 portion of poppadoms and 3 main meals, plus 1 can of Fanta and 2 sparkling waters for just under €80 is not unreasonable, but they really let themselves down with the poppadom starter and lack of atmosphere. Would I go back again? Probably not, I can travel slightly further and spend less for a much more authentic Indian meal experience and a friendlier vibe, albeit maybe not as aesthetically pleasing at my regular Indian restaurant, I would sacrifice aesthetics for the enjoyment of a truly Indian experience, with very friendly staff who treat their clients like visiting royalty over the blandness of bombay palace any day of the week.

18/01/2025: Not what I was expecting after reading other reviews, I eat a lot of Indian food and cook this type of cuisine very well myself, so my expectations were high. On arrival we were asked to wait 2 minutes, and then told that our table was the round one by the window, we weren't shown to our table and had to wait for a few minutes before the waitress arrived with the menus, so our first impressions weren't great. The food was mediocre, nothing special about it, I didn't particularly enjoy my lamb bhuna, but the rice and naan bread, which are both extra as you don't get a side with the main meal were nice. There was only one girl serving in the restaurant floor and they were clearly busy with takeaway orders, so the service fell below my expectations, as did the atmosphere which was bland and quite boring, no background music and overall a feeling of just eat and leave, there was a about the restaurant to make us want to linger any further than the main meal, so we didn't order dessert or coffee. The starter of poppadoms with dips was a bit of a joke, I specifically asked if we should order one each, but our waitress said one would be enough. I couldn't believe what came out to us, a few pieces of poppadom and one teeny tiny miniscule bowl of onion salad, nothing else, no chutney, cucumber yoghurt etc. For a fiver I would have expected at least enough to enjoy the poppadoms with, however we ate most of them dry because we were so hungry. My usual Indian restaurant serves a large portion of poppadoms with 3 dips and it's complimentary, arriving to the table very quickly after being seated. Overall the experience was nothing special, the decor was lovely and everything was very clean, the fact that the building was a post office once upon a time is a big plus and adds to the aesthetic charm, but the food was average and the pricing a little over the top for what you get. I would be reluctant to go back, unlike my usual Indian restaurant which I love for the friendly staff, excellent food and authentic atmosphere.

02/01/2025: Nice food with friendly service.

11/11/2024: I start from this idea: you should never expect much from a fast food / takeaway pizzeria. Cafolla's surprised us as well as saved us! We were HUNGRY so we went and ate there. Surprisingly they make a nice high and leavened pizza dough, something that has been lost in many Italian pizzerias..! I also got a kind of BBQ sandwich with sweet and sour onions and salad in addition to the meat... Very pleasant. Even the chips are real chips made on the spot, without that disgusting fried taste and that's it... They seemed healthier to me. What we didn't like is that, however, in addition to the ingredients displayed for our pizzas, they make "small but significant additions": the corn in my pizza was a bit out of place and the same cooked ham in my partner's pizza is not never been requested... In any case they were very good anyway. I give a 3 to the environment only because the bathroom care is not the best and it is one for both sexes............

17/01/2025: When I moved to Castlerea, I thought that KOSY BAR is the best place to relax in this city, there is a pool table, the service from the staff was excellent, but yesterday, 01/17/2025 I came to the cafe with friends, there were a lot of free tables, we chose a table near to the pool table, we ordered drinks, we were relaxing, and the bartender came and put a sign on our table that our table is reserved!!!! I mean, we are sitting and relaxing and the bartender comes and just puts a sign on our table that our table is reserved, and she replies that we should move to another table, is this normal???? If this table was on reserve, she could have warned us right away, but she simply asked us to go to another place, is this not normal???? Unfortunately, I do not know her name, but I want to say that she treats customers badly and we will not return to this establishment again, I also work in a similar establishment, but I never allow myself such an attitude towards customers. My rating is 1 point, I will never come to this establishment again.

10/01/2025: Pool darts horses, fab atmosphere and reasonable drink prices

21/12/2024: Cold food over priced. Kebabs are tiny pure waste of money

22/10/2024: Basic takeaway food. Eat in option available. Nothing special. Decent toilet, though.