Places to eat in Killarney

There is much discussion over which Killarney seafood restaurant is the best, so we opted for Foley's and agreed to try the others another time. We weren't disappointed.

For those looking for an authentic Irish pub atmosphere you'll find it here - the bar is at the front and the restaurant behind that. As you enter you'll be asked first to enjoy a drink in the cosy bar as you study the menu.

The menu is vast without being overpowering. Every imaginable fish is listed in general and can be ordered in any combination or cooking method. In addition to this there are standard specials of the house and I chose from these.

When we were seated at our dining table we all felt that the table was a bit small. However, it proved adequate and when the food arrived it was so good that we didn't mind.

Service was very pleasant and very prompt. Bread was home made nutty brown and fresh.

Favorite Dish: I started with the baked oysters in champagne sauce. The sauce was creamy yet full of air (champagne bubbles, I presume). They were divine.

I followed this with the seafood platter. This was imaginative and different in that the platter was divided in two - the hot fish side and the cold fish side. There were three different kinds of white fish, mussels, salmon, a giant scallop in its shell with more champagne sauce, an oyster in the shell, king prawns, smoked salmon, clams, lobster terrine, and several other fish that I have forgotten. These were garnished with a large crisp mixed salad and served with a choice of baked potatoe, fries, or roast potatoes. I relished every morsel, though there was so much that I almost didn't finish it.

I passed at dessert, but I cannot wait to return to try some more of the delightfully fresh local seafood which is the speciality of this house.

Non-seafood dishes are also well catered for here.

4 more images

G B Shaw's is the steak and seafood restaurant which was attached to our hotel, the Muckross Park, and to be honest we stayed on an extra nigt to dine here as they close on Monday night.

It was great, but not worth staying on the extra night.

Favorite Dish: I started with the risotto. It was a smoked haddock risotto which I parrticularly chose as I adore haddock. Imagine my disappointment when I was served the porcini mushroom risotto that I ate in the hotel's sister restaurant two nights before. It seems that both hotels have the one manager. I had pointed out to the manager on the first night that the addition of the (unmentioned on the menu) balsamic vinegar to the rice destroyed the delicate falvour of the truffle oil. As a result the Restaurant Manager had decided to serve me with a portion of the first ngihts risotto sans balsamic. It was wonderful, but not what I wanted or had ordered.

This was followed by surf anf turf - and excellent combination of two fillet steaks and half a dozen superb prawns. I loved every morsel.

Dessert isd a speciality of Head Waiter Emmanuel, where he prepares crepes suzette flambeed at your table. Wonderful.

2 more images

Molly Darcy's is infamous in Killarney for its very high standard of pub grub.

As part of the Muckross Park five star hotel complex it is open to guests and the public alike and is always busy.

Comfortable, with a wooden rustic atmosphere, service is polite and fast. Part of the hotel complex includes some of the oldest buildings in Kerry and this aged feeling is brought through the pub area.

Favorite Dish: I was having a light lunch, so I ordered the seafood chowder. Out came a large bowl filled with a hollowed out pan of bread. This was filled to overflowing with steaming hot creamy chowder. Excellent, and would leave you wanting for more if only you had room in your full tummy.

Prices are very reasonable, even for pub grub.

4 more images

Our three night package at the Muckross Park hotel included a meal at this superb restaurant. Given that it was an "inclusive" meal we all guessed that there would be a limit on what we could order or a special cheaper menu. No such thing! We devoured one mouth watering course after another.

The decor is rich, colours of red and gold, and gently opulent. Tables are perfectly laid out with crist white linen, silver, and fresh flowers. Staff are attendant without being intrusive - some of them were almost intuitive. You are inclined to feel that you are the only guest.

Our party consisted of three adults and two children and the kids were looked after equally as well as the adults. There was no such thing as a kiddie menu serving chips and sausages, but rather the staff spoke to the kids and figured out what they would like. Out came freshly made pizza with organic vegetables and buffalo mozzarello, then later pancakes with fresh fruit compote, and then home made ice cream.

Favorite Dish: As for us adults.

We started with an amuse bouche of cured black ham served with capers. Made you want more.

I then had a risotto of porcini mushrooms, tomato, and truffle oil. The risotto was perfect with one exception - the addition of balsamic vinegar which almost killed the truffle oil. That was my only fault with the meal.

I followed this with monkfish served on a warm salad of lobster and fennel. It was divine. I would eat it all over again.

I passed on dessert as we had opted for some fruity cocktails at this stage.

We sat down to dinner at 7.30pm and left the table after midnight. By this stage the baby had been lulled to sleep in her buggy and the brave 7 year old was being spoiled by the staff serving him "mocktails" and giving him tours of the kitchen.

I would most certainly be back.

4 more images

This ancient and atmospheric pub and restaurant is perfectly situated just at the entrance to the Gap of Dunloe.

It still retains the old spit-on-the-floor sort of atmosphere without the actual spitting;-)

The menu is basic and ranges from typically Irish stews and bacon to the more modern burgers and chicken. I saw no sign of the seafood that is much called for in this area, apart altogether from the usual fish and chips.

Favorite Dish: I must admit, the food was good. I have to say this surprised me as I wasn't too gone on the atmosphere.

I had the burger which was a half pound of well cooked but moist ground beef served in a bun with a generous helping of salad and chunky fries.

Prices are pretty reasonable, too.

They also have a more formal restaurant for the night.

We arrived in Killarney around 8:30pm and when we asked at hotel reception where to go to get some dinner she replied that most places would be closed by the time we got there! I was thinking that the Irish are late night folk and that we had plenty of time to eat, I guess the late night part only applies to pubs...

We had a look at quite a few menus and were going to eat at Milano, which is basically just a Pizza Express with a different name but it was a couple of minutes past nine at that point and she turned us away. Most of the menus we saw seemed grossly overpriced but at some point I got tired of looking and was ready to eat at Burger King when we saw Salvador's and decided to eat there.

Favorite Dish: We decided to split an entree and an appetizer, the garlic mushrooms (€7.20), filled with garlic cream cheese and tossed in breadcrumbs and deep-fried, were OK and so was the Americana pizza (€16.95) with ham and pepperoni was pretty good but both were overpriced, one of the downsides to dining in a tourist town.

The bill for 2 with only 1 entree, 1 appetizer and 2 drinks was €34.55.

1 more image

As we really didn't have time to sit down and have a full blown lunch, when we got to Cahersiveen, one of the larger towns on the Ring of Kerry, we strolled down the main street in town and settled on Joey's, a very casual pizza and burger place.

Favorite Dish: No, we didn't have pizza, we were interested in a very quick meal so we ordered chili cheese fries and a Philadelphia cheesesteak sandwich. It was satisfying and quick, just what we were looking for.

4 more images

We had dinner here two nights, and breakfast for two mornings. These were all included in our tour and I have no idea what it would have cost.

The breakfast was a normal Irish breakfast which we had at most hotels on the tour. Photo 5 is of the dining room at breakfast.

At this one, there was a buffet where we could get fresh fruit juices, fruit salad or fruit compote, cereal, pastries, yoghurt, breads and preserves. The waiter would taken orders for Tea/Coffee, Toast or Cooked Breakfast which was "Grilled Limerick Bacon, fresh Tomato, Black and white Pudding, Pork Sausages" served with a choice of Fried, Poached or Scrambled egg. My grandson also had French toast.

I didn't take pictures of the first dinner, but photo 4 shows the menu of the second dinner

The tables were set up for four, so at the second dinner, my grandson ate with Scott and his mother and aunt. I don't know what he had.

Favorite Dish: The second night I had the parfait of chicken livers, breaded veal olives and a chocolate dessert which are all pictured.