About the Author: owla

You’ve arrived in Killarney and you want locally sourced quality food. Here’s where to go:

Yew Tree: For chef John O’Leary, local ingredients are de rigeur – house cured salmon, Ted Browne’s crabmeat, local gamebirds, venison and Kerry mountain lamb, served up with artisanal Cuinneog butter, De Roiste pudding, Coolea cheeses. The dining room uses the Coravin system, enabling you to drink fine wines by the glass. Loosen the buttons on that new shirt before entering.

Bricín: You want fine dining with a buzz? Head for Bricín (‘small trout’ in Irish.) Set in an old building, dine under Fisher’s 18th-century views of the national park. The specialty is boxty – traditional potato pancakes. Fish dishes include crab claws, hake, salmon gratin. An excellent choice for vegetarians, Bricin’s brown bread is famous. Don’t leave without sampling traditional Irish in-house desserts, transporting you back to Sunday lunches with your Irish relatives, if you were ever lucky enough to have any!

Treyvauds: Not feeling the vibe for ‘going on the town’? Try Treyvauds, which is open for lunch. Treyvaud’s colours are gaudy – let the menu tempt you inside. Trained by their father, chefs Paul and Mark serve local delights: Kenmare Bay scallops, organic beef, venison. Each plate is a little work of art. Try the bruschetta, goat’s cheese and mushroom, pork belly or meatballs for mains; then lemon and rhubarb posset and Baileys cheesecake. Drink IPA from Killarney Brewery. Paul’s TV show, “Cooking with Treyvaud,” campaigns for honest food.

Rozzers: Grab a taxi for this country-chic restaurant. Chef Paul O’Gorman is renowned for seasonally inspired small plates. The restaurant displays their food suppliers including Spillane’s Seafoods and Cronin’s Butchers. The menu combines Irish and French styles: Ring of Kerry lamb, Dingle Bay lobster, and Chateaubriand, a constant feature on the menu. Breads are prepared daily. Raw oysters are recommended, or monkfish wrapped in Parma ham. Try rum raisin ice cream to finish! Expect beautiful views.

Gaby’s: Lobster anyone? Then head to Gabys, one of Ireland’s established seafood restaurants. Get cozy at the fire or enjoy an aperitif in the garden. Watch each dish emerge and think, ‘I want to try that!’ Famous for its invention – lobster simmered in a cream-and-cognac sauce and served in its shell – chef Gert Maes offers seafood platters like turbot, sole or Johnny Dory. Beef filet and herb-scented rack of lamb feature on the menu. As they say in Killarney, the food here is “truly savage.”

What to Eat in Killarney, Ireland
48R5+W5W Rathduff
The Municipal District of Birr Leinster Ireland
What to Eat in Killarney, Ireland
48R5+W5W Rathduff
The Municipal District of Birr Leinster Ireland