Ristorante Rinuccini is an italian fine-dining restaurant in Medieval Mile, Kilkenny.
Editorially verified May 29, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Must order: Homemade pasta with seasonal sauce; the wine cellar holds over 12,000 bottles from Italian vineyards.
Tip: The Sunday set lunch runs until 17:00 and is among the best-value fine-dining options in the city.
Address: 1 The Parade, Kilkenny, R95 XKR7
Zuni on Patrick Street is Kilkenny's most consistent hotel dining room since 2000, chef Michael Thomas building modern Irish menus on local produce.
Order: Seasonal fish or lamb; the earlybird menu until 19:30 delivers the full kitchen at a lower price.
Tip: Hotel rooms upstairs are a practical overnight; the restaurant closes at 20:45 Monday to Thursday, 21:15 at weekends.
Rive Gauche on The Parade delivers French-inflected seasonal Irish cooking in a room of exposed brick, with natural wines and hearty sharing plates.
Order: Seasonal sharing plates; the wine list leans natural and European with careful by-the-glass selection.
Tip: Open Monday through Friday from 17:00, Saturday and Sunday from noon; the covered terrace faces the castle gates.
Lyla's on William Street is the third venue from siblings Michael O'Neill and Bee O'Grady, sister restaurant to Petronella, with a 46-seat room and Table Six.
Order: Crispy duck salad to start, miso black cod or risotto with crabmeat and grilled king crab for mains.
Tip: Book the six-seat Table Six counter for the chef-led tasting menu with paired drinks; standard service runs Wednesday to Saturday evenings only.
Foodworks on Parliament Street runs a farm-to-fork bistro in a restored bank building, the pork from pigs the owners raise on their own family farm.
Order: Pulled pork benedict at brunch or the spit-roast free-range pork at lunch from the farm.
Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday; open Wednesday through Sunday with evening service from Wednesday to Saturday.
Aroi on Friary Street has been Kilkenny's most-awarded Asian kitchen since 2015, chef Fadilah named Best Asian Fusion Chef in Ireland in 2019.
Order: Red duck curry and the spicy kimchi chicken ramen; the vegan options are as strong as the meat dishes.
Tip: Tuesday Movie Night: a main, gelato and a cinema ticket for €24 per person. Great value for the quality.
Zuni on Patrick Street is Kilkenny's most consistent hotel dining room since 2000, chef Michael Thomas building modern Irish menus on local produce.
Order: Seasonal fish or lamb; the earlybird menu until 19:30 delivers the full kitchen at a lower price.
Tip: Hotel rooms upstairs are a practical overnight; the restaurant closes at 20:45 Monday to Thursday, 21:15 at weekends.
Rive Gauche on The Parade delivers French-inflected seasonal Irish cooking in a room of exposed brick, with natural wines and hearty sharing plates.
Order: Seasonal sharing plates; the wine list leans natural and European with careful by-the-glass selection.
Tip: Open Monday through Friday from 17:00, Saturday and Sunday from noon; the covered terrace faces the castle gates.
Petronella sits in a 1602 building on Kilkenny's medieval Butterslip Lane, serving seasonal Irish cuisine sourced from Mountain View's own farm.
Order: Seasonal menu from Mountain View farm supply; the kitchen prioritises local artisan suppliers.
Tip: Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner; Sunday lunch only. Book dinner at weekends, walk-in at lunch most weekdays.
Lyla's on William Street is the third venue from siblings Michael O'Neill and Bee O'Grady, sister restaurant to Petronella, with a 46-seat room and Table Six.
Order: Crispy duck salad to start, miso black cod or risotto with crabmeat and grilled king crab for mains.
Tip: Book the six-seat Table Six counter for the chef-led tasting menu with paired drinks; standard service runs Wednesday to Saturday evenings only.
Foodworks on Parliament Street runs a farm-to-fork bistro in a restored bank building, the pork from pigs the owners raise on their own family farm.
Order: Pulled pork benedict at brunch or the spit-roast free-range pork at lunch from the farm.
Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday; open Wednesday through Sunday with evening service from Wednesday to Saturday.
Aroi on Friary Street has been Kilkenny's most-awarded Asian kitchen since 2015, chef Fadilah named Best Asian Fusion Chef in Ireland in 2019.
Order: Red duck curry and the spicy kimchi chicken ramen; the vegan options are as strong as the meat dishes.
Tip: Tuesday Movie Night: a main, gelato and a cinema ticket for €24 per person. Great value for the quality.
