10 splurge places in Kilkenny, editor-picked. Tasting menus and the full big-night-out treatment in Kilkenny. All Kilkenny food.
10 places
Order Seasonal tasting menu; the midweek earlybird lunch brings the same kitchen at reduced cost.
Campagne holds one Michelin star in the 2026 guide. Garrett Byrne has cooked with classical French technique at this level since opening in 2008.
Order Seasonal tasting menu drawing on the estate's produce and local Co. Kilkenny suppliers.
Lady Helen has held one Michelin star since 2013, chef John Kelly cooking modern Irish tasting menus at Mount Juliet Estate, 18km south of Kilkenny.
Order Homemade pasta with seasonal sauce; the wine cellar holds over 12,000 bottles from Italian vineyards.
Ristorante Rinuccini has anchored The Parade since 1989, the Cavaliere family importing Italian ingredients and building a cellar of over 12,000 bottles.
Order Crispy duck salad to start, miso black cod or risotto with crabmeat and grilled king crab for mains.
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 Red duck curry and the spicy kimchi chicken ramen; the vegan options are as strong as the meat dishes.
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 Seasonal fish or lamb; the earlybird menu until 19:30 delivers the full kitchen at a lower price.
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 menu from Mountain View farm supply; the kitchen prioritises local artisan suppliers.
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 sharing plates; the wine list leans natural and European with careful by-the-glass selection.
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 Pulled pork benedict at brunch or the spit-roast free-range pork at lunch from the farm.
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 Seasonal sharing plates on local Co. Kilkenny produce; the wine list favours Irish and European.
Stathams Supper Club at the Pembroke Hotel serves built modern Irish sharing plates and hosts a heated outdoor courtyard in central Kilkenny.
Nothing matches.
