The Fish Box / Flannery's Seafood Bar — Restaurant in Kenmare Municipal District

On Green Street, across from the noticeable presence of St Mary’s Church is the highly recommended “Fish Box / Flannery’s Seafood Bar”.

I want to start with the best bits, and start off by saying I would happily go here again. The menu noted the Steamed Glenbeigh Mussels in coconut sauce were not always available, the day we were there, they were, and I was very grateful for this. The flavours are well considered, the dish was a standout, I will confidently recommend.

The Buttermilk-Infused Seafood Tacos had zesty, fresh flavours, the fish was on point and they were very filling. I enjoyed them and the mussels very much.

The Flannery’s Fish & Chips came recommended, and were why we visited, the people who ordered them said they were very good. I had a little go and the batter was crispy, the fish was delicious, obviously a good standard fare here.

One of our group ordered the Smash Burger and told us it was exactly what they felt like, it was on brioche, Kerry beef, cheddar, their own sauce - it looked good, so if you’re not feeling fishy, give this a go.

There is a cocktail on the list called a “Woo-Woo”. It is vodka, peach schnapps, lemon, sugar syrup, it was fruity and refreshing; just saying “can I get a ‘Woo Woo?!’” makes it worth ordering - I liked the flavours and it was a fun way to start. I ordered a few Lagers, and on the whole, we all enjoyed the dinner and we left happy and satisfied, but not every dish was a hit.

The Veggie Arancini were only okay, a bit stodgy, but knowing not everyone at the table were big fish people, I thought they were also worth a shot.

The Buffalo Hake Bites with blue cheese and corn chips – we ordered for novelty value, we all love Buffalo Wings, so thought they were worth a try - but having tried them, I’m less sure. Buffalo Chicken Wings are so good, and when served with a good blue cheese sauce, celery sticks and good potato crisps - they are almost the perfect meal. I fell in love with Buffalo Wings in the US back in 2010, and admit to being slightly obsessed with it.

For the Fish Box variation: the Buffalo Sauce was average, the blue cheese sauce, and the corn chips were too. I honestly couldn’t tell who made a Buffalo Sauce and Blue Cheese Sauce that they loved so much they had to put this on the menu. It was like something that a stoned Uni student had thrown together with jars of stuff they found in the cupboard.

I kept trying to give these bites another chance, but my dining companions gave up after one. I’d go as far to say that it might be worth the kitchen re-thinking what they are doing with each of the elements, and getting those right, or maybe even re-thinking why they have it on the menu.

I get they are a seafood place, but making something ordinary, and saying “and it’s fish”, especially when most of the other things on the menu were great, makes it even weirder to serve something that leaves you wishing it was better or something else - this is just my opinion - and can be easily dismissed, but for me, it isn’t doesn’t fit with the rest of what they are doing.

Back to the great bits: the servers were friendly, efficient, and welcoming, and answered our questions and were confident in their recommendations.

On the website, you learn that the Fish Box is a family run restaurant, with fish coming from their own trawler. In the restaurant, there was some art on the wall with a series of boats and dates, connecting the restaurant to the family’s multigenerational fishing roots. The place was full on a busy evening - lively without feeling chaotic. The Fish Box is consistent in how they approach their fish and chips, while not every dish will blow your socks off, it’s a relaxed, familial vibe and the standouts like the tacos, mussels and the fish and chips made it a fun stop.

It can get very busy so it is smart to book in. Go to the FIsh Box and you’ll enjoy good service and laid-back...

“Extremely Disappointing Experience at a Highly Overrated Restaurant”

We visited The Fish Box in Dingle on June 16, based on its high Google rating, but it turned out the worst dining experience of our entire trip in Ireland. The host told us to wait 45 mins to 1 hour and took our name and phone number — yet was rude and sarcastic when we came back to check in politely a few times after waiting nearly one hour. When I asked to speak to the manager, he said he was the manager, even raising his voice and telling us we could leave if we didn’t like it. I told him we were not leaving, because he wasn’t the owner — and I intended to speak with the owner directly. Later, near the end of our meal, I learned that the host I had spoken with was actually the owner of the restaurant and His mother was the chef. Had we known from the start that he was the owner, we would have left immediately.

The food took more than 30 minutes after ordering. Soup was a way too salty, fish was bland, and the experience was not worth the money or time. The only positive was the kind waitstaff.

Would not recommend — hostility toward customers, long wait, excessive delays, and...

We ended up having an incredible meal here—but only because we were persistent. I say that because many others likely would have been turned off by our initial experience.

On our first night in Dingle, we arrived a little before 8 PM (they’re open until 9) hoping to finally try the gluten-free fish and chips my wife had been talking about for weeks. We were told they were full and the host refused to take our name, even as a backup in case others didn’t return. We understand not taking reservations, but it was surprising they wouldn’t even humor a waitlist.

We asked about their food truck, only to be told they didn’t serve gluten-free—except we later found out they do, and had simply run out of fish for the night. A bit of guidance or more accurate info from the host could’ve made all the difference.

That said, we returned the next night and had a fantastic experience. The food was outstanding and the staff inside were warm and welcoming. I’m very glad we came back. The restaurant deserves its high ratings, but there’s definitely room for improvement in communication and guest handling—at least from...