The Shire Bar & Cafe — Restaurant in Killarney Municipal District

I suppose this could be a place that is suffering from the national shortage of staff that is claimed to be affecting the hospitality industry... or maybe they just don't want people dropping in for a coffee. Shopping in town today and my wife suggested we go into the Shire for a cup of coffee and a quick snack. We entered and were assigned a seat by a very polite waitress who gave us our menus. There were approx 5 other groups ( mix of 2 and 3 people). The same waitress came back after 3 mins to take our order which was 2 cups of coffee and 1 croissant, ( I wasn't hungry). So we sat discussing life in general, hearing the other discussions around us, etc, etc. Briefly ran out of other chat discussed other stuff, and then heard the bells from the nearby Friary which rang 12 pm... I realised we had been sitting waiting for our coffees and 1 croissant for at least 20 mins. My wife saw the waitress and reminded her that we were still waiting and she apologised that they were being prepared as we speak. From where I was, sitting i could see that the Barista was on a smoke break and chatting to people he knew as they passed in the Street outside. 25 mins, after we entered we got our 2 coffee's and 1 croissant. ( tip to the owner , check the CCTV if you don't believe me). Drank them down, nice coffee BTW, but I won't be back. I got the definite feeling that this place doesn't want the passing coffee trade and wants people to come on and order a substantial meal worth a lot....

I don't consider some boards (two identical ones) with citates of Lotr and a round entrance a lotr experience, but whatever, I didn't expect much from previous reviews and therefore wasn't disappointed. Now to the restaurant experience: The table and the menu were sticky, the smell wasn't pleasant but might've been my personal feel. We didn't even got to sit, when we were already asked to order, kinda weird. The staff was friendly though. The food and drinks came averagely fast. The quality of food was underwhelming to say the least. The fries were on a level with McDonalds, not crispy at all. The side salad of the burger was flooded in oil. The falafel of the falafel burger smelled after many spices but tasted like literally nothing. Never have I tasted a more tasteless burger. Even loads of salt couldn't help it. All that for 17 euros. No thanks. The chicken of the chicken burger was ok but kind of dry. The joke itself is that burgers don't come with cheese and you have to pay an extra buck just for one slice of cheddar. The best order of ours was the soup of the day for 5 euros. Not amazing but tasty and worth the price. Overall not worth the price, there are better restaurants out here. !!! Don't let yourself get blended by the LOTR experience. Besides the entrance and some basic posters at the side of entrance there is not much to see. No Lotr music is playing or anyone is dressed like in Lotr, basically a scam to attract tourists who like...

A monumental disaster! I visited friends, they recommended the shire for food, in we went with a high expecation. I am vegan, only dish for me was the chickpea curry for euro 16.50. I love curry so did not mind. First: One person got the chicken burger, was served without chips. Also the chicken was dry, but the person did not give out about that and ate it. Ok mistake can happen, told it to the staff, and she came back with some chips laughing it off. Then, my curry: For 16.50 I expect homemade curry, but it was only Mc Donalds Curry, and a chickpea curry with not one chickpea in it. usually you get some garlic naan with it, this was a tortilla folded, and tasted like it is 5 days old. So i wanted to tell the staff that i received chickpea curry without chickpeas, and she looked in my direction 3 times, but was more occupied talking to her colleague at the bar than to come over. so I got up from my chair and went over. showed her, there are no chckpeas, she went like "wtf" and took my plate to the kitchen. So what was done was a can was opened, and the chickpeas were thrown into the curry, and back she was, with a chickpea curry that I would honestly do better!!! my friend got some pickled chillis on the side of her plate, I love spicy so tried one, tasted like mould. That place is a dump! The chef...