The Kings Mill Restaurant — Restaurant in The Municipal District of Callan — Thomastown

Visited for lunch today for first time with 3 friends. Scenery is absolutely beautiful and weather was great so we sat outside after going inside to place our orders. I have to say that the service was utterly shambolic. It took forever to get our drinks and even longer to get our food. Each person got their food and drinks at different times and there was alot of back and forth with the server until we got the very simple drinks we had ordered. One person in our party waited a full HOUR before they got their food...which was just a goats cheese salad!!!! I had a panini which was just awful. Worst I've ever had. Zero filling in it, barely heated and no flavour whatsoever! The icing on the cake was when we got the bill. We were charged €12 for 4 slices of garlic bread (which counted as 2 portions)!!!! Yes...at King's Mill it costs €6 for 2 slices of bread with garlic butter on it! This is outrageous by anyone's standards. Also the panini is advertised at €6 but when the bill arrived, the charge was €7. When we queried the prices we were told "yes...its because of inflation". Whilst the scenery is beautiful, we experienced absolutely dreadful service and rip off prices. The owner (who was extremely pleasant) refunded us the cost of the garlic bread as a gesture of goodwill when we complained...but we shouldn't have had to complain in the first place! As a local, I will not recommend this place to others because I feel it needs enormous improvement. The service was terrible, the food was just OK (but the panini was really awful) and €6 for 2 slices of garlic bread is a disgusting rip off. I'm giving it 1 star for the idyllic scenery...no...

Let me start by saying that I rarely take time to review restaurants. I have visited Ireland 4 times, have eaten at many fine restaurants (including those which are Michelin rated), but this is hand down the best dining I have experienced in all of Ireland. There is nothing about this place that isn't short of incredible! From the moment you drive up, you'll be amazed at the stunning view of the Mill and nearby river from the parking lot. The restaurant itself has retained all of its historic qualities, while being welcoming and romantic at the same time. As fantastic all of this is, it's secondary to the remarkable food and service. I am truly sad that I found this place on my last day in the area. I wish I had words to explain how good our meal was, but I do not. The freshness and quality are second to none and I can only assume this is due to sourcing local ingredients. Chef Marcel and crew are able to transform seemingly simple dishes to a level what I would consider to be fine dining. If you are anywhere near Kilkenny and don't take the time to visit Kells and The Kings Mill, you have truly missed out. I will always plan my trip around visiting this great establishment. From the waiter, to the manager, to the Chef, I cannot thank you enough. Dining at The Kings Mill has been the highlight of our trip. I wish you all the best and look forward to dining...

I absolutely love this place! The Mill is so beautiful and the setting on the Kings River is magical. The food is almost always excellent. I say "almost" always, because the last few times I've been there I have noticed the quality is not as good as usual. I love the warm goats cheese salad, but they had done it so much better last year. I stopped ordering it after the last couple of times. The goat's cheese was served in one large piece instead of the three little scoops they used to have. The salad was also much skimpier. I don't know if they have a different chef or what happened. I also love their garlic bread which is usually very crispy and oozing with garlic butter, but last week when I ordered it, it was dry and unappetizing. Also, the last two times we went there, we waited over 30 minutes for our food. They didn't seem to be that busy, so I do not know what the hold up was. I only point out these things as I am hoping their service and quality does not decline, as sometimes happens with good restaurants. Overall the food is delicious and I would highly recommend the restaurant for its service and quality. It is a hidden gem in the village of Kells, and on a warm sunny day you can sit outside and have a delicious pizza and a cold beer or a glass of wine. Or just coffee and dessert. There is no better location in Kilkenny...