Kilted Mermaid — Restaurant in Vero Beach

Absolutely wonderful experience.

I decided to dine here on a whim. Can I just say that was a fortunate decision.

I got a Charcuterie appetizer where there was a Double Gloucester cheddar which was a treasure to find. That combined with a well set up board full of complementary flavors and visually pleasing as well. I asked them for the cheese and requested they make all the remaining elements. They did a stunning job!

This was complemented with a snakebite of Guinness and a cider that was a perfect complement to the board.

The main course was a fisherman’s pie. Quite possibly one of the best I have ever had. The crust was baked onto the bowl and came out piping hot! Crispy and cooked through it was an absolute perfection. The base was delicious and buttery and complemented the large sea scallops, shrimp and fish. Of note to me was that the scallops were perfectly done. I was sure that with all of the different elements that one of them would surely be overcooked. I happily was very wrong. The fish flaked properly and the shrimp were great. Not a hint of any unpleasant flavors, aromas or textures. I expected a bar/pub with ok food and a lot of drink options. Instead I got a fine dining experience with a plethora of dining options that just right and not overwhelming.

I finished this off with a chocolate fondue which is placed at the beginning of the menus and has a quirky introduction that really fits the whole Kilted Mermaids rough and sophisticated ensemble. The dessert was light and fun much larger than I expected completing a whole experience punching way above its price class. A fun and slightly chaotic environment allowed a bit of relative privacy with the live band playing in the background.

Food was great, staff was fun and responsive, the ambience was welcoming and engaging. What a great place to spend a portion of an evening and enjoy well everything. I will definitely be coming back to explore more of the options offered, make some more...

If I could give this place no stars, I would. HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE experience!! It’s a Thursday evening and my friends and I came after a VERY long day of work (12 hour day). We were tired and just wanted a good place to eat. It was between this place and fish shack next door. We decided to try this place since neither of us have before. At first, it wasn’t so bad. Food took awhile to come out, but not big deal. We got through most of our meal and I noticed that my friends both did not have water. I asked our server for more water and he completely forgot. They sat there about 10 minutes without water and ended up finishing their meal before they got another round of water. I then asked a guy that seemed of an authoritative figure and I asked if he was a manager and he told me that he was the owner. I then told him irately that my friends had been sitting there for the past 10 minutes without water. And instead of being apologetic, he VERY sarcastically mocked me. Now, as the owner of a place of business, you would think that they would treat you with some respect. On the contrary. His excuse was “a rush of people came in.” That’s a piss poor excuse. Hire more people then or get your heads out of your asses!!!!! You are a small establishment. A place like Duffy’s is a lot bigger and busier than this small restaurant and their service is far better. Get your service and manners up to par!! WORST restaurant experience EVER!! NEVER EVER, EVER coming back!!

*In response to the owner: You know, I like how you only respond to negative reviews so defensively instead of being professional about it. And I never snapped at you, I waved at you, remember? Because YOU'RE the one that waved back at me...

It breaks my heart to give this place a lower review. By far one of my favorite bars ever and brought countless out of town friends here. This past week was my birthday and my best friend from Boynton drove up so we could celebrate. I've been in Vero for about one year exactly now while most of my friends and family live in Miami or West Palm area. With much confidence I brought her to The Kilted Mermaid with total belief she'd fall in love. From the moment we walked in she was in love and originally we sat outside. Because Florida is Florida, in no time our legs were bitten up. Nothing to do with the place but we relocated inside. At this time the front dining hall was filling up because, it totally blew my mind that their "Beer School" was starting at any moment. We sat on the comfy couches which we ordered a few drinks and fondue that I raved about. Sitting on the lower couch there's few table space except a coffee table. There was no way for us to fit our food without getting up so we turned the table. A server came and acknowledge it and even commended it. Then, I believe an owner came with fury and passively aggressively moved a trunk closer to me shoving my purse as if I was some small child being disciplined. Then he muttered under his breath how he wouldn't be able to fit more customers now. Several times he came back and slightly shoved furniture around. This ruined the whole time though my friend and I were happy to be together anyways for my birthday. Yes the beer school was going on but I felt like a second...