Quietly situated just off busy Henry Street, Gary Fitzgerald and Maria O'Sullivan's lovely restaurant is an oasis of calm in the heart of Kenmare.
A respected team in Kerry hospitality, they have a long history in the restaurant business and made their mark at a number of top destinations over the years, including The Park Hotel Kenmare, The Chart House Restaurant in Dingle and the Lime Tree Restaurant in Kenmare. Now, having picked the best from their culinary journey, Gary and Maria are doing everything possible to ensure an exceptional food and hospitality experience at The Mews.
The restaurant is enticing, with soft, comfortable lighting creating a relaxed ambience. There are plenty of plants and screens breaking up the space - a rectangular main room with an arch leading to two smaller ones - while a gentle grey, cream and white theme, good paintings, classy table settings and candles all set the scene for what is sure to be a memorable evening.
You will get the warmest of welcomes from Maria and the best of food from Gary, beginning with freshly baked breads to enjoy with an aperitif - a cool Tio Pepe sherry perhaps? If you're lucky, there may be a gorgeous Gouda and spring onion bread to nibble while you read the menu and hear about the evening's specials.
There is plenty of Irish produce included on the menu and a good starter choice for a first visit might be a Trio of crostini: Dressed Dingle crab and shrimp with avocado salsa; Duck wontons with plum chutney; Blue cheese with hummus and chilli jam - offering three gems for the price of one, and so much easier to choose - or maybe the Killorglin ‘sasta’ black pudding wrapped in filo with apple and quince preserve, kaffir lime leaf jus.
Main course are well balanced, offering a good range of Irish meats, poultry and local seafood. Specials will always include fish, while other favourites may include a summery dish of Oven roasted rump of Slaney Valley lamb, with ratatouille of vegetables, confit fennel and thyme jus, or a popular pork dish of twice cooked belly, with spiced ginger cabbage, cider jus, and fig chutney. Quality ingredients are paramount, the cooking is excellent and everything is appealingly presented.
Try to leave room for dessert - a refreshing Rhubarb and white chocolate panna cotta, perhaps, with orange sorbet and amarona cherry cookies, or an Eton Mess style sundae with strawberry compote, crushed meringue, vanilla bean ice cream, toasted hazelnuts and crisp praline.
Service is top class - friendly, well trained staff have time time for a chat, and to explain the specials and anything else you may need.
An excellent wine offering is a good match for the menu and includes some organic wines (a Jean Busquet Malbec from Argentina, for example), champagne and fortified wines. A glass of port would round the evening off well, and it is nice to know that the bill will be good value for the quality of the food, service and delightful surroundings.
Although a relative newcomer to Kenmare, The Mews hit the ground running when it opened in 2015 and is proving a great asset to the town.
