Full of character and old world charm, Greg and Emily O'Mahoneys' delightful restaurant is in a 200 year old Irish cottage and, with original features like a big open fireplace with an old black kettle hanging on the traditional crane, it’s the stuff that dreams are made of - especially as it's also a great traditional music venue so you can enjoy a few tunes after dinner.
Greg trained at Ballymaloe Cookery School and his background is in fine dining so, although the ambience here is cosy and relaxed, there’s the expertise and commitment of a serious chef behind everything undertaken at the Milesian.
Carefully sourced local ingredients have always been the foundation of Greg's restaurant menus, focusing on what’s in season and at its best - with seafood and Kerry mountain lamb taking pride of place of course, but also locally grown vegetables.
In 2015, exciting developments at the Milesian saw the opening of their new café and deli next door - and, best of all, the large garden at the back presented an opportunity to grow their own organic fruit, vegetables and herbs for the restaurant, as well as providing a lovely outdoor dining space for customers (with special attention paid to scaled down furniture for little people).
The Garden Project is Greg's pride and joy, and it's beautifully laid out for maximum production (including ranks of raised beds, and fruit trees and vines being trained on the back wall) while also being a relaxing space for customers to enjoy.
The café and deli serve lovely casual daytime food - gourmet sandwiches and wraps, gorgeous salads, Ariosa coffee (roasted in Co Meath) - and the evening restaurant continues to offer great contemporary cooking and terrific value, especially on the early dinner menu.
The Milesian has been one of Kerry's hidden gems for years, but not any more. The opening of the café, deli and garden has made it a must-visit destination - and an all year one too, which is great for the local area.
A place well worth knowing about when touring Kerry - but do book for dinner, as the restaurant is understandably popular.
