Killarney has a vast range of pubs, restaurants, cafés and hotels that serve great food and this compact town means you never have to go far to get fed and enjoy affordable dining. Its position near the ocean ensures that fresh seafood is almost always available.
Along with traditional Irish dining, Killarney also boasts decent Italian, French, and Chinese eateries, and prices here are reasonable. Most tourists forego the restaurant scene in favor of snacking, though, and there is lots of choice for breakfast and lunch.
What to Eat, and Where
There are pubs all over Killarney and these are often the best way to get good, hearty food any time of day. Most of them congregate around the junction of Plunkett Street and Main Street, and there are also good restaurant options all the way up Main Street.
These dining areas are both right in the town centre and accessible on foot, with Plunkett Street a pedestrianised thoroughfare. During the day, pubs offer food from the bar, while focusing mainly on the booze when the sun abates. You also have the choice of numerous cafés during the day, plus the obligatory McDonald's fast-food restaurant.
If you've never tried it, the simple Irish stew is perfect on a damp, bracing day and about the heartiest meal you can get. All restaurants and pubs in Killarney will serve it, along with boiled cabbage cooked with salted bacon - very tasty. Another dining favourite of the region is boxty, a potato pancake served with either seafood, chicken or lamb, as well as seasonal vegetables.
You can, of course, have the national dishes of many major European countries, as well as Indian curries and Chinese noodles. You can also snack at night while listening to traditional music in a pub setting, plus some of Killarney's central cafés also remain open for the duration.
