The Falls Restaurant Kenmare

Very disappointing.

When dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant the baseline experience; the food, the service, the ambiance, all should be exceptional. Our dining experience was far from it.

When we were seated, the waiter asked our group whether we had any allergies. My wife has a sulfite allergy and mentioned this. It was hard to tell which dishes contained sulfites from the menu, but we noted the inclusion of wine in some of the sauces. When our main courses were brought to the table, each plate was artistically presented. Except my wife’s. She’d ordered the cod dish and that’s what she received: a lump of grilled cod with no decoration, no sauce, just the fish. She also received a dish of disappointing steamed vegetables just like you’d get at a pub. The contrast with the other plates was dramatic.

We asked the waiter to go back to the kitchen to ask for a pitcher of sauce. He returned and told us that “everything in the kitchen contains sulfites”. Also, he said, the chef prepares the sauces in advance, so he could/would not provide a sulfite-free alternative. Astonished, we suggested that it would be trivial to make a beurre blanc, without vinegar, but the waiter reiterated his previous comment. We told him to take the dish back to the chef and to bring a replacement with sauce and a dish to the standard of the others. He begrudgingly took the dish away. After everyone had finished their course, he returned, with another lump of cod and the world’s smallest pitcher of an unknown creamy sauce. When I say small, it was Barbie-sized. And the plate was not decorated. Clearly, the chef didn’t give a damn and only paid lip service to the request.

We’ve dined at Michelin-starred restaurants where the meal was so fantastic, we’ve talked about it years later. The Falls Restaurant experience is also memorable, but for all the wrong reasons: the chef’s failure to accommodate a guest’s request, the defensive attitude of the waiters, and the poor resolution without an apology. This could have all been avoided had the chef gone to the effort to provide a dish of comparable quality, presentation, and taste as he did for the rest of the table.

I’ll also add that the evening was a birthday celebration. Our friend had asked for specific items to be included. The restaurant did none of these things.

Based on the positive reviews, you might think that this is an anomaly because of a picky eater, but you should ask yourself whether the attitude of the chef and sta

A truly wonderful experience! We were so well looked after, the service was warm, friendly and very professional from start to finish 🥰 The restaurant is beautiful and very comfortable with plenty of space. The food was the highlight though, with amazing flavour combinations and so beautifully presented! We will definitely be back!

Fine dining at its best. Gorgeous room, beautifully appointed and comfortable. Staff 5⭐and stunning food.

Expensive - Yes. Worth it - YES

With thousands of bottles of wine, a wine lovers paradise.

This is also where breakfast is served from 07:30 to 10:30 , also a beautiful experience. Fully table service. Exceptional.