+353 56 779 0655+ Add websiteImprove this listing
Hours
Sun
16:00 - 21:00
Wed
16:30 - 21:30
Thu
16:30 - 21:30
Fri
16:30 - 22:00
Sat
16:00 - 22:00
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Ratings and reviews
4.5
Travellers' Choice 2024
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Food and ambience
Local cuisine, Steakhouse, Irish, European, Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options
Does this restaurant offer highchairs for toddlers?
Details
About
Serving the finest steaks and cocktails in an intimate contemporary atmosphere in the heart of Kilkenny City.
PRICE RANGE
€10.00 – €40.00
CUISINES
Steakhouse, Irish, European
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options
Meals
Dinner, Drinks
FEATURES
Reservations, Seating, Highchairs Available, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Free Wifi, Table Service, Non-smoking restaurants, Gift Cards Available
Top 3 reasons to eat here
Sponsored by: Butcher Restaurant
1. Great Steak and Service
"Steaks were superb as was the service and friendly attitude of staff."
TomTier
2. Ambience
"Decor is top notch, modern industrial"
GospelJon
3. Great Cocktails
"Cocktails are top notch"
Ashleemcg
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4.5
542 reviews
Excellent
440
Very good
55
Average
22
Poor
16
Terrible
9
Bird Dog
Ireland276 contributions
Jan 2025 • friends
Top class as always, we skipped starters although I did notice the mini taco’s which are delightful were not in the menu ? The steaks were fantastic , 3 of us had 3 different steaks and the were all excellent . You pay for quality and the food , service and asmosohere are all top class. Sides are huge and need refining or a suggestion of sharing. Our waiters were element and whilst I always feel we over change for wine in Ireland they have a distant range of very drinkable wines in the low €30’s range. If you are a first timer you will go back, we travel regularly from Carlow, it is worth the excursion. Whilst the probably do have a vegan or vegetarian choice my suggestion is this is not for you, every other restaurant is for you . Probably the best steakhouse in the south-east it not Ireland but very hard to get a booking . Don’t change anything and with the reduction is Vat coming it will be 4.5% cheaper going forward .
Written 18 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ian R
18 contributions
Favourite Review
Feb 2024 • family
Great restaurant.
We had dinner here after been let down from another restaurant.Should have came here first. Steak was fantastic and reasonably priced for the standard that it was. Everything we ordered was lovely.Service was spot on.Cant wait to go back.
Written 26 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Garbhan M
Western Ireland19 contributions
Nov 2023 • couples
We had a really wonderful meal. My fourth time back in about 2 years and the consistency is excellent. Couldn’t think of any constructive criticisms even if I tried.
The people are so attentive and accommodating, the food is to die for with great portion sizes and I found it to be good value compared to other cities too. Thank you all so much
Written 3 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Luarena maria H
33 contributions
Jan 2025 • family
I have been dining at butcher since it first opens. It is always been superb I haven't been for 1 year due to illness. So I was delighted to guess a chance to go ladt week With my daughter.
Who goes almost every week to butcher. I have to say I was very, very disappointed.
The Burger which is usually juicy and full was 1/2.lThe size now and tasteless and served with frozen cheap thin chips, Not the usual twice cooked homemade chips that they usually do and that everyone talks about. It's one of the things that I loved about butcher, thosecamazing chips. But they have stopped doing them and cut their costs by using cheap frozen chips that you can get anywhere in a supermarket. If they were charging half the price I would understand but they're prices are very high in comparison to other places so I always expect the best. I had a Flat white coffee afterwards which was more like milk with an essence of coffee in it. This is not a flat white. Someone needs to go and learn how to make proper coffee. I won't be returning unless they Go back to the quality that there was before.
Written 22 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jenny
1 contribution
Oct 2023 • couples
Firstly, it cannot be disputed that the food is gorgeous here but they're are some things I am slightly dissatisfied with.
I had originally booked a Saturday but an unforeseen emergency came up at the last minute and I contacted the restaurant. I do acknowledge I only contacted the restaurant five hours in advance of my booking but unfortunately you cannot plan emergencies. The restaurant accommodated moving our booking to an alternative day, which I appreciated but to be told on the phone "you're not leaving me with much time are you". For a situation I was already upset by, to be told this for something out of my control simply isn't good enough. The lack of customer service and empathy on this occasion was disappointing.
On the actual visit to the restaurant the customer service was good I can't fault it they were prompt with replacing drinks etc and it was busy so we understood the wait times.
The pricing of the menu I have to say is a little excessive. I understand it's an upmarket steakhouse but we have been to many steakhouses that have been much better value for money. €25-€32 for a steak which isn't bad however, this is just a basic steak only. No chips no veg etc not even some onions beside the steak. A portion of onions would cost a further €4.50 which I have to say is excessive considering an onion in the supermarket costs roughly 0.60 cent even factoring in cooking costs and other expenses it's priced excessively.
Finally, despite the service being good when paying, the waitress made a point of pointing out the tip facility on the card machine. We always tip however this was an extremely uncomfortable experience as the waitress was watching as we tipped which added a level of pressure to tip more after we had spent a lot of money there already. It did not leave a good customer experience.
Overall, the food here is gorgeous but the above mentioned issues would put me off coming back if I'm being completely honest.
Written 8 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Siobhan M
1 contribution
Jun 2023 • family
Given the price tag I expected a lot more from our dining experience. The food was very good but at €30 for a fillet steak, with no side included, you would expect nothing less. I had a starter of parfait which is probably the nicest I’ve ever eaten. A lot of positives here but unfortunately many negatives also. We were greeted by a rather unfriendly blonde hostess. The service we experienced was very hit and miss. We waited a half hour between starters and main courses with no explanation. When an issue with the bill was queried our blonde hostess went from unfriendly to extremely rude very quickly. I was actually shocked by the tone she took with me and it turned what should have been a pleasant dining experience into one that I would not repeat nor recommend to others. I couldn’t fault the kitchen and of course the food is fundamental to the success of any restaurant however the service is just as important. This restaurant is let down majorly by believing its own hype and providing sub par levels of service. An extremely overpriced dining experience with service that didn’t match the price tag.
Written 4 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sammy Ryan
Thurles53 contributions
Dec 2024 • couples
Booked a table for 4 pm, my wife and I got a night away and we were making the most of it. We had eaten here before, to be honest I won’t be rushing back.. service was extremely rushed, it was dark no atmosphere and to charge 30€ for a salmon is outrageous. I am baffled
Written 1 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susannah H
2 contributions
Jan 2025 • family
Every time we eat at the Butcher the food is delicious and the experience is super. This time unfortunately, we were really let down. Having been snowed in all week, we popped in at 5.30pm on a Sat to see if there was any chance of getting a table for my family and I. She said we could indeed have a table but they need it back before 7.15pm. This really suited us as we weren't planning a long meal. We were celebrating my son's 14th birthday as we didn't get to celebrate because of the heavy snow recently.
We didn't order starters just mains only for the four of us. They took order order very quickly and the food came very quickly. We ate at a normal pace, our kids aren't small so it was all very straightforward. It took a while for our plates to be cleared and we asked for dessert menus. About one minute after the menus were put in front of us, the lady at the front of house literally stormed over to us and said "I need the table back, I have a big queue of people outside, I need you to be finished in 20 minutes". I was really embarrassed as I thought we must have forgotten the time! She said she'd take our order now and I didn't order anything for myself because I didn't want to delay us any more but we'd promised the children dessert so they and my husband just ordered plain icecream as it would most likely be the quickest. When she stormed off we looked at the time at it was only 6.26pm! I was so annoyed. They had said they needed the table back before 7.15 and we were certainly well on track to finish before that.
Then it took about 15 minutes for the icecream to arrive. The kids were so stressed out that she was going to throw us out before they could finish their dessert. It was such an unpleasant end to our dining out experience.
As always, the food was delicious and we completely appreciate how busy it is there. They're all usually brilliant at concealing how busy they are, they move things along quickly but always very politely. The rest of the staff were lovely and did just that. It's such a popular restaurant and for very good reason. We usually book but just not on this occasion. If they were too busy they should have just said they didn't have a table. We still would have been super fans.
It's difficult to give a low score to such a great restaurant but it's amazing how being rude to customers can completely ruin an evening.
Written 11 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Globetrotter201026
London563 contributions
Aug 2024 • couples
The restaurant wasn’t quite what I expected. The environment was extremely noisy, making it difficult to have a conversation with my partner. The atmosphere felt almost chaotic, with staff moving around quickly, which made it hard to relax and enjoy a drink. The limited time at the table likely contributes to this fast-paced and somewhat stressful feeling.
While the meal was nice, it was cleared away rather quickly—some dishes were even taken before we finished. The chips served weren’t the chunky variety, but more straight-cut. Overall, the staff were friendly, and the food was good, but not exceptional. Having dined at many steakhouses around the world, this wouldn’t be my first choice. I believe that a different atmosphere could significantly improve the overall dining experience.
Written 2 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Curiosity09814954545
4 contributions
Sept 2024 • family
To all the team,
We are still marvelling in you all!
We had our wedding dinner here (our REAL one!). Forty-five guests left ecstatic!
We know how hard the hospitality/restaurant business is at the moment but we both agree that we could not fault anything from start to finish. From the initial meeting with yourself, to you agreeing to open early to accommodate us, the warmth and kindness on the day and of course it goes without saying, the quality of the food and service. Everyone is still talking about it!
For people that love their food it was always going to be difficult for us to trust anyone to host our wedding meal but you all looked after our nearest and dearest in such a wonderful way that we will be forever grateful so thank you!
Written 8 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tim
Ireland23 contributions
Oct 2023 • couples
Lovely restaurant. Small but busy .
Very attentitive staff no long waits for food despite everything cooked fresh .
Really nice menu and really good steaks so fresh and tasty .
Yes it's expensive but the service and quality of the food and the drinks is great ,had the butcher sour cocktail was so nice you could say drinking them .
Written 10 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
choco1616
Waterford4 contributions
Aug 2024 • family
Just want to point out the steak is fab but for the price was smaller than I expected.
Food way over priced unfortunately,
2 mini croquettes 12.50.
Says "home fries" on the menu which I dont think they were, was expecting big chunky homemade chips to go with the steak for the price, that was a big let down.
But dessert was lovely and cocktails too.
Written 31 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BMgorm
6 contributions
Jan 2024 • family
First time eating here and really don’t get the hype. Loud , lots of staff which is good and should make for a less rushed atmosphere but everything and everyone was in a rush. There seemed to be a sense of urgency in the room more like somewhere that was short of staff. Having booked our table and paid the deposit and been advised of all the rules regarding cancelling, reducing numbers at short notice how many different ways to lose your deposit and the 1 hour and 55 minute allotted time you can have the table for I was expecting an amazing meal. I had the beef bourginon . It was tender and tasty with one baby carrot one piece of celery 2 baby potatoes and some luke warm mashed potato , puréed like baby food . My partner had a strip loin he said it was only ok nothing special about it except the price once you add on €4.50 per side as all you get with the steak is the plate it comes on . Our other family members had a steak and a farmer burger again fine but no WOW factor for the price. We all had a glass of wine which was good and desserts were fine nothing amazing. One other thing was the seating 5 of us in a booth which meant 3 on one side so the middle person was quite squashed while eating with elbows banging. Would recommend asking for a proper table when booking for more than four covers.
Written 12 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chantelle
1 contribution
Nov 2022 • family
Reservation was made for 6:45 of a Saturday. Out for a family dinner, a table of four. We ordered our food, to be left wait over an hour to be served. After the wait, we were conscious of rushing to finish our meals as we were informed we would have to be out by 8:45. Which gave us an hour to try enjoy your our main, dessert and drinks. My partner ordered a medium rare steak, and received a medium cooked steak. To prevent waiting another hour my partner ate the steak very unsatisfied. Dessert came around, we weren’t offered the menu again. To be served by a foreigner woman, who later on to be found was the Manager of the restaurant. This woman came to a table speaking foreign with no awareness of everyone understanding what was being said at the table. She came over assuming relations, and nationality’s, clearly. Which made people feel extremely uncomfortable and excluded. When my partner asked for a menu we were told there wasn’t a dessert one, and proceeded to then speak English after several minutes. A title ‘ manager’ at such an expensive restaurant should have more customer service skills, and capabilities to read a setting that suits all and makes everyone feel welcome. I will not be back to this restaurant as I was very disappointed with the service and the food at such a rate.
Written 26 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LIAM O
Kilkenny37 contributions
Feb 2024 • couples
Excellent food, very busy dining room, attentive and courteous staff. Found the booking process a bit long winded. Also they could do an offer to combine side dishes to give better value
Written 4 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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