Mcleary's Restaurant

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#8 of 205 Restaurants in WaterfordIrish, Seafood, €€ - €€€

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Mcleary's Restaurant

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About

Features

CUISINES

Irish, Seafood, European

Meal types

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, After-hours

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

FEATURES

Accepts Credit Cards

Free Wifi

Full Bar

Highchairs Available

Reservations

Seating

Serves Alcohol

Table Service

Wheelchair Accessible

Location

121/122 Parade Quay, Waterford X91 Y582 Ireland

Is this restaurant wheelchair accessible?

Yes

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4.5

841 reviews

Excellent

568

Very good

184

Average

Poor

Terrible

carmel o

Dublin5 contributions

McLeary's restaurant - good food!

Jul 2024 • family

Enjoyed dinner here last night with husband and son. I had delicious fish pie with side salad , son pleased with sirloin steak, husband chose fish and chips, fish fresh and tasty. Very good food with friendly and professional service and a good price. Would recommend! Just be aware they don't take bookings, walk in only. Jordan's pub 'American Bar' next door with a good pint of Guinness if you have to wait on table.

Written 3 July 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.

Manni1c

London14 contributions

Fabulous restaurant

Oct 2024 • friends

We're here in Waterford visiting family and wanted to go out for dinner on our last night. Someone suggested McCleary's, saying it was very nice. I am so glad of the recommendation. Everything about this place is lovely, the staff, food and atmosphere of the place. I had black pudding and bacon starter and it was beyond delicious. My husband had scallops and he too was very impressed and said they were delicious. We both had seafood pie for our main course and again absolutely loved it. I would highly recommend this place and will definitely go there again when we are next in Waterford.

Written 24 October 2024

denisbird3

San Jose2 contributions

Best in Waterford: Amazing food, hospitality, service and value

Nov 2022 • none

My wife and I were on a 10 day trip from California to Ireland, combining business and leisure. We were fortunate to visit Dublin, Galway, Killarney and Waterford and dine out most nights. Of all of the restaurants we visited, Mc Leary's was by far the best in terms of quality, value and service. Kevin, Ken and the team could not have done a better job in facilitating our large group. All of the entrees, from the Filet Steak, Lamb and Fish were first class with an excellent selection of wines and draft beer. Would definitely put this restaurant to the top of my list for any families/couples travelling to the South East of Ireland from America and beyond. Irish hospitality and contemporary food at it's finest - Denis @ San Jose, CA

Written 7 December 2022

Chris B

Kellyville49 contributions

Wonderful meal for those looking for high quality Irish cuisine,

Jul 2023 • couples

This restaurant deserves every praise. The food was wonderful, the service was prompt and cheerful. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, The specials were unique to Ireland but interesting showcasing the fresh seafood on offer as well as the creativity of the chef. Would recommend this place to anyone looking for a high quality meal at a reasonable price and you certainly don’t walk away feeling hungry!

Written 28 July 2023

Conor O’Mara

Ballitore1 contribution

Amazing.

Nov 2024 • couples

Went with my girlfriend, we experienced the best service we could have asked for from all the staff. She was shocked that the staff would take her jacket for her. Food was incredible, the Filet steak is perfection. Could not recommend this place any more, one of the best nights of my life and very fairly priced based on the quality and service you’re receiving!

Written 13 February 2025

LondonRaT

London67 contributions

Nothing to hake about this place

Sept 2024 • couples

A pretty much perfect meal, with nothing really to complain about! Probably more 4.5. We were looking for some seafood and stumbled onto this place near the river. Immediately welcomed in and shown to a table which was great as the place was busy and we hadn’t booked! Fabulous menu options available with the surf and turf selected plus specials board where the hake and mussels chosen. The hake option was delicious, well balanced and fresh, although the mussels were a bit on the small side. The’ turf’ was cooked as requested and was also great. Both were served with tasty potatoes and veg. Good selection of wine available at different levels, although more choice by the glass would be appreciated. Plenty of dessert options available but we were full. Very pleasing and professional service throughout although being called ‘lads’ each time was interesting given only one of us was!

Written 23 September 2024

Susan K

Ireland33 contributions

A great find in Waterford!!!

Feb 2023 • couples

Fabulous service and excellent food. Goats cheese parcels were divine and chicken wings cooked to perfection. The steak was delicious, just good food served well Staff were very friendly and excellent service. Lovely restaurant very relaxed and well organised. Would definitely recommend a visit 😊

Written 5 February 2023

Karmarama

Cork13 contributions

Absolutely fantastic! You should go here!

Aug 2022 • family

We were three generations of family (4 adults and 3 children) ranging in age from 77 to 2 and each of us was absolutely thrilled with our experience here. The restaurant is currently operating a walk-in only policy and we were fortunate to get in just minutes before the main Friday evening rush. The continuous stream of people coming in was testament to the high quality experience being offered. The meal was outstanding and only overshadowed by wonderfully kind and friendly staff who were second to none. We were greeted by an extremely friendly host and served by a very kind, patient and friendly lady. The children’s menu is very good and it is varied. While offering the usual standard options, it also includes delicious fish goujons, curry, mini seafood pie! The adult menu was equally varied and equally as delicious. I opted for fillet steak which was divine. It has to be one of the best steaks I have had in a very long time. The other adults opted for the salmon and monkfish options, both of which got rave reviews. The children’s dessert menu is limited to jelly & ice cream but they gladly served a mix of desserts to the kids, one requesting strawberries with ice-cream and another enjoy the dessert of the day (cream, ice cream, strawberries and mini homemade meringues). The adults opted for this, the brownie and sticky toffee pudding, all of which were quickly devoured. The restaurant also has a full bar. This has been one of our best dining experiences in recent times and I commend all the staff on doing such an amazing job. Thank you so much. We will return the next time we’re in Waterford and we will definitely be recommending it to friends.

Written 5 August 2022

Stacy Hall

38 contributions

Charming restaurant with excellent dining

Jul 2022 • none

On the Quay in Waterford, McLeary's is a must for any visitor. Specializing in steak and seafood; the seafood is fresh and prepared to perfection, and the chicken and steak dishes were similarly marvelous. I regret that I did not have dessert! Varied menu of not too many options and a fantastic wine selection. The staff were knowledgeable, attentive, and very friendly. I've already started to plan my next trip to Waterford so that I can return to McLeary's...and have that dessert!

Written 23 July 2022

Ivy

Vienna36 contributions

Aug 2024 • solo

I was lucky to get a table for dinner by coming in at around 6, as they don't take bookings. The waitstaff was attentive and fast, without being overbearing. Dishes were delicious, the steak came exactly as ordered. The atmosphere was nice, every table was able to have a chat, but the restaurant wasn't too loud overall. Great layout.

Written 25 August 2024

Drjbow

Newport47 contributions

A Waterford treasure

Jul 2023 • family

We hadn't booked but there was one free table that the owner waved us towards. I could tell I was going to enjoy this meal already. He was dressed the part as a proper Maitre D. We were shown the specials board and found there to be Black Sole on this night. This is Dover Sole. We went for this immediately. It was beautiful ( although served rather strangely with croquette potatoes ) and the vegetables were good as well. The carrots seemed to the writer to have been "shown" a flavour of caraway which was delicious. We had a chocolate desert that was also very tasty. All in all, a very good meal. Thanks very much. I will recommend it.

Written 12 July 2023

Phillip N

Dublin90 contributions

Absolutely fantastic

Jun 2021 • none

We ate here on a nice evening outside and I have to say this place is doing such a great job when restricted to outside only service that we'll have to return when we have the opportunity to eat inside when it's a little more cozy. Everything was wonderful here, the staff are extremely attentive and polite. The service was great and the food was fantastic. We had fried tempura fish for starter, I had fillet steak and my wife had penne pasta carbonara all of which was amazing. The desert of Lemon Cheesecake wasn't bad either. All round wonderful experience and cannot recommend highly enough.

Written 23 June 2021

LauraDaveJames

Solihull5296 contributions

Excellent Food

Sept 2023 • couples

This restaurant is a bit difficult to visit as they operate a “walk in” only policy. It is therefore not possible to book. It worked okay for us as we visited quite early on a Tuesday evening. I’m not sure how it would work on a Friday or Saturday night. We really enjoyed our visit. We both had the whole plaice special fish dish. The food was excellent. The staff were really friendly and helpful.

Written 18 October 2023

wendy

1 contribution

Wouldn’t recommend for baby or small children

Aug 2022 • family

I would not recommend for anyone with a baby or young child. Waitress made us very uncomfortable she was over with dustpan and brush every 5mins cleaning up around my son in the highchair to the point that I stopped handing him food. When I asked if there was changing facilities she was very abrupt with her answer No! As soon as we finished our main course we left paying at the bar. The service was very fast and the food nice but the overall experience left a lot to be desired

Written 5 August 2022

James O

Cork1086 contributions

Nice Setting, Good Service, Beautiful Food

Aug 2020 • none

Called into this restaurant at lunch time on the recommendation of a local as we were passing through Waterford. The restaurant is sited overlooking the quays and is spaciously laid out and spotlessly clean. The menu is varied with something for everyone and the specials board included items such as Black Sole on the Bone etc. The service with I believe to be a vital component of any dining experience was friendly yet professional and efficient, being attentive without being obtrusive. I had the tempura scampi which came as a generous portion and was well presented with a side of fries. My meal was delicious and my requested the addition of a tartar sauce over the chili sauce included was resolved without issue or fuss. My partner ordered the chili prawns which she found equally succulent. A lady at an adjoining table ordered the Fish and Chips which looked exceptionally well and I would suggest well worth a try. We were only there for lunch yet I would not hesitate, indeed I would look forward to returning for a full meal if I was anywhere near in the future.