Joe Watty's Bar

Someone from this business manages this listing.

Learn More

1,081 reviews

#2 of 6 Restaurants in Inishmore€€ - €€€, Irish, Bar, Vegetarian friendly

+353 86 049 4509+ Add website

Write a Review

Hours

Sun

12:00 - 0:30

Mon

12:30 - 0:30

Tue

12:30 - 0:30

Wed

12:30 - 0:30

Thu

12:30 - 0:30

Fri

12:30 - 0:30

Sat

12:00 - 0:30

Improve this listing

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

1,081 reviews

#2 of 6 Restaurants in Inishmore

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

Local cuisine, Irish, Bar, Seafood, European, Pub

“Local lobster is always a welcome treat.”

“The mussels were outstanding, the seafood chowder fairly good, the fish & chi...”

“This was really good also, as were the salmon rolls to start.”

“The good was very good (the mussels being a favorite) but essentially good (n...”

Location and contact

Kilronan Inis Mor, Province of Connacht H91 N889 Ireland

+353 86 049 4509

Improve this listing

Can a vegan person get a good meal at this restaurant?

Yes

Unsure

Details

Manage this business?

About

Joe Watty’s Bar is a welcoming local bar with good food, music & craic. The bar is well placed in Kilronan Village, at the cross-roads to Dún Aengus and the Seal Colony. When you drink at Joe Watty’s, you drink with the locals. We offer you a ‘Ceád Milé Failté’ to Joe Watty’s, one of the Islands Oldest and most Traditional Pubs, where you may relax and unwind in front of a warm open fire with a pint of Guinness or Irish Coffee. Located at the cross-roads that lead to Dún Aengus Fort and the Seal Colony, and only 300 metres from the Pier.You may wish to sample our ‘Traditional Island Bar Food’ of locally caught Lobster, Crab, Mussels, Fresh Fish, a variety of Meat & Vegetarian Dishes and Homemade Desserts.Watty’s Is Famous For Its Live Music Sessions.Live Music Nightly: May - September And At Week-Ends All Year.Bar Food Daily 12.30 – 21.00hrs.So for the best of Craic, Food & Drinks its got to be Watty’s.

CUISINES

Irish, Bar, Seafood, European, Pub

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, After-hours, Drinks

FEATURES

Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Live Music

Contribute

Write a review

Upload a photo

Ask a question

We perform checks on reviews.

Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews

Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.

When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.

Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.

Learn more about our review moderation.

4.5

1,081 reviews

Excellent

662

Very good

253

Average

Poor

Terrible

heyimmaegen

Larne571 contributions

Dog friendly and tasty even when busy!!

Aug 2020 • none

I came here after Joyces bus hop on/off tour for a quick bite to eat with my dog, there was a little queue but I got an outdoor seat after about 10/15 mins. I ordered the chicken burger which was really tasty - the chips reminded me of school dinner chips but were OK. It was a little expensive at €14,50 but I expected it on the island. The other meals also looked really tasty and the staff were so friendly.

Written 15 August 2020

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.

pjf186

Hi Heyimmaegen, Thanks you for your review, we are glad you enjoyed your meal, we hope you enjoyed your trip to the island. Slán go fóll

Written 5 September 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

NKS2

316 contributions

Master Class in Hospitality

Aug 2020 • friends

Joe Watty's is leading the way in delivering top quality service, food and atmosphere during the C19 pandemic. The new rules were clearly explained, tables and chairs sanitised between customers and all delivered with a welcome hard to surpass. I had the mussels two days in a row. Delicious 👍

Written 4 August 2020

pjf186

Hi NKS2, Thank you for your review, we are glad you enjoyed the mussels and we really appreciate your kind words, we are working hard to keep things safe while maintaining a high level of service. We hope you enjoyed your trip to the island. Slán go fóill

Written 5 September 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Caroline1710

Listowel29 contributions

Hats off and a big ‘bualadh

Jul 2021 • none

Hats off and a big ‘bualadh bus’ 👏🏼 to the extremely hard working staff of Joe Watty’s. Myself and my two adult nieces dined there Sunday and Monday night, Sunday night because we had heard it was good and Sunday night because the other restaurants in the Long queues on both nights but you could have a drink while you were waiting. The ‘bean an tí’ played a blinder and got us seated and we were fed quickly enough. Had steak on the second night and it was excellent. Very hardworking staff all round, 10/10 to everyone in Joe Watty’s!

Written 27 July 2021

Hall

County Dublin1 contribution

Jul 2020 • couples

Waited over an hour for the table, given the circumstances at this time due to COVID-19 we did not mind. However , the lady who was in charge of sitting arrangements was very very rude .. it made us quite uncomfortable. After an hour waiting, we were on top of the line, and the lady in charge was going to give the free table to the people behind us. Meanwhile, as there was 20 people waiting a table .. the locals were allowed to skip the queue and the rules in relation to ordering a substantial meal did not apply to them. We were kicked out after 105 minutes(lady in charge told bouncer to kick us out)- I did not mind as this is new regulations however the locals who had been there longer were allowed to stay. This island relies on tourists and in which I do not think we were respected in any way shape or form in this restaurant. I would NOT recommend this place

Written 9 August 2020

pjf186

Hi Hall, Thank you for your review, we hope you enjoyed your meal with us. Unfortunately the government guidelines for covid restrictions dictate that people are not to remain for longer than 1h 45mins which is why you might have been reminded that the time limit was up at 105 mins. While we do not know the exact circumstances or date of your visit, we have had a couple of customers try to flout the rules and not appreciate our implementation of same. If you were asked to leave then we might assume that you were trying to stay beyond the 105 min limit. We apply the same rule to everyone who dines here whether they are local or non local. Also we do not serve alcohol to anyone without them ordering a meal to the value of €9, so your assertion that 'the rules in relation to ordering a substantial meal did not apply to them' is absolutely false, we have been very strict with this rule since reopening. Anyway, we hope you enjoyed your trip to the island. Slán go fóll agus go raibh maith agat arís

Written 5 September 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

FarAway290722

2 contributions

....

Aug 2020 • friends

I ordered the seafood chowder it was one of the worst seafood chowders I have ever eaten, full of herbs, no prawns or mussels in it and peppers floating around..I mean peppers in a chowder I’ve never seen the likes! And for €9!!! Also the customer service was so unwelcoming and very strict and uncomfortable in regards covid regulations, felt like the time was been counted throughout our meal. Also we went outside to finish up our drinks but were shortly told to leave. We only ate here once and never went back, once was enough for us!!! The worst food we have had in a long time! None of us had anything positive to say about the food and there were 5 of us!!

Written 3 September 2020

pjf186

Hi FarAway290722, thank you for taking the time to review our Fresh Aran Seafood Chowder. We are sorry you didnt like the herbs in the chowder. We would also point out that its not customary to have prawns in chowder necessarily so we feel this is an unfair point and we know that your description of having 'peppers floating around' is just a lie. We are being very careful with implementing the Covid guidelines in the interests of the safety of our staff and customers so we are sorry you weren't happy that we implemented these rules. We hope you enjoyed your trip to the island in any case, slán go fóill,

Written 5 September 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Billyhillbilly

2 contributions

Very disappointed

Jul 2020 • family

Food was disappointing asked was the goats cheese going to be warm told yes but it was cold. Frozen chips, fish not great, frozen chicken nuggets. Spent over 100 euro on family meal there less than an 1 hour and was asked when were we leaving even thou part of the cov-id government guidelines you are allowed stay for 1 hr 45 min. Staff were not friendly very disappointed by the way we were treated.

Written 29 July 2020

pjf186

Billyhillbilly A Chara. Many thanks for taking the time to review your visit and I regret for you it was not a good experience as we would all wish it to be and perhaps if you would have made us aware of your dissatisfaction we might have been able to do something about it. I know it was an awful day heavy rain and loads of people trying to get in from the weather, but we must stick with the Covid-1 9 protocols and that means 105 minutes maximum time per sitting, when you came in and were seated your name and contact details would have been taken and from that time the clock on 105 minutes would have started ticking, you would have been reminded also on 90 minutes that you had 15 minutes of your time remaining if you still required it. I find it hard to believe that any member of the waiting staff would say a Cold Goats Cheese Salad would be warm, we do use frozen nuggets, we use fish that is supplied by locals, we do not use frozen chips we use Chilled Chips. Once again I regret your unhappiness with your visit, you can see from other reviews your experience would not be the norm, but I feel I needed to correct some of your points in your review. Le meas, Joe WAttys.

Written 1 August 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

PRRoche

16 contributions

Nice dinner

Aug 2020 • none

We ate here one night over the August BH weekend. We had read great reviews about Joe Watty's and were eager to try. No pre booking as per covid regulations which we didn't mind. We arrived to the restaurant with a queue in front of us again no problem. After a few minutes another person waiting in the queue told us they had waited the previous night for an hour and half and didn't end up getting a table. A staff member came out to say we would not all get a table and offered takeaway to some larger groups. Luckily after only half an hour of waiting we got a table inside probably down to the fact there was only two of us. Lovely atmosphere inside, adhering to covid regulations with sanitisers and screens - we remarked on the screens around the bar they fitted in with the decor beautifully. We ordered brie and goats cheese to start which were delicious and baked fish and the burger for mains, which was nice but average if I'm totally honest. We skipped dessert and enjoyed two Irish coffees. Staff were very very friendly and obliging and we didn't feel one bit rushed. Not sure I would be rushing back for the food but most definitely would for a drink at the bar for the atmosphere alone.

Written 20 August 2020

pjf186

HI PRRoche, Thanks you for your review, we are glad you enjoyed your meal, we hope you enjoyed your trip to the island. Slán go fóll

Written 5 September 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

MilosBrain

Dublin45 contributions

Tourist trap.

Sept 2021 • none

I am a vegetarian who had dinner at Joe Watty's the other night. The goat's cheese salad wasn't available but they offered a haloumi version instead. So, it being the only available veggie dish on the menu I gave it a go. I got a plate with some nice leaves and a lump of haloumi straight out of the Tesco packet, slightly warmed on one side. It was inedible. I have never seen a piece of cheese served with so little regard for the consumer. The following night I met a friend for a pint. We didn't sit at the table we wanted because there was a sign that said "Locals sit here". The locals never came to that table all night, maybe they were embarrassed by the extremely offensive sign? Anyway, I went into the bar to order a couple of pints and was shocked by the attitude of the young barman. He gave me the drinks with a look of intense dislike, told me what I owed him, took the money...no smiles, please or thank you. He was unwelcoming, hostile and rude. All in all, this joint has lost it's notions of service and hospitality. It sees tourists as cash cows who there to be fleeced with the minimum of service. The only polite staff seemed to be the foreign eastern Europeans who served the tables. The Irish staff were just awful. As an Irishman, I find this embarrassing.

Written 19 September 2021

PJ F

MilosBrian. Sorry your visit to Joe Watty's did not live up to your expectation. I do take on board some your constructive criticism as I always welcome such, but your review carries so much sarcasm also that it makes a mockery of your review in my view and not worthy of further comment. Le meas. Joe Watty's.

Written 21 September 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Foodie

Cork55 contributions

Grand

Sept 2020 • friends

Catered for a big group of people so we were delighted when we got a booking. Half the group loved the food & other half were not happy. I got the baked cod with mashed potatoes and it was lovely. However, the fish & chips, curry & burger did not have the best feedback from the group so wouldn’t recommend these for the price your paying. Was delighted to have an aperol spritz here as well! The owner was lovely and gave lots of information about the menu. A grand spot if in Inis Moir for the night!

Written 7 September 2020

Emma W

Chicago1 contribution

Horrible food and service

Jun 2022 • family

My husband and 2 kids stopped here for lunch recently. Even though it wasn't busy we still had to wait nearly 15 minutes for a server to come and take our order and then they were rude and hardly spoke any English at all. When the food actually came, the order was wrong so had to be sent back again so we had to wait even longer. The burger was disgusting and tasted like rubber. My husband had fish and chips, the fish was absolutely rotten and certainly not fresh. Portions were also tiny so we were still hungry despite forking out nearly €100 on food and drink. The Guinness was good though but overall it was a bad experience. Very hard to communicate with staff or get their attention, maybe the fact they were all foreign because I didn't hear one Irish accent which was highly disappointing. I wouldn't recommend this pub to anyone.

Written 25 June 2022

PJ F

A 810emmaw, a chara, Thank you very much for your review, we are pretty sure we remember you and we also remember that you were told on arrival that you would have to wait as we were serving two groups. Obviously this wasn't good enough for you and you have come up with this piece of fiction. With regards to our level of English some of us do get mixed up when putting sentences together, I do even get mixed up with grammar and punctuation sometimes too, ..agus ná bac le mo chuid Gaeilge, bím meascaithe suas go minic le mo chuid gramadach freisin ach ar aon nós níl muid uilig perfect mar a dearfá. While we do make out beef burgers on site with premium quality mince meat, we are intrigued about the rubber burgers you mentioned, perhaps you had them somewhere else but it wasn't here. Our fish is in fact supplied by islanders and is fresh but you might have a different definition of what 'fresh' is. Ar aon nós go raibh amith agat le do léirmheas, slán go fóill

Written 5 July 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Global302388

Oughterard9 contributions

Americans beware

Jun 2021 • friends

After waiting in a long line, my friend and I tried to order food & drinks from Joe Watty’sl The man taking orders said we could order in a “few minutes” and told us to step aside so he could take care of the hungry & thirsty people. We were hungry and thirsty, and this man literally refused us service. Everyone before us and a line was served, as well as everyone after us. We were polite enough and stepped aside while we watched everyone else receive food and drinks. The only reason I can think of that this man would not serve us is that we are Americans. It was very hurtful and upsetting. I hope that no one else has an experience like this. (The only positive I can think of is that their bathrooms were clean)

Written 7 June 2021

PJ F

Diana a chara, Thank you very much for your review, we are very happy about your comment on the toilets as we had them done up over the lockdown and we are happy to see this noticed. On the other issue where you say you were refused service, ..apparently for no reason, we apologise if you feel you didn’t have a good experience in the queue here. Firstly I must state that we take issue with your reasoning that you might have been overlooked because you are American and we assure you this is not the case. We welcome thousands of Americans here every year (particularly in non-covid times) and we are always delighted to see Americans visit our island and especially to welcome them to Joe Wattys. Indeed we have cousins of our own in the US and we have the US flag flying outside Wattys almost every day..including this weekend when you visited, so I can assure you that you were not and would not be treated differently because you were American. Regarding your issue with being refused service, none of our staff recall the issue you have described. I also find it really difficult to imagine that you got to the front of the queue and were not served for no reason. To be clear, you are saying you got to the front of the queue and were told by a member of staff that you should step aside for a few minutes because they had to serve other “thirsty, hungry” people behind you, is this the case? Are you leaving any more information out of this story? Incidentally we did have a phone call in the last couple of days from someone who wanted to book a table for a birthday dinner and they were very unreasonable when told that we couldn’t take the booking and were rude on the phone. We are not currently taking bookings due to the nature of the government guidelines. We have been very busy since opening despite the novel setup with serving takeaway and only serving outdoors however we have been and will continue to do our best to serve everyone we can within the government covid guidelines. We hope you otherwise enjoyed your trip to the island, slán go fóill. Le meas, Management.

Written 8 June 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

JACK

6 contributions

Terrible Food

Jul 2022 • friends

Waited 15 minutes before anyone acknowledged us. Waited almost 3/4 of an hour for food. Asked for onions only on a child's burger but waitress said chef would not do, instead I got a horrible piece of bacon on it. Steak definitely not worth the money and wasn't great, chips were burnt. Ordered lattes left them behind us. Definitely won't be back for food but the atmosphere in the pub area lively. Waitress was nice but run off her feet. Very limited menu.

Written 18 July 2022

catinahat87

Galway33 contributions

Best place to eat on Inis Mór

Jul 2021 • couples

Had a lovely lunch here. It's busy but the service is outstanding, the whole place runs like clockwork and they turn over the tables very quickly. Food is lovely and reasonably priced considering it's on an island. Most of the tables are sheltered which is brilliant with the combination of Irish summer weather and Covid. Don't leave it too late if you want dinner here though, it's advertised as food til 9:30pm but we arrived at 7:30pm and their kitchen was closed.

Written 24 July 2021

Tibby6

Ireland17 contributions

Disgraceful food for the price

Aug 2022 • couples

Visited here with my husband. The only positives I can say were the host who was very nice and the 2 men playing music were brilliant. However the food was disgraceful, I ordered the goats cheese salad, €18.90 and my husband had the fish of the day and chips, hake €19.90. The portions were tiny, no presentation, just completely taking advantage of tourists. While the goats cheese itself was lovely, the salad was big lumps of peppers, ordinary salad tomatoes and lettuce. The chips we got were the cheapest of chips, awful. No wonder we are known as rip of Ireland. I have no problem paying expensive prices for food, but give great food. On speaking to locals while we were out elsewhere this place is known for this. We have been reccomended by several locals to try The Bar restaurant.

Written 8 August 2022

David S

Dublin4 contributions

Great spot for lunch, dinner or a trad music session

Sept 2021 • none

Joe Watty's bar was one of the best places I have ever been off the coast of Ireland. We got to meet the man himself and were served excellent local baked hake for lunck by grace and advised expertly on craft beers by Marek. In the evening we wandered back and were delighted to find that an impromptu trad session had broken out with great if rusty musicians from Arran Island and foreigners from the mainland, fiddle, squeezebox, bodhran and whistle were deployed and enjoyed. They hadn't played for 2 years due to some small global event but we couldn't hear any bum notes and we hadn't seen live music for just as long. Next time I go I expect to see some bucklepping too. An unforgettable experience.

Written 29 September 2021

…

Showing results 1-15 of 935

As Featured In