Packies

Packies Review

For many returning visitors, a meal at this busy little restaurant is a quintessential Kenmare experience. Chef Martin Hallissey has leased it from his mentor—and original owner—Maura Foley, who jump-started the Kenmare restaurant scene back in the 1980s. Wooden tables and chairs of different shapes and sizes are crammed into a former high-street shop, the tables set with black place mats. Stone floors and rough-plaster walls are warmed by colorful local paintings and the buzz of expectation among the closely packed diners. The fresh-tasting, strongly flavored food rises far above the rustic setting. The contemporary Irish menu may feature crab cakes with tartar sauce, roast lobster with garlic butter, or rack of lamb with rosemary-and-garlic gravy. Leave room for dessert, which includes homemade praline ice cream and a memorable sticky toffee pudding.