Kilkenny Design Centre

A Treasure Trove of Irish Craftsmanship - Kilkenny Design Centre My visit to Kilkenny Design Centre was a delight! Located in the historic Castle Yard, this centre is a must-visit for anyone looking for authentic Irish gifts and unique souvenirs. The beautiful courtyard, National Craft Gallery, and working studios of silversmiths and craftmakers make for a fascinating experience. Highlights: - Exceptional Products: Quality Irish goods, including handmade crafts, clothing, and homeware - Friendly Service: Helpful and knowledgeable staff - Dining Options: Delicious food and coffee in the restaurant and café Tips: - Visit during weekdays for a quieter experience - Explore independent shops near The Castle Yard for more authentic artisanal products - Check out the National Craft Gallery and working studios Kilkenny Design Centre is a treasure trove of Irish craftsmanship, offering something for everyone. Would definitely recommend!

Each time I visit Kilkenny, I make sure to stop in here and see what kind of things they have. There is a great variety of gifts for yourself and your family to be purchased. A great place to shop with a little cafe just down the way a bit. I’ve picked up a nice souvenir ring with the 12 Symbols of the history of Ireland. There are other items as well such as candles, skincare (Green Angel is my fav.), other jewelry pieces, and more.

Really disappointed with a visit to the Kilkenny Design Centre today. Toilets not clean or tidy. Food was grossly overpriced: €18 for two tasteless portion of salads (carrots clearly grated days ago, zero taste snd rubbery texture) and smoked salmon (which was an excellent hence the two stars instead of just one). The tables were all dirty and floor was dirty too. Two slices of cake also tasteless and disappointing. The lot for €32!

The Kilkenny Design Centre does gather a number of artisan goods into one store, but it seems to be pitched towards the tourist market. There are nice products, but they do not highlight the small Irish artisans and focuses mainly on some larger makers. Would try some of the independent shops especially on the back of The Castle Yard.

I always hesitate to leave negative reviews however I am still awaiting an order placed on Dec 1st, a gift for a birthday which has now passed. Kilkenny customer service has been useless, same generic answers, no ownership and certainly no concern whatsoever. Very disappointed, this was a €600 item.

This is a great place to grab a bite or do lots of shopping of not your typical souvenirs. There are various artisans who have their studios around the courtyard of the centre. Walk through a passageway and in front of you Butler House will appear, where you can go for afternoon tea.

Beautiful grounds to enjoy a walk. Metal museum had lovely pieces to see. Did not stop for food or shopping.

Hello, I brought my two children here to the downstairs cafe a few days ago at lunchtime. I have to say I was very disappointed with the standard. I am not sure if it is a look but the cutlery in the baskets was grubby and the plates and cups all had a brown layer on them. We left half the egg sandwich as it was very tasteless with the bread stale on the edges. Visiting the upstairs gents toilets I was very surprised to find how dirty they were both the floor and surfaces. The cubicle even had graffiti inside dated 2023! I can supply the photo. I know they can do better as I have been before. Perhaps even a few wall hangings downstairs to take away the roadside cafe feel of reverberating sound from the closed in space? Maybe this is why I was asked by a resident of Kilkenny we were staying with why on earth we went there its only for tourists and not very good.

Lovely restaurant (on second floor) w lots of great homemade options, and several desserts. Shops on first level have sweaters, crystal, and ,more Worth a visit

Lunch was delicious and the servings were very generous. A bonus is the availability of gluten free mains and desserts. I consider the price reasonable considering the portions and quality.

The restaurant is delicious! Soup and bread bursting with flavor. Spinach and pea soup so well seasoned. Chicken and turmeric soup also tasty. Restaurant has tons of windows. Semi self serve so you can see all the offerings. Plenty of yummy desserts.

(11/9/2017) Came here as part of an arranged group tour, had lunch at the Design Center with a prix fixe menu. Really lovely setting, modern, sunny, sleek, but intimate. The Beef Cottage Pie was perfect for a brisk, windy winter day and came piping hot. The vegetarian entrée, an Herbed Potato Pancake with goat cheese and a light fresh tomato sauce was a perfect portion, pretty to look at and very tasty (didn't miss the meat at all). Service was patient, friendly and unobtrusive. They didn't seem to have any problems handling a crowd. Would recommend if you're in between shopping, or need a civilized respite from the tourist crowds at the Kilkenny Castle across the street.

Such a cute shop! Well, actually two shops. They're right across from one another and both are filled with memorable items such as jewelry, scarves, ornaments, paintings, etc. Several of the souvenirs I purchased for my family were straight from this store. And who doesn't love shopping right next to a castle?! (Yes, Kilkenny Castle is literally right across the street.) They also promote the usage of the Horizon card (a way to shop tax free while in Ireland), which was handy for shoppers such as us as we were Americans and could get money back when leaving the country. This wasn't something you had to do, but was an option and could save you some extra cash. I didn't know about the Horizon card prior to my trip, so it's something to check into before your next international excursion.

At the gates of Kilkenny this building is right across from the castle, and it houses a gift shop, coffee shop and bathrooms. Very charming. Kilkenny is pronounced Kill Kenny, like "Oh my God, they killed Kenny."

Absolutely loved the food hereeeee! There is a restaurant above this design shop. You walk in then go upstairs the stairs as you walk up, you can smell the deliciousness! I got the quesadilla, potatoes, veggies, soup & bread with a very yummy tart dessert!! Food is a good portion to the point where you don't even have room to eat dessert but you eat it anyways because desserts look so amazing and taste so great. If you are looking for a lunch or dinner or tea or coffee kind of thing this is your place plus you have a beautiful view of the castle too:)

Great place for some quality Irish products for the home and to wear. We bought a few things here and the choice is good and quality was also excellent.

They have very cool stuff and unique items. Ordered a necklace that had to be made by the designer and they shipped it to the USA in a timely matter. Was one of my favorite places in Ireland!

A very good place to grab a souvenir and something to eat. Although I think it is overpriced, but a good place anyhow. The natural lemonade are delicious.

Located in a beautiful building in Kilkenny just opposite the Castle. It's not cheap but they have a great range of gifts and Irish made products. Out the back are craft shops with Jewellery designers so you are bound to find something a bit different. Worth visiting for the building alone

This is a two part gift shop, one with clothes, the other with cute souvenirs. I found a really cute sweater with a unique design in the clothing gift shop. This shop offers a tax card so that tourists can get a refund back for the VAT charge. I highly recommend getting this card to save some money because things at this store were pricey. Across the way from the clothing gift shop was the arts gift shop. The shops are connected together because as I was waiting in line at the arts gift shop, I was asked if I'd like to go across to the clothing gift shop to pay to avoid the line. Friendly staff and cute unique items in the store.

Located directly opposite Kilkenny Castle, the Design Centre occupies the old castle stables. There are two shops on your immediate left and right as you walk in, each selling handmade goods such as jewellery, clothes and pottery. If you continue walking through you will find many more shops and independent craftspeople's own workshops where you can sometimes see them creating their jewellery and other goods. A hive of activity during the summer tourist season.