The Tannery Restaurant, Townhouse and Cookery School

A mixed platter. We stayed at The Tannery for two nights. We were attracted by the promise of excellent food, so booked in to eat on both evenings. Or at least we thought we had, as it soon became apparent that they had lost our dinner bookings. To the full credit of the staff they did rectify this quite quickly. The room was great but the sound proofing was shockingly poor. The couple next door would be embarrassed if they knew just how much we now know about them. On the first night the food was very good and our waitress was a gem. Not so on the second evening. We both reordered the crab brulee,as we had so enjoyed it the night before. Big mistake, it was curdled and lacking crab. The mains were an even bigger disappointment as they were totally lacking in flavour, to the point I began to question if I could have covid. When the young waiter came to clear the plates, asked if everything was OK, I said, actually, both mains were terribly bland, to which he looked at my empty plate and rolled his eyes. Not an acceptable response. We came for fine dining,this was mediocre comfort food and oh so disappointing. Has The Tannery become too complacent ? Needless to say, no one followed up on my comment to the young waiter, either that evening, or the next morning.

This is now firmly on our "must revisit" list. Rooms are only a short walk from the restaurant. Staff are really friendly and welcoming. The food was amazing, I'm still dreaming of the raviolo starter 🥰. All courses were flawless and again the the morning the breakfast hit all the notes. It's location is brilliant, close to bars and the town center.

I ordered mussels for starters, whist they were good, I was well gone through them when the dish arrived for shells another dish with the water n lemon juice but nothing to dry your hands. Desert was nothing to boast about. .The cost was overpriced and I will not return.

We booked a one night stay and evening meal at the Tannery Townhouse.| The restaurant was very good with a nice selection of food. Service was overall good until it came to dessert time. Menus were delivered to the table, but nobody came back to take our order. We could not get anyones attention to take our order. After about 45 minutes, I had to go up to them and ask for them to take our order.|But the food was excellent, as was the breakfast the following morning.|The Townhouse accommodation consisted of a bedroom up a steep stairs. There is no reception area or common area to sit down and read a book etc. It is described as a hotel but it is only a room up a stairs.|The room was nicely decorated but extremely warm during the night. No air-conditioning. The window was open, but the wooden blinds blocked any air from entering into the room. |There was zero soundproofing between bedrooms. Every sound could be heard from the next room. At €210 for B&B, it is well overpriced in my opinion.

Excellent time and stay at the Tannery . We had a cookery demonstration from Paul to begin with ,very relaxed and informative. Then a cook off followed by lunch . Dinner in the evening was super and the guest bedrooms very comfortable and spacious. All in all a wonderful experience |Thank you

I had high hopes for The Tannery, given its reputation and price point, but unfortunately, our experience was disappointing from start to finish. We specifically booked an early bird table for 6:45pm on a Thursday, as the early bird menu was advertised until 7pm. However, when we arrived, we were handed the regular menu. I queried this with our waitress, who told us the early bird had finished. When she returned with bread and water, I showed her the Tannery’s own website, which clearly stated the early bird was available until 7pm. She glanced at it and simply said the website was wrong and the early bird was over—no offer to check with a manager, just a flat refusal.|This was frustrating, as the early bird menu was the only reason we booked at that time. Otherwise, we would have preferred to eat later. Our only options were to leave or order from the regular menu. Since we were on holiday and didn’t want to search for another restaurant, we reluctantly stayed.|Service throughout the evening was underwhelming. The staff were all very young and clearly lacked training. For example, expensive screw-top bottles of wine were brought to the table and opened with a perfunctory “do you want to try?”—not the level of service you’d expect at these prices. The wine list itself was pricey, especially considering the quality and presentation.|The food was generally of a good standard, but not without issues. I had to ask what the “chicken butter” was, and when it arrived, it was so sour it was unpleasant to eat (and I’m not a fussy eater). The rest of the meal was fine, but nothing stood out as exceptional or memorable.|When it came time to pay, I spoke to the manager about the early bird menu confusion. Despite having raised the issue three times, there was no apology or attempt to make things right—just a casual “human error” explanation. No discount or goodwill gesture was offered, which left a bad taste after an already disappointing evening.|Overall, I left with the impression that The Tannery relies on its reputation and steady stream of customers, rather than actually delivering good service or value. It felt like they knew they could fill the place regardless of whether guests left happy. Sadly, a good name only lasts so long, and based on this experience, I won’t be returning or recommending it to others.

Having read rave reviews everywhere, we decided to try the Tannery a few years ago but were bitterly disappointed. I can only assume that it was the main chef’s night off or he/she was sick or something — the food wasn’t even as good as I would cook myself, and nowhere near the quality of what my wife would be able to cook. Sorry to have to leave such a disappointing review but it just reflects the experience we had on the night.

Thank you for exceeding our expectations to celebrate a family event this weekend. The staff were fantastic dealing with such a large group and private dining room was lovely. The food (Sunday lunch menu) was excellent, everyone loved each dish they chose, raved about the oysters and crab creme brulee, trout and hake in particular. Thank you, all made the day very special and we loved it.

We had the luxury of staying at The Tannery Townhouse, experience a private cooking class with Chef Paul Flynn, and dine in the restaurant both for dinner and breakfast the following morning. We felt like royalty the whole time. Chef Paul was brilliant, kind, and supremely funny. And the food...oh the food! You can keep the Cliffs of Moher and the Blarney Castle...to me, Ireland is all about The Tannery.

One of the best fine dinning experiences I've ever had. We booked a night at the Tannery Townhouse, which was literally across the street, to get the full experience and dinner at the Tannery Restaurant. We arrived early and were pleasantly greeted by Marie Flynn. We were given the option of going to our table upstairs early but chose to sit at the wine bar which was quaint and romantic. Marie was great at helping me choose a wine and even came over to offer us the last order of oysters on a half shell, since we were there early and they would have been gone by the time we got to our table to order. Thank you Marie for being thoughtful. Once upstairs at our table, fresh bread arrived with this delicious homemade whipped butter with crispy shallot on top, the secret ingredient will have you go hmm, but the flavour combination is just mind blowingly yummy. The oysters were so fresh and briny like the sea. For appetisers we had the crispy hen's egg, girrolles mushrooms, parmesan cream, smoked pancetta which was warm with a perfectly cooked runny yolk. The Helvick crab crème brulee, spiced pickled cucumber, olive oil toast was so delectable. For our main we both enjoyed the monkfish on the bone, brandade, fennel and orange salad, shellfish cream. After dinner we returned down stairs to the wine bar to finish our bottle of wine and enjoy the romantic atmosphere. It was just such a lovely evening. The next morning we returned for breakfast, as it is included with the room. I eat the poached eggs with black and white pudding which was so delicious. The entire experience was just amazing. Highly recommended for a romantic night away.

As someone who lives in NYC, I must say, I have had a lot of great food in great restaurants, but the Tannery has made it onto my list of favorites! We read about this restaurant and decided to check it out. It was a little out of the way but well worth the drive! The atmosphere is very modern with a twist of the Tannery's history which made the restaurant welcoming and interesting. Everyone from the wait staff to the greeter to Paul himself were very hospitable people to a bunch of traveling Americans. We ordered from the lunch menu and every item was delightfully flavorful and pleasing to our palates. The house wine was also delicious! I had the Monkfish with a salad and fries. The fish was breaded and served with a sauce that had a slight kick to it. The combination was outstanding and the fish alone was savory. The salad was simple with fresh greens and pickles. I didn't think it would be much, but the flavor from the pickles was like a light, sweet vinaigrette. It was so fresh and tasty! The fries were tiny, perfectly salted chips. Very satisfying. In addition to the delicious and satisfying food, the presentation was beautiful. It was very pleasing to the eye, the way the fish was arranged, the salad in a separate small bowl, and the fries in a cup, all arranged beautifully on a platter; it was picture perfect! We are just visiting this lovely country so we had a few questions about the surrounding area. Our server told us about the history of the Tannery and the artwork that was on display (all local!). Paul recommended that we visit a few places and Ardmore was not a disappointment! As we were leaving I asked the hostess if it would be possible for me to take the menu (for my collection) and she was more than gracious. She provided me with a brand new one and a signature from Paul! That may have made my trip! Thank you to everyone at the Tannery and we hope to stop by in the future!

An excellent meal. Food was tasty and beautifully plated. We showed up without a reservation and they squeezed us in. You can dine from the tapas menu on the main floor, too. The place was packed and everyone enjoyed their meal. They were able to accommodate our gluten-free requests and adapt menu items. Highly recommend!

First experience with this restaurant was extremely good. We had not reserved but did find a place in the wine bar where we ate from the respective menu. Food and service were very good. We're going back!

Had a Sunday Lunch there last year. Fantastic Value. Fantastic food. This place is a must visit. The food is innovative yet very accessible, and not at all pompous. Great winelist, great surroundings. What more can I say??

My wife and I had lunch there yesterday and had high expectations. I've read Paul Flynn's The Tannery Cookbook. To quote the chef himself " Taste is the thing......style with no substance is the rock that a lot of chefs perish on". If that is true then the Tannery's chef perished on that rock today. I decided to be unadventurous and have a burger, I can compare that to many I've enjoyed before. Unfortunately the burger was pan fried, ( I asked how it had been cooked), and to me seemed like the pan was not hot enough and the burger effectively boiled in its own moisture. Bland grey with no sear served with an undercooked piece of very salty bacon. Salt it self is not a taste for me but a seasoning that can enhance flavours not overwhelm them. Stylishly presented with no substance! My wife's mushroom pie did however have substance and style and was thoroughly enjoyable. One unfortunate thing was the front of house person, didn't acknowledge us when we came in but with her back still turned to us clapped her hands loudly to summon the server, seems to me a very rude and demeaning way to do it.

What can I say? We had our wedding reception here a couple of years ago. 'Nuff said. Paul Flynn is quite simply a culinary artist and his Tannery is probably one of the best restaurants I've ever eaten in. Worth the trip to Dungarvan just to eat here. Front of house is maintained in a friendly yet efficient manner by Paul's wife Maire whose recommendations you should always seek and take. The menu in the Tannery is very special, seafood is particularly good and, whilst not a favourite of mine, I understand his Crab Creme Brulee is particularly good. I hestitate to recommend anything in particular because the menu is updated regularly but my favourites include 'the' Hake and 'the' Lamb. To die for. The wine list is extensive yet reasonably priced. However, it's not a cheap place to eat by any means but it's constantly busy with a beautiful airy dining room and attentive but not intrusive staff. There is a great value shorter menu if you happen to be in Dungarvan from Tueday through Friday. Nonetheless, you will need to book, especially at weekends. Go on - invent a special occassion to go there, you won't regret it. We will be back again and again

I spent a lovely evening in Dungarvan having one of the best dining experiences of my life at the restaurant and staying at the Townhouse. Every moment of the experience - from the greeting at check in, to the bike loan, to the food, and even Paul driving us to the bus stop the next day - was amazing. We ordered from the three course preset menu. I started with the Duck and Ham Hock pate with brioche, which was simply divine. I then ordered the butternut squash risotto (with sage, mushrooms, and hazelnut) for my entree. It was probably the most evenly thing I've ever eaten. Finally, I finished with the meringue, with strawberries and custard. Again, a small piece of heaven. The service was amazing - everyone was very attentive to all tables in the restaurant. No one could possible fault the service; and honestly if I had once "complaint" at all was that there was so much food I could not fully finish any course for fear of being too full to try what was going to come out next. Having so much food at once seems to crazy to me (as with wastage) - and for 30 Euro it was definitely value for money. What was clearly evident was that everyone involved with the Tannery take extreme pride in "ownership" of their work and ensuring their customers have an experience to remember. Job well done to everyone involved in this gem of a place in the South of Ireland. Anyone visiting the area needs to add this to their list of must visit places.

This has to be the best restaurant in the south east. Paul & Maire Flynn both strive for perfection in the kitchen and the restaurant. Both of them attain this. The staff are trained properly and cannot be faulted. The menu is just "special". There is a twist with everything. It is a little bit like a Christmas Cracker. The Crab starter was brilliantly different, and the Trifle was something I would have never ordered, except that Paul Flynn had made it. I also bought his books!

One word - SUBLIME! The Tannery is something really special. Paul Flynn works his magic on locally sourced, top quality produce which means the menu changes with the seasons but some favourites are constants such as Crab creme brulee with pickled cucumber and melba toast. Dining here is a very special experience - the decor is modern yet omfortable and inviting, the staff are friendly and efficient and the food is stellar! The á la carte menu can be pricy but the early bird menu at €28.50 is extremely good value.

The Tannery is one of the top restaurants in Munster, well worth a detour to enjoy the special food created by the talented Mr Flynn. Always exciting to see what taste combinations will be on the menu. Good wine list, lovely restored building & efficient service; each visit to the Tannery has been a special treat.

Delicious! Hoping to go the next time we are in Dungarvan. Food is delicious. I also have Paul Flynn's cookbook and the directions are written very easily. Really looking forward to going back!

Visited in Aug, 2015. This restaurant is not handicapped accessible. I found it hard to believe that this highly rated restaurant has only one ladies toilet on the ground floor, restaurant one floor up, no elevator. The 30 Euro special menu was quite reasonable but with only three selections (monkfish, pork bellies. and risotto), I suggest you stick with the main menu. We were a large party. Those that ordered the special menu were quite disappointed. Those that ordered the regular menu were pleased. Excellent bar service and overall staff. Excellent atmosphere when compared to other restaurants in the area. We all agreed, we wouldn't go out of our way to visit again. Food was not that good for a special visit.

Absolutely horrible. We are visiting from New York, so we've experienced many different restaurants. By far this was the worst greeting we've ever experienced. We asked for a table for four and a male server looked us up and down and asked if we had a reservation. The restaurant was completely empty. A female server walked over and they looked back at us and began whispering to each other as if there was an issue. This was done a few times. If there was a formal dress code or if children in the restaurant was an issue they should have told us instead of whispering right in front of us. If there was an discussion on what table we would be sitting at they could have merely spoke out loud to each other. The experience made us completely uncomfortable. We were actually totally flabbergasted at their rudeness and wondered what was wrong. They know nothing about us or how much we planned on spending. Don't always judge a book by its cover, Tannery. We decided not to stay and let the manager know that their waitstaff was very rude to us. ( Editing to add: the owner left a response on our trip advisor review and instead of being humble and acknowledging her staff's mistake, she wrote a passive aggressive response which makes them look worse. We were told we were in the wrong even when she wasn't even there to see what had occurred. It's not surprising as the entire restaurant needs a course in customer service.) The manager apologized to us, (yet her response on trip advisor implied her apology meant nothing). We were so taken back by the experience that we left and walked across the street to the Cookhouse where we were greeted very warmly. Everyone was incredibly friendly and the food was very good at the Cookhouse. I would never recommend Tannery Restaurant to anyone merely based on our initial experience with them.