The Black Pig

This is by far my favorite foodie dinner spot in Kinsale. Multi page wine list, servers who can give recommendations, and really well designed menu. It’s somewhat tapas style but there are entree options if you include the specials. The vibes are so good here, the service is impeccable, warm, and friendly. It’s always nice to see when servers are obviously experienced and like the place they work! The prices do not reflect the location (somewhat tourist town), or the quality and portions of the food. Great for solo diners as well, as there is a bar for non reservations.

This was one of your favorite discoveries in Kinsale. All Irish sourced, organic and sustainable, which is apparent when tasting the dishes. The flavor is off the charts! Could not recommend this place more! Highly recommend reservations. However, if you are a group of 1 or 2 and fortunate to get there 15 minutes before they open like we were, you may be able to snag one of the highly coveted walk-in seats at the bar.

Absolutely phenomenal food. The butter with the prawns was exquisite, and the panko monkfish was the star. The mushrooms on toast was surprisingly delicious. Great but maybe a little bit extensive/confusing wine menu.

I went here for my birthday dinner and it did not disappoint! Such a cosy vibe, and the staff are unbelievably kind and attentive. I’m still dreaming about the Dublin Bay Prawns I had!! The mushrooms on toast were a fabulous gluten free option (many other gf options to choose from) I couldn’t get a picture of the cheese board because I started eating it so fast! Fantastic wine list - and I LOVE that a glass of wine is not marked up when compared to the price of a bottle, really good touch!!

A triumph! Great atmosphere. Delicious food. Wonderful service. My husband, daughter and I shared the acorn fed iberico ham - melts in the mouth (needs to be pre-ordered), the asparagus and hollandaise sauce, the pakora, the pear and cashel blue cheese, the North Atlantic prawns, the mushrooms on toast and the cheese plate. The finale was the chocolate mousse which was divine. A great evening and fabulous dinner. Thank you to our waitress Elizabeth. Congratulations and Thank you to the hard working chefs and the front of house team.

Delicious food, friendly staff & great atmosphere. Highly recommended for dinner .

We booked a table for late in the evening but wandered in alot earlier due to a need for sustenance! Warmly welcomed and seated at the bar as our table was not yet available and picked a epic red wine from the excellent list. The casual atmosphere and staff were great and we devoured the fantastic plates including prawns, pate and crocettes. This was the highlight of our time in Kinsale. We will be back.

Really fantastic evening at the Black Pig - we booked a table outside in the covered courtyard at the back and it was warm under the heaters and cosy/atmospheric. We would even say better ambience than inside! Lovely staff who took us through the menu and were knowledgeable about all the dishes. We loved all the food which is locally sourced and really shows off what Ireland has to offer!

Stumbled upon this place while walking about town and it was an incredible find! We were able to snag a seat in their back porch courtyard, which is comfy cozy. Of course, we sampled various wines. They have approximately 300 different bottles to choose from and approximately 100 of those you can get by the glass. We had several tapas, including the chili and mint olives, a charcuterie board, a cheeseboard, and our favorite - the ham and chorizo croquettes. Service was good and we would highly recommend this restaurant if you ever find yourself in Kinsale!

Every positive review shared for this fine establishment is to be held as true. The ingredients used to make your small like shareable tapas plates is so beyond fresh that everything you put in your palate sings as you eat it. Trust the servers aka sommeliers recommendations for wine pairing too. It is hard to make reservations here but if you chance a walk in, they kindly may have a place for you. We strongly recommend you dine here in Kinsale. You'll really enjoy yourselves, the food, the drink, the service and atmosphere. Five stars earned all around.

The Black Pig is... fine. I'm not really complaining and, if I lived in Kinsale, I would probably come in regularly. But I live in California and there's practically a wine bar serving tapas on every block. The room is charming with a rustic feel. They write your reservation name on a chalk board by your seat. A fun touch. We started with three oysters which came with a choice of two sauces. The red wine garlic was fine but could have been a little more tangy. We combined the cheese plate with the charcuterie plate. It was a generous portion and more than we needed. I liked the Cashel blue cheese the best. None of the meats stood out but they were all fine. The best dish was smoked salmon, shaped like little salmons. Together with the creme fraiche sauce, this was tasty. The wine list is extensive and can be slightly overwhelming. When in doubt, you can go with the daily specials like we did. We dined inside and the room was incredibly loud. Let me repeat that in case you couldn't hear me. It was loud AF. Service was slow, even for a European restaurant. We waited nearly 30 minutes for our first plate of food. You'll notice I used the word "fine" a lot in this review. As I said, the Black Pig isn't remarkable. It's just fine.

This was one of our best meals in Ireland and we are still talking about it months later. The service was amazing - attentive but not obtrusive, super friendly and helpful in recommendations. We had so much fun! Highly recommend this restaurant. Make reservations as it is busy and not large. We got lucky on a walk in and so glad we did.

The wine selection was excellent. The small plates shareable and unique wonderful flavors

My mom and I truly loved the small plates we ordered (almonds, olives, bruschetta). We each asked the waiter for a wine recommendation and were extremely satisfied with our choices. The setting was so charming. We enjoyed a table for two with a window view. The service was excellent!

As a foodie I was intrigued by the black pig. The reviews looked amazing and the plethora of local food awards caught my eye. The atmosphere was simple and modern with an overall vibe of hyugge. I would like to start by disclaiming that we are from the states and both work in the service industry. Upon entry something seemed really off. We didn't have reservations but we decided to try anyway. Several front of house staff members looked at us standing in the door way not knowing what to do and decided not to welcome us or guide us anywhere. When one woman finally came up to us we were directed to the bar and then we waited about 5 min for menus or anyone to even acknowledge us. Both of us were trying to make eye contact with a staff member to signal that we were being ignored. As a foodie and chef I think it's respectful to admit when you don't know much about what you're looking at on a menu. My friend, a master brewer, doesn't know much about wine so decided to ask for a recommendation. He was not helped, he got an elitist look and then was shoved off to the side while everyone else around us got great service. The food however was perfectly done. We got oysters, salmon and the duck. Back of house killed it and they are the only reason this isn't a 1 star rating. We left feeling frustrated and shooed out by a front of house staff that never even gave us the time of day. I would be hesitant to recommend this place to anyone who isn't from Ireland.

my husband was able to get us the last reserved spot for dinner. a cozy setting with smart, kind staff. care was taken throughout our time, no rush. pure enjoyment from food and drinks. we weren't certain if dishes would be filling and serve as a meal. glad we were wrong!! specials of the day were a hit, bountiful and unique tastes. wine and after dinner drink recommendations were spot on. save room for chocolate truffles. wonderful dining experience!!

You can't visit Kinsale without eating at The Black Pig. I would call for reservations. The dishes are more tapas style but every bite is like a new experience. The Macroom mozzarella was truly the best ever, it was creamy, soft and so tasty paired with wine. We sat in the garden which was a romantic, bohemian like atmosphere with the sound of the water dripping from the fresh spring. Service was superb. The only negative was the Korean pancake. It was rather thick and not crispy.

This was my favorite restaurant on our trip to Ireland. Very thoughtfully decorated, amazing food and great wine selection. This is a must stop!

My husband and I stopped in here for a drink and a quick bite while waiting for our dinner reservation elsewhere- what a cute little place! We split a bottle of wine and had some oysters (fresh and came with a delicious Asian style sauce) as well as a cheese board and we ate every single bite. The service was so friendly and they really made us feel welcome. I would absolutely come back here for dinner if I ever come back to Kinsale. The bartender- I forget his name but he was from Cashel- was great and explained so many things about the menu and was just super nice. Definitely come here if you are in Kinsale.

Love this place! The food was amazing and so was the ambiance and service. Everyone was super friendly, especially James our waiter. He even gave us recommendations of places to check out near by. My husband and I shared the charcuterie board as an appetizer and we each had the special, pan seared crab claws in chili garlic butter. Delish!

Was in kinsale from USA last week. It was a Wednesday night and the place was packed. We were able to sit in the back porch which was fantastic. Tropical plants abound made for an intimate setting. First off the location is great because it's off the beaten path away from the hub of town. Kinsale is so small it's really not that far of a walk. Great food and service. We got a meat and cheese platter plus the pork belly over mashed potatoes. Finally someone in ireland puts the wet meat on top of potatoes to moisten them up. We went to at least 4 restaurants that serve potatos with nothing but blandness. The pork belly was scrumptious. The chef came out at one point to greet us. Very nice place for a group or romantic evening.

Fantastic food, great wine, amazing service. Three separate waiters helped us choose exactly the right wine for our meal, and then a sherry for dessert. The mozzarella and sun-dried tomato's are astounding. The lemon posset is out of this world.

This place is the beat. Staff super knowledgeable on food and wine parings! The mushroom is AMAZING! The wine is great too!

The Black Pig is a special place. The owners Siobhan and Gavin have impeccable yet relaxed taste and they want to share it with all of us. As you walk along the street towards the Black Pig, you can read handwritten food quotes by Virginia Woolf and Ernest Hemingway in strategic places, a kind of ode to great literature, food and graffiti, put in place seemingly by the local council in Kinsale. It sets the standard for greatness before you actually set foot inside. Upon entering, the vibe, decor and general comfortable feeling that permeates are great. It's busy, it's sophisticated yet very familiar. The colour patterns, light and music were all perfect. Various Spanish, Latin and other great world musics were playing, then it moved to Miles Davis and beyond. Four stunning portraits of Samuel Beckett adorn the four corners, this again ads to the overall taste, thought and the style these folks are going for. Are we in their home? It seems like it. We had a great table inside, not in the little outdoor garden which also looks perfectly natural and unscripted. They recently won an award for best wine experience in Cork and the wine list reflects this. Very well chosen wines, many by the glass and competitive keen pricing means you will look far beyond the first one on the list. I was sitting on very comfy animal pelts which are used to cover a long wall bench. So again not at all your usual effect. It felt luxurious in an understated way. Various non matching cushions all along this wall also. A glass of Cremant de Jura to start. Perfect. The food! Well we had the finest bellota jamon and amontillado sherry to match( in heaven). It came with crusty bread, the olive oil on the table was delicious. Then some great local oysters(sweet meaty flavour not so salty)with glasses of Gruner Veltliner. Then the vegetarian anti pasti board. Full of tasty marinaded, grilled and preserved veggie and cheese treats. The pacing of the meal was just right. We had a lovely long gap which was offered to us before our lightly seared locally caught wild tuna main course. This was stunning. Served rare, a great thick slab of the freshest tastiest tuna i have had. We drank a bottle of lightly cooled Barolo with it, decanted an hour previous. Match made in heaven. Decided against cheese instead shared a bowl of local strawberries. Some port and sauternes to finish off a truly special meal experience. We spent 3-4 hours there as it was a special occasion and yes we drank and ate more than usual so our bill was higher than the average bill for two would be. Life is for living. Treat yourself to a long evening in the Black Pig. Order that great bottle you normally wouldn't go for. You wont forget it.

I am only reviewing this based on my quick trip inside on a very crowded Friday night. The place is so adorable on the inside but it was extremely hit when we walked in and very loud. We waited at the bar as there were no seats anywhere for about a good five minutes and were never approached by a waitress or bartender if we want red a drink etc. I realize it is busy but just a small signal from staff to let us know they'd get to us would have been nice. I would come back here on another night if we had more time in Kinsale but we don't so I am only rating this on a quick experience. Wishing I could have at least tried a glass of wine. We left because it was way too hot inside and not a spot to sit even at the bar. I'm bled because I read good things about this place in Aer Lingus magazine on our flight out thru Dublin.

One of the most enjoyable dining experiences my wife and I have ever had. The ambiance and decor are perfectly inviting and interesting; the complimentary cheese to start is remarkable; the staff are responsive and very knowledgeable; the wine list is exquisite, thanks in part to the coravin; and the food is truly top notch (some of the lightest pasta I've ever tasted), and made with fresh local ingredients. YOU MUST GO HERE!

Very extensive wine list. The charcuterie boards were beautiful and delicious. Discovered The Black Pig on a recent trip to Ireland. Had a wonderful gathering of friends over wine and appetizers.

What a terrific wine list. A great choice of wines, many organic. The food was delicious. There was something for everyone on the menu. The owners take extra care to ensure that everything served from the olive oil to the cheeses is as fresh and as high quality as possible. The staff is attentive and friendly. What a great place!!

Love this place!! Excellent food--all local and fresh. Since it's more small plates a nice break from a big heavy meal. So cute inside with a super patio out back. Had a great ravioli dish with local crab. Also had great pate, oysters, cheese. If I had to pick two places in Kinsale I would go here and Fishy Fishy!

Beautiful and romantic location with a little lovely courtyard. Without reservation it is difficult to get a place. Come around 6 pm and you have a little chance to get in. Good choice of food and excellent wines. Both were simply tasty.

Wow!! Had an absolutely flawless experience here the selection of wines, the small plates. The design and atmosphere of the place is so nicely put together. Attention to detail and unique flavors. Best meal in Ireland

Adorable wine & tapas bar. Patio seating is adorable with stone waterfall and wool blankets for chilly nights. Fantastically large wine list & fresh mozzarella is the freshest I have ever had. Very romantic.

played a beautiful round of golf at old head golf links,after the round we asked for restaurant recommendations,and the black pig was first recommendation.being wine lovers we were extremely impressed.the options for high end wines by the glass is unmatched in kinsale! We had the mozzarella appetizer,followed by their signature pig entree.gavin and his wife siobahn..likely wrong spelling,were gracious hosts and made us feel at homeIf u like wine...this is the place for you

New place only open Wednesday through Sunday. Fantastic food and wine list. This rivals Fishy Fishy the best restaurant in Kinsale, in my opinion. Great atmosphere. Delicious catch of the day. Very detailed. A couple owns it. Think the guy we rented our house from said they just moved down from Dublin a few months ago. It's on a back street. A little out of the way maybe hard to find but worth it! Make reservations. There are only a few tables -like most places in Kinsale. The sign on the door says they are not wine snobs. I agree. There were plenty of reasonably priced wines. They're happy to suggest as well!

Great tapas and really great wine list. Very reasonable prices. We had a great cheese plate for dessert as well. Ambience was excellent. All around a great food experience.