While we were only in Killarney for a couple of days/nights, we made it point to enjoy as many local spots as possible. This meant loosened belts and full bellies most of our time in the city and we couldn't have been happier! On our second night in town, we were after an early dinner as we had plans at another local pub later in the evening. After a stroll around town, Mad Monk was the spot! Apparently Quinlan's is a small chain with several spots around Ireland, and after popping in, we can tell why. The thing that stood out the most for us at Mad Monk was the freshness of all the goods, specifically the seafood. I enjoy a good grilled or pan seared fish filet, but being in Ireland, it was my mission to try as many fish and chips as I could, and Mad Monk was next on the list! Before we dove into our mains, we did order one of the only non-seafood dishes on the menu, the braised beef croquettes. They were absolutely tasty, and set up our mains very well! We both went with the traditional fish and chips. The fish was perfectly fried and flaky and the tartar sauce was *chefs kiss*! I will say, as with most chips around the island, the chips were a bit underwhelming. They were slightly crispy and fluffy inside, but I am not a huge fan of steak fries and they definitely could have used a bit more seasoning. Service was solid, efficient and friendly. The space is quaint, bright and sleek. Lots of woods and blues, which definitely give the vibes of seafood. Overall, Mad Monk was a solid spot and one we glad we visited during our short stay in Killarney! read more

Wondering through town looking for a very late lunch. The menu outside looked great but the time said 1700. It was 1500 and told us to come in. Seated at a six top in the front window vestibule (great view). Offered water and coctails immediately. We all started with a white seafood chowder filled with seafood, mussels,shrimp, and white fish. It was the best chowder we had in Ireland and rivaled Bostons best. All of our entrees were exceptional Great cheerful service. Very highly recommended Slainte read more

I had the scallops appetizer as my meal, and they were great. Four large scallops with the roe still attached.

This place was recommended by a few people so we went over there for dinner tonight. Service was really great with John and he was really attentive. The fish and chips were really tasty and the hake was flaky and seasoned well. The mushy peas hit the spot and the portmagee crabs were really good and we actually asked for extra garlic. Wiping up the sauce with the bread from the skillet was delicious as well and now I smell like garlic and butter and there is nothing wrong with that. See you next time when I'm back in town!! read more

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Friendly! Fresh salad, tasty and hot chowder, delightful oysters. And nice ambiance. Great location.

Amazing!!!! Incredible seafood!!! Everything tasted so fresh! Our group of 8 made a reservation two days in advance. We sat upstairs and it is such a lively restaurant. Very loud but fun atmosphere! read more

The Mad Monk - Mussels - Seafood Near Me - Killarney, Kentucky

The Mad Monk was recommended to us by the Concierge of an exclusive local hotel, and this turned out to be one of our favorite meals in Ireland. We were eating between lunchtime and dinnertime, so fortunately we did not need a reservation. We sat at an outside table, enjoying the spring weather, and engaging in fantastic people watching. Our server was new, and umm.... awkward, but the meal turned out to be really enjoyable. I started with a cold refreshing cider to drink. For our meal, my friend and I shared the Portmagee crab claws in garlic butter with sourdough bread, and a spinach and cheese (brie? goat?) salad with beets and hazelnuts, that I think was just a special they were running. All the food was outstanding. The crab claws were meaty and flavorful; the salad completely fresh and interesting. Loved it all. We raved about this place to friends later, who ended up eating there too, and loved it. I highly recommend a visit! read more

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It is not realistic to review a dense menu in 3 minutes and decide an order for a party of 5. The Killarney whiskey rivals the Jamesone Black Barrel whiskey. Onion rings were undercooked. Clam chowder soup was good except for the singular hair in it. The prawns are really small shrimp. Scallops and Sea Bass with squid ink risotto were really good. read more

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I'm from the New England area of the United States and have eaten PEI muscles my entire life. The mussels here at The Mad Monk were hands down the best mussels I've ever had. Very fresh, extremely clean, large, and the white wine cream sauce was drinkable. If you like fresh seafood, highly recommend The Mad Monk. We eat upstairs; service and atmosphere was great. read more

The Mad Monk - Dingle Bay Wild Squid (calamari) - Seafood Near Me - Killarney, Kentucky

The oysters were some of the freshest oysters I have ever had. Additionally the monkfish was amazing. The service was also very good. This was our favorite restaurant in Ireland. read more

We loved the squid, crab claws and Monk Fish, but the Fish and chips were cooked too hard. read more

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We visited this restaurant for dinner this evening after it had been recommended to us and having read positive reviews. We all agreed while the food was fine it was not stellar as the ratings implied. The service and ambiance were both pleasant. Perhaps it was an off night for the chef. I had the scallop starter and having had scallops many times this was the first time I have had them with the small muscle attached. Typically that is removed prior to cooking. My husband had the sea bass dish which had one dorsal fin left on a fillet. Overall we said the food was okay but we couldn't recommend going there if we were asked for a recommendation. read more

Beautiful seafood. Came here based on other good reviews. Made a reservation for a party of 6 for a Friday evening, several hours in advance with no issues. Service was prompt and professional, no frills. The smoked salmon was excellent. The monkfish was delicious, served in a yellow curry sauce with a mild spicy kick. The mussels and crab claws were fantastic as well. If you're in search of great seafood, I'd recommend the Mad Monk!! read more

Fantastic local seafood in a clean comfortable setting. Efficient and courteous service. I particularly enjoyed the Portmagee clab claws, local oysters were good. Washed down with a very tasty Sancerre. Nice upstairs window table provided with a view of the street. Ask for it! A little on the pricey side but you're in Killarney the king of tourist towns in Kerry so get out your wallet! read more

Unfortunately, the Mad Monk was a disappointment. We wanted seafood for dinner, and the Mad Monk was recommended. We were hoping we could get some oysters, but they did not have any. Instead, we opted for a prawn in garlic butter appetizer that was probably the best part of the meal. I ordered langostine in putanesca sauce. The dish came out with a lot of langostine, but they were small. There was no way to crack the claws. When I asked the server if he had any tips on the best way to eat them, he said you just have to dig in with your hands. My boys both ordered crab claws. Again, there was no cracker provided, so it was challenging to get at the meat. My wife did enjoy her sea bass. Service was lackluster. Compared to other places we ate in Ireland, the staff here did not appear to be engaged. The food was pricey for the area. I hope this was an anomoly, but our experience was not very good. read more

Just ate there this evening and I am sad to say most of the more recent reviews are right, food is pricey for the quality and the service left everything to be desired. We arrived for our 7:15 reservation on time and after a few minutes the guy standing by the bar asked if he could help us. I gave him my information and he said to have a seat "at that table" and just pointed. After this, we waited app 4-5 minutes before someone asked if we needed a menu. Upon review, were wanting prawns, but they didn't have any. We wanted to get an appetizer as well; however, we were asked what we would like for our entree. At that point we didn't want to deal with it so we ordered our main course. We ate it, but there was nothing special about it. I am pretty sure mine had been frozen. After eating, we waited at least 10 minutes as our server passed us by multiple times knowing we were done. It seemed like they were all more interested in entertaining themselves as 'bros' than attending the patrons. We ended up flagging another server down so we could pay. It was unfortunate, we had high hopes, but Mad Monk disappointed. read more

Just off the main drag and across the alley from some nice Irish Music at the pub next door you'll find the Mad Monk. Seafood is their specialty and you'll have a hard time finding it fresher or tastier anywhere. For the steak fans, the New York is excellent too! Don't miss this place! read more

The Mad Monk - Seafood Near Me - Killarney, Kentucky

What a gem! The service and food is delicious. If you're only located in the US I'll be a regular customer. Thank you! read more

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We loved the lively ambiance and the food was mostly great! My husband and our dear friend ordered the muscles and they were delicious. The fresh bread and butter was wonderful too and our martinis were perfect. Service was on point! My only complaint was my seared tuna was too salty. All in all it was a lovely experience. read more

We had a wonderful dinner here tonight. I started with a bowl of seafood chowder; it was the best I have ever had. The chowder had crab claws meat, chunks of fish, and mussels; it was delicious. We ordered roasted octopus over a bed of couscous; it didn't disappoint. My husband ordered tuna rare with sweet potato mash, which was cooked just right. Great service, our servers were very attentive and friendly. Nice ambience. read more

WOW! I'm having dreams of this place still. From start to end this place was perfection. I arrived around 7pm on Wednesday and was seated immediately. I started with the half dozen local oysters. They were delicious and the sweet onion sauce in the middle went perfectly with them. The crab claws were next and they were tender and cooked to perfection. Finally, I ended with their warm crumble of the day. It was berries and apples and it was divine. Service was excellent. Ambiance was perfect. I highly recommend The Mad Monk to anyone looking for a delicious meal in Killarney. read more

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This was a recommendation for my hotel. I love the whole look of the place. People inside were laughing. The had handicap accessible restrooms. A very good atmosphere overall. You could see the chefs cooking with the open kitchen. We started off with a scallop appetizer. It was presented beautifully and was delicious. I myself chose the tagliatelle with prawns. One of the best pasta dishes I've ever had. My mother had the crab Clause in butter. She couldn't stop eating them. It looked like she was eating chicken wings. So delicious highly recommend and I want to go back. read more

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Finally!! After 6 days in Ireland we were looking for THE meal that would be memorable for our trip. This was the restaurant to do it. Wife had the sea bass and I had a special with black sole. Both were great. Service was great, and we just walked in with no reservation on a Sunday evening. read more

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The monkfish was fantastic. Service was good. We had a lovely table right next to the window with a view of the hustle and bustle of the street. We all enjoyed read more

We were staying at the hotel and stopped in a couple of times. The side older bar is very quaint with a lot of older charm. Sitting at the bar or near the bar would be recommended. read more

We visited here on the recommendation of two local residents and were very happy. Excellent food and service. Having moved to Europe from Hawaii, visited Japan multiple times and being from a coastal area in the US, we have high standards for seafood. Absolutely everything here is delicious and reasonably priced considering the quality. The mussels plate was better than ones I have had in Brussels or Paris, including the delicious sauce. The scallop quality rivals the Hokkaido scallops we had in Japan. I normally dislike raw oysters, even though I try one when my husband orders some just to see if I will ever change my mind. Here I actually liked them enough that I ate a few of them with only lemon juice and they were great. We also had dessert which was equally good. Servers are very friendly, provide good service and importantly, know the menu well, have all tasted the entire menu and are happy to make recommendations. The atmosphere is nice and we really enjoyed our time at the Mad Monk and will likely return later this week. read more

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I'd say this a good place to eat. However, there are other places you can try the area. It's our first time here. It's a bit on a pricey side. The service was excellent. The ambiance was great. read more

Food was amazing! Our server met our every need. The ambiance was great. Great 1st night in Killarney.

Best Fish and Chips in town! And I have tried 6 different ones in the last 4 days. The decor is classy, service is next level and location is perfect. read more

The shrimp was very good and the squid was good as well. The service could have been better.

My girlfriend and I ate seafood here on 7/29 and both ended up in the hospital. After 6 hours of the worst illness we have ever experienced we called ambulances. There was so much bacteria in my blood the doctors were concerned I developed sepsis! Total costs of this dinner exceeded 1000 Euros after medical and canceled hotel bookings. Do not risk your health, vacation or bank account on this restaurant! read more

So we ordered the oysters. Don't bother. No substance in the shell. Waste of money. The stuffed calamari was decent, but way over priced for starkist tuna stuffed into a piece of squid. The entree's wee excellent. From the sea bass to the salmon to the fish n chips. All delicious. Service was good Out of a lot of menu items read more

I was absolutely starved of course used Yelp to find out the best location and it did not disappoint outside wonderful atmosphere with people walking along the street service was perfect seafood was delicious strongly recommend read more

Great experience. I was looking for a late night bite in Killarney and happened by The Mad Monk. It did not disappoint. Atmosphere was pleasant. Service and recommendations were spot on. Food was amazing. Wonderful way to end the day. Highly recommend giving it a try. read more

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Excellent food, great service. We called to reserve a table for 2 last minute and they made space for us.

Solid fish spot in the heart of killarney. Nestled on a cute and vibrant street. Smoked salmon was excellent

Busy but nice. Two level restaurant in the heart of Killarney. Good sizzling Thai shrimp. Nice salmon fillet. Decent wine list. Better than average. Would return. read more

Excellent fish and chips, mussels and chowder. Service very attentive and friendly. Would definitely return here. After a week traveling through Ireland, best fish n chips that I have had! read more

Family loved their crab, service was so-so but folks were preparing for a parade. Definitely need a reservation

After striking out for a table at a bunch of places, we ended up circling back to The Mad Monk. I had the calamari (phenomenal!) and my wife had the crab claws. Both were great, but this place gets 5 stars for the service as well. Our waitress (Eunice) was very friendly and helpful, and took great care of us. We highly recommend this place for some fantastic seafood. read more