Simply oozing the genuine character that can only be gained over centuries, Petronella is set on the most attractive of Kilkenny's famous slipways, just off High Street. Not the place to expect handy parking or gardens, but instead you'll find an immaculately maintained cut stone building dating back to 1602 and - far from being down a dark and dingy back alley - it is very well lit at night. The name is for Petronella de Meath, who was burned at the stake nearby 800 years ago and there is a plaque outside commemorating the event - which may not sound very cheery, but once inside the mood is upbeat.
Walking in from the slipway there's a welcoming bar and downstairs seating area, then it's up some steps to the main dining room with its original wooden beams from the 1600’s, exposed original walls, polished wooden floors, simply laid wooden tables and comfortable seating. With large gilded mirrors and mismatched table lamps creating a sense of intimacy, it doesn't get more atmospheric than this.
A little sister since 2024 to the O'Neill family's amazing Mountain View food and events destination at Ballyhale in south Kilkenny, you'll find the welcome and staff training that is synonymous with Mountain View and menus created by Executive Chef Gerard Dunne, who oversees the much-praised locally-focused food operations.at both Petronella and Mountain View.
Most menus are à la carte and prices are very reasonable for the standard offered - lunch plates start at €8-ish for soup of the day and more-ish Guinness and treacle bread, rising to to about €15 for their classy take on fish'n'chips (Lemon sole goujons, mushy mint peas, tartar, twice-cooked chips), while Sweet Plates (including a perfectly prepared and cooked Sticky Toffee Pudding) are common to lunch and evening menus. The main dinner menu offers five Small Plates to start, seven or eight Large Plates and four SmallPlates to finish. While short, it offers a balanced mixture of dishes and flavours, with very clear descriptions. Excellent seafood choices might include a big bucket of perfectly cooked mussels (small but plump) with crisp sourdough to mop up the juices and perhaps an unusual combination of pan seared Hake served on Bouillabaisse, while local beef is sure to feature (slow cooked short rib, for example, with creamy colcannon, tender stem broccoli and beef jus) along with poultry and vegetarian dishes. Everything is cleanly presented on plates and bowls of varying shapes and colours - which, together with the combination of Small and Large plates and enthusiastic interactions from smartly dressed servers who know how all dishes are composed - makes for a relaxingly informal outing.
A simple wine list, from Eno Wines in Athlone, features popular wines to suit the casual food on offer - four Champagne/sparkling, seven whites, eight reds and one Rose, all with good tasting notes - and it is refreshingly moderately priced.
Local diners are loving the direction of this new venture for the O’Neill family of the popular Mountain View (wedding venue, bar, Sunday Market, restaurant and accommodation) in rural south Kilkenny, and it's an exciting find for visitors to The Marble City.
