The Saltyard

I came in here upon the recommendation of the owners of the B&B I was staying at. To keep it simple, the food was delicious, the service excellent, and the prices reasonable for what you received. The gambas al ajillo were superb — the portion was huge — I only needed the one item to fill me up for dinner. Note — they were not afraid of the garlic or spice. It was a good thing I wasn’t kissing anyone after! Soooo good though! I also ordered the sangria, which was okay but not great. However, it was refreshing and at an excellent price point. If I return to Kilkenny, I would not hesitate to return to The Saltyard.

The food is very very Average. They get 5 stars for hospitality & service though! They seated me 10 min after the kit he was supposed to have closed– very kind. I ordered 3 tapas that came out right away!
The Fried asparagus (8 €) was absolutely tasteless, along with some sort of orange hummus type dipping substance/​no clue what that was supposed to be!
The chorizo (9 €) which I was really excited about initially– was just a big soggy & salty log floating in an oily sauce with a few teaspoons of mashed potato.
The goats cheese salad (14 €) was a bit below average. Lots of salad swimming in champagne dressing, a few walnuts, a few cherry tomatoes and a small circle of nice goats cheese.
In general, I wouldn’t recommend it and sadly, wouldn’t go back :(

We were recommended the salt yard after arriving in Kilkenny and finding that most restaurants stop serving food after 9. We are glad we ended up there though as the food was great and the service was wonderful. The owner and his son took time to talk with us and genuinely wanted to ensure our best dining experience. I would recommend the pisto manchego and the hake. A great way to start our trip in Kilkenny!

Best meat and cheese plate in the northern hemisphere. Ok maybe not the best but amazing dishes from Spain .
The Pallela was flavorful and packed with tons of sea food. The mussels were cooked well. The meat and cheese pairing went well with the Guava. Genius combination.
Must go.

If I owned a restaurant it would look like the Salt Yard. So no surprises then that I LOVED the décor here. Industrial, modern and just plain old hip (yes I hate that word too). The mish mash furniture is an upcyclers dream but the overall look is definitely more chic than shabby.
The food is tapas and they do them exceptionally well. Ok so I’m no spanish food expert but I could imagine Spanish tourists nodding with approval and shouting olé. Evening prices are not that cheap but definitely worth the extra spend. Our beer in a wine bottle (€ 12) probably overshadowed the food though as we found it such a novelty (as well as being weird)
There is a great buzz about this restaurant and the very friendly owner seems to really care about delivering great service. I can only imagine Kilkenny locals now have a new favourite restaurant to go to, it would definitely be mine.

Came to the Salt Yard after seeing it recommended in the Irish Times. We were there at lunchtime looking forward to some tapas, but soon found out that they only serve tapas in the evening. We ordered the chorizo with potatoes and the butternut squash soup. The chorizo dish was full of flavour, very tasty, delicious. My only criticism is that the gravy was very rich. I needed some bread to help neutralise the flavour — made a perfect combination. But without the bread, it was a little too rich for me. The bread was a delicious crunchy and soft loaf. Tea was served in a beautiful teapot. The soup went down well too. Will definitely be returning. Staff were very friendly and helpful. Beautiful design inside the restaurant also.

A real contrast to what I’ve seen available in Kilkenny. Both in décor and menu.
I can’t help but feel I’m not in Kilkenny. The Saltyard is very tastefully decorated, great ambience, and unlike anything else I’ve seen on offer in the city.
Spanish on draught. An interesting menu. I was here at lunch.
I had the hake, served with gold potatoes and a simple house salad idea. The fish and potatoes were fried lightly, super crisp and fresh. I really tasted the fish through the light batter and oil. A nice aioli comes with. Potatoes were equally good.
I also had the goat cheese salad with a honey dressing. Served with a round of goat cheese, slightly grilled. The honey dressing was lovely, not too sweet. Worked very well with the cheese and otherwise bitterness (I’m guessing) of some of the greens stalk that was in the salad.
Each of the servings alone would probably be enough for some folks. They are healthy portions. Keep in mind, it is a tapa menu, and in my experience, a couple plates usually does the trick but it is a good looking menu and why not order one of each ;)
Nothing seemed over complicated. Just good food. I would like to come back and try some other plates to see what kind of herbs and spices are incorporated in to the dishes.
Servers that I dealt with seem to be finding their stride. No hangups at all in the service itself though. Just not much to say about the food or general chitchat. Really, considering what’s on the plate, easily overlooked as everything was efficient and fulfilling.
A great meal and a great feel to the place. Highly recommend it if you’re looking for a well rounded perspective of what this great city has to offer.
Salut‘!