The Moorings Restaurant

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#3 of 9 Restaurants in PortmageeIrish, Bar, $$ - $$$

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The Moorings Restaurant

Review

At a glance

Open until 9:00 PM

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Website

+353 66 947 7108Improve this listing

About

With the ocean's bounty at our doorstep, it comes as no surprise that seafood plays a large part in The Moorings cuisine. We are committed to only using the best quality produce,from the freshest fish and shellfish, to the choicest Irish beef and lamb and locally-produced vegetables and ingredients. Open 6pm-10pm Mar-Oct. Closed Mon except Bank Holidays. Booking advisable.

Features

CUISINES

Irish, Bar, Seafood, European

Meal types

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, After-hours

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

FEATURES

Accepts Credit Cards

Free Wifi

Full Bar

Gift Cards Available

Highchairs Available

Live Music

Seating

Serves Alcohol

Table Service

Wheelchair Accessible

Location

Main Street, Portmagee Ireland

Does this restaurant have live music

Yes

Unsure

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Hours

Suggest an edit

Open until 9:00 PM

Sunday

8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Monday

8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Tuesday

8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Wednesday

8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Thursday

8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Friday

8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Saturday

8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

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4.3

801 reviews

Excellent

469

Very good

203

Average

Poor

Terrible

Robert

Toronto3 contributions

Worth driving there just for food treat

Nov 2024 • couples

We arrived late to stay in airbnb in portmagee and our host mentioned three places around for a late sunday dinner. We did not have high expectations. After looking at all three places we chose Moorings because, surprisingly, it looked packed. The wait for table was pleasantly short and we chose beef stew and shellfish bisque. What a treat it was. Like Elaine Benes i am a sucker for bisque and that one was on par with the best i sampled. Beef stew was also very good. Congratulations to the chef and the restaurant attentive staff. Well done

Written November 10, 2024

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Michael S

3 contributions

An amazing place to be experienced.

Aug 2024 • couples

Wow, 10/10 for service, comfort, welcome and flexibility with getting a last minute table. We arrived late in town after checking into our nearby B&B, we headed out for dinner. Arriving at 6.30pm, the tables were full but we were made very welcome and the manager kindly placed us on a table which was booked from 8.15pm leaving us plenty of time to enjoy this fantastic restaurant. The drinks, service, food and atmosphere was 10/10 and really was a WOW evening. The staff couldnt have been more welcoming and friendly. We enjoyed and amazing seafood chowder and seafood pasta. All delicious, fresh and blissfully tasty, cooked to perfection. What a beautiful small town this is and I cant wait to return. This are blew me away for sheer beauty and friendly locals.

Written September 3, 2024

kerri

Cork20 contributions

Great food, portions, prices and atmosphere!

Sep 2023 • couples

We had dinner in the mooring’s restaurant after our tour of the skelligs and it didn’t disappoint. They had outdoor seating near the pier which was perfect with the weather. My partner got the curry, I got the fish and we got a starter portion of muscles to share. The food came extremely quick, the portions were perfect and the food was delicious. Very well priced and a great atmosphere. Would definitely return if in the area again.

Written September 7, 2023

CAR51

Waldorf64 contributions

Best wishes on the wait staff

May 2024 • couples

We ordered a very late dinner here after a long day of travel. Our waitress was atrocious, she took our food order which was delivered by someone else. The food was good, she never came back to check on us. My husband tried to flag her down to get another beer and she did a fine job of ignoring us. She was busy visiting with other members of the staff and the bar tender I’m sure if we had had a different waitress who actually waited on a table I would not be writing this review.

Written May 31, 2024

jeroen w

15 contributions

Hunger is the best sauce in this place; they can't cook fish!

Jul 2022 • none

We were here twice during our holiday this year, with two separate groups of friends. The first evening we sat out, the second we sat in the restaurant inside. Upon entering the premises to order food, I was ordered to go to a specific part of the bar to order, although there was no-one else at the long bar, and he could have taken my order there, anyway... So I paid and tipped up front, as I was eating outside. Although I paid a whopping €19 for a simple fish and chips, the quality was poor. The fish was small and dry, with an awkward batter that must have looked better on chicken. Tomato sauce of a generic brand (not even Heinz for that price, really?). The mushy peas were not nice either. My friend had the mussels, which were a small portion but good (€15), and the chowder, which only had smoked fish in it, no shrimps or mussels, but came with some nice homemade bread (€10). I wouldn't have come back, but we had other friends coming over the Saturday after, and had already booked a table inside in the restaurant. Upon arrival the place was packed, and the restaurant part very noisy. We settled down and ordered some pints. No complaints about the Guinness. My friend ordered Sautéed Prawn Tails, and I ordered the Nachos. The prawns were nice but steeply priced €15 for a small portion, and the nachos were a laden with cheap young cheese, with a miniscule portion of tasteless guacamole; yuck. The two ladies ordered the cod special, with the cheese sauce on the side instead of on top. The cod was dry and rubbery, and we sent it back to the kitchen. My friend had the swordfish, which he enjoyed. My own halibut was also bonedry, which I also sent back to the kitchen. I ate another starter of mussels instead. Both managers came out to apologise, but I will never eat here again. In the main bar were some musicians playing what goes for mediocre Irish trad. As "the last one for the road" we wanted to order a whiskey. Unfortunately they stocked all the tourist blends like Johnny Walker, and the cheap and disgusting Irish ones. We got recommended the Redbreast 21years @€23/glass, but they didn't even stock the ordinary 12 year old, which won also many an award. A restaurant overlooking the pier and fishing boats, but they can't cook fish! Go to the chipper on the pier, he makes cheaper and tastier fish and chips. Avoid the tourist and money trap that is the Moorings! Needless to say that we will never return.

Written August 1, 2022

Ireland17 contributions

Poor food, even worse service

Aug 2021 • couples

On arrival asked could we take a seat outside or what was the set up, told yea take any seat you like, after ten mins no one came to take order went inside to ask if we needed to order inside (which would of been no problem if we were informed) abrupt reply from staff “do you think we have enough staff to be doing table service you can order at the bar” waited 20 mins to order., food was awful Caesar salad was reheated chicken that had gone tough and so dry, one bacon lardon and barely any sauce with wilted lettuce! Fish and chip not much better coleslaw again all dried up on edges like it was left out all day, fish wasn’t fresh, more like a frozen fish finger.. extremely disappointing

Written August 16, 2021

Margaret Ellen

Apopka58 contributions

Excellent food, good service

Nov 2024 • family

There are not many options in Portmagee during the off season, so we were very pleased with the quality of offerings in The Moorings. It has a large and varied regular menu as well as some very good specials. The food is excellent as is the service. My sister and I both had the seafood chowder as a starter and planned on sharing the goat cheese salad from the specials menu as our main. The chowder was so rich and plentiful that we never got around to the salad. My husband had the spinach and cheese tortellini and raved about it. My nephew had the seafood platter which was also excellent. My husband and I went back later in the week and had trouble choosing what to order. I don’t think you can go wrong with whatever you order at The Moorings.

Written November 6, 2024

Steve A

2 contributions

Disappointing

Aug 2022 • couples

I am not quite sure where The Moorings is trying to position itself. We had been looking forward to eating here as it was the main reason to stay in Portmagee. Overall the experience was disappointing. The food was in my opinion overpriced for what it was, I have the impression they are trying to offer an upmarket food experience with price to match but instead offers in reality mediocre pub food. The evening finished with 4 attempts to get the bill correct having initially been handed someone elses who had just left. So am afraid will not be revisiting

Written August 12, 2022

Amy D

8 contributions

Great food, service and location!

Jul 2024 • couples

This spot was recommended to us by our host where we were staying. This was a lovely restaurant with great service and a great atmosphere with a view of the harbor. I had the seabass and the meal was a 10! i love having local recommendations and as a visitor to Portmagee, I would highly recommend this restaurant too.

Written August 20, 2024

LusakaWhale

Ghent139 contributions

Disappointing, very disappointing.

Apr 2024 • couples

Over priced, under provided. No signs of any fresh sea produce, and a few lumps of farmed salmon cannot be considered as “fresh fish”. Frozen shrimp drowned in cooking oil. Fast food style for what seemed to be mainly fast food clients. A really disappointing face for what should be a showpiece of Irish seafood. We hope the place will try for better. The best thing was the attentive service from the young guy from Lyons.

Written April 17, 2024

Charsh123

Selby8 contributions

Interesting approach to customer service

Aug 2021 • couples

The food here is completely average, which would have warranted a 3 star rating on a normal occasion, however the bizarre customer service experience we had here brought that crashing down to ‘terrible’ I’m afraid. We were told the roast of the day was lamb, which I ordered. Shortly after we ordered another couple came into the restaurant and we’re seated nearby. After they entered they were given the menus and told the roast of the day in the same way we had been. They also ordered 2 roast lambs. When our food came out, I was brought a roast chicken, I told the waitress I hadn’t ordered this and she responded with “there’s no lamb left” as though it was totally normal to bring out a different meal of the kitchen had ran out of what was ordered rather than asking the customer what they would prefer instead. The waitress went back to the kitchen to ‘check’ they had actually ran out of lamb and then returned with the chicken dish stating that they had ran out of the lamb. I agreed to keep the chicken because it was clear the waitress felt awkward. The couple who had entered and ordered after us were then served, both lamb. We queried this with the waitress who seemed confused and could only say that she had ordered lamb for me correctly but had been told by the chef there was none left. As we were leaving we mentioned it to another waitress who appeared to be the manager/owner, the way she handled it was completely ridiculous. She initially stated that the couple “must have pre-ordered” the lamb. We told her they hadn’t because we were sat near the entrance and had therefore seen them enter, be seated, and order. The lady then said she would check and come back to us. When she came back to us, the lady said the couple had “ordered at the door, before they were seated” and were therefore in front of us in the orders. We said that we had seen them order at the table to which she responded that this was the couple ordering for a second time from a different waitress… We had seen the couple enter, and so we knew that they hadn’t ordered at the door and also knew that they came in after we had ordered, so we knew what we were being told was just wasn’t true. We told the lady that even if this elaborate story was true, the couple had entered the restaurant after we ordered and therefore couldn’t have been in front of us in the orders. The lady had no response for this and simply said “I have no reason to lie”. My partner and I were speechless at this point and just left. To be clear, I wasn’t really too bothered about being given chicken instead of lamb (despite the fact they didn’t bother checking this before just giving it to me), what I am bothered by is the sheer length this lady would go to, to avoid just simply saying “we got it wrong, sorry” or “there were only 2 portions of lamb left and we thought it would be easier to give them to the same table”. It was completely surreal and my partner and I left laughing for quite some time after leaving because we just couldn’t believe the web of lies this woman was spinning, to our faces. We’ve just never experienced anything like it! Very strange indeed. Some people could easily be offended by this type of behaviour and it is quite insulting that this lady would think we were so stupid we would just believe the absolute rubbish she was telling us. All in all, I would describe the food as 4/10 and the service as 1/10 for good service or 10/10 for entertainment…depending on how you look at it.

Written August 15, 2021

anniebaps

152 contributions

Well styled friendly pub grub

Sep 2021 • family

Stopped here for dinner whilst touring on Valentia. The pub is tastefully decorated and very well maintained. The staff were very friendly and accommodating and the food was delivered promptly and was very tasty. Couldn't ask for much more tbf

Written September 23, 2021

Donny Stevo

5 contributions

So sad when a place stops trying

Sep 2021 • none

We have been to The Moorings on many occasions over the last 20 years and it was always a treat. Over the last few years, it hasn't been quite so good but we thought we would try one more time. Our order was taken and the food arrived within 5 minutes and when we ate it, we realised the food must be kept cooked on hot plates ready for serving as it was dry and looked more like fast food with paper containers for the sauces and a general lack of care was obvious. After all those years, that will be our last visit I'm afraid.

Written September 4, 2021

Heather H

County Meath3 contributions

A GEM Of A Place

Mar 2022 • couples

We stayed at the Moorings, Portmagee for 3 nights and to say we were WELL LOOKED AFTER is an understatement. The staff were highly professional, warm and welcoming. The epitome of Irish Hospitality. Special mention must go to Front of House darlings Julie and Antoinette, and who along with owners Pat and Ger, nothing was too much trouble. We dined on two evenings and had breakfast each morning. Just WOW!! The food was amazing. There are daily specials including fresh ' Catch of the Day' Being on the coast this was exactly what we were looking for on the menu and it didnt disappoint. Super local ingredients cooked superbly. Bravo chef ❤delicious and we couldn't recommend The Moorings highly enough for the food, the welcome and accommodation. This is a fantastic base for a 'Kerry' trip/experience. We'll be back as soon as we can. Thanks Pat,Ger, Julie, Antionette and Team you are doing a fantastic job 🙂

Written March 20, 2022

Sinead C

7 contributions

Visit to The Moorings

Jul 2021 • family

The Moorings is a great spot. Caters for children as well as adults. The food is absolutely outstanding. We had the hake fish and chips, hot and cold fish plate which was amazing (as was the homemade brown bread). The staff were so good and worked tirelessly in the heat during a very busy season. Thanks to Gerry, and to his wife Patricia & son Sean for such a lovely welcome. We came by boat and stayed on the pontoon. Not much space on the pontoon for visitors but no problem whatsoever once you phone ahead. Boat rides out to the Skelligs on the hour. We will definitely be back. Thank you and hope you have a great season in Portmagee!