One of the region's most highly-regarded restaurants is to be found in the old courthouse of the attractive village of Kinlough. With an open fire in the main room, which makes it especially appealing on chilly evenings, this much loved little restaurant is a welcoming place and full of charm. In the sure hands of the former owner-chef Piero Melis and his wife Sandra since 1997, it had earned a reputation for consistently good contemporary Mediterranean style cooking, combining a respect for tradition and some local influences.
And then, following Piero's retirement in October 2024, this lucky spot again fell into good hands, when - to the delight of their loyal customers - it was taken over by local restaurateurs Darren and Joanne Fergus. Already well known in the area for their popular restaurant, The Selkie, in nearby Tullaghan, it was a seamless transition with Darren in the kitchen himself initially to get things settled and then Mario Raise - who had worked under both Piero and Darren - taking over as Head Chef in summer 2025. So there's a pleasing continuity of style and, alongside newer dishes, regulars will still find favourites like Courthouse Style Prawns (garlic butter and btandy sauce crostini), Risotto (with wild mushrooms, parmesan & truffle oil), Rack of Lamb with harissa tomatoes & smoked alnonds, and Courthouse Style Seafood Fettuccini (wth mussels, prawns, crab claws)
The philosophy here has always been to keep it simple and allow carefully sourced local foods to take centre stage, but - with plenty of special choices on the very appealing menus - this simplicity is skilfully achieved. And, in typically Italian fashion, you can be sure of ending your meal on a high with really delicious desserts such as homemade ice creams, a superb house tiramisu, or a seasonal dessert plate.
Professional service is given by friendly, helpful and very well trained staff who really know their menus - and also the fairly priced wine list, which includes a Wine of the Month, plenty by the glass and many new finds.
The warm ambience, consistently excellent cooking, wide ranging menus and good service all encourage frequent return visits - and booking is strongly advised as this is understandably a very popular restaurant.
Accommodation: This makes a good base for exploring the area, or perhaps for a fishing holiday, but the compact en-suite Failte Ireland Approved rooms are operated separately from the restaurant and it is worth checking the details before booking.
