Restaurant review: Anocht Restaurant, Kilkenny

YOU would never think that in the space above the rather beautifully appointed Kilkenny Design Centre is a restaurant that has quite likely one of the longest floor plans in Ireland (it was, centuries ago, a series of grain stores for horses belonging to the Earl of Ormonde, which accounts for the length of the building).

Anocht Restaurant, Kilkenny Design Centre, Castle Yard, Kilkenny; tel: [phone]; kilkennydesign.com

Yet there it is — as we make our way past the Barbour jackets, the jars of cottage industry sauces, the crafts and arts of a local community, we stand at the entrance point to Anocht, and wait to be shown to our table. Walking what seems like half a mile, past groups and pairs of happy people, we are finally seated. Of course, it’s nowhere near so long, but the entire length of the Design Centre’s first floor is given over to the restaurant, and while by necessity it’s narrower than other restaurant areas, its dimensions dictate its sensibilities. Here, then, is a space as busy as you can imagine, and which is not only an efficiently run operation but also a becalming experience. Depending on which part of the room you’re seated in, the views will be of either the Design Centre courtyard (pretty) or Kilkenny Castle (beautiful). Either way, it’s top dollar.