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Reviews of Rafter'S Gastropub

3 out of 5
Rafter'S Gastropub
4 Friary Street, Kilkenny, County Kilkenny

Reviews

7.8

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 58 out of 158 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 53 out of 158 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 22 out of 158 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 15 out of 158 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 10 out of 158 reviews" "

8.2/10

Cleanliness

8.6/10

Staff & service

7.6/10

Amenities

7.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.4/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Michael

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
I loved the old style of accommodation above a pub. Super charming and the staff was top notch!
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024

8/10 Good

Lisa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Response from gerry on 22 Apr 2024
Lisa, many thanks for staying with us and we were delighted that you enjoyed your stay with us !We look forward to seeing you again sometime in the future !Best wishes, Gerry.

2/10 Terrible

Marie

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
No hot water for shower the room was cold the heating not working, no tea facilities in the room, old fashioned hair dryer, rooms need updating.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024
Response from gerry on 22 Apr 2024
If you wish to respond directly to me, i can help to understand and repair your feelings of disappointment !I'm sorry your experience was not up to your expectations, but I would like to help repair that feeling !Looking forward to hearing from you,Regards, Gerry.

6/10 Okay

kathleen

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024

8/10 Good

Bernadette

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Noelle

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
One night stay
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

William C

Travelled with family, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Rooms small and tight, no elevator (not unusual for Ireland). Breakfast was the best anywhere.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

2/10 Terrible

Cynthia

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Just don’t do it.
Just awful. It smelled like cat urine. It was dirty everywhere. Said there was breakfast included at 7 am but the restaurant wasn’t open until just as we were driving away at 7:30. Not that I would have wanted to eat there after the co diction of the room and hallway. Most horrible stay I have ever had anywhere.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

8/10 Good

Nancy, Wendell

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
We loved the food, we ate breakfast, lunch, or dinner there each day, and the interactions with the dining staff were terrific.They were friendly and informative.

10/10 Excellent

Nancy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Friendly staff.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Anthony, Oakdale

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This place is great! Jerry is a wonderful hosts and we’re glad we met him and stayed here…their fish and chips is as good as anywhere else in Ireland…loved it!
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

CARL

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Ok it's Right in town. We wanted to stay in a pub one night and this was it. We had room 4 which was clean and functional. Good bed .nice shower. Breakfast was good. It was a little more than our other hotel choices in other towns but very close to everything. Parking we took a longer walk to get it cheaper... a parking lot closer seemed.more expensive. It's very very close to walking downtown and the castle and restaurants and the river walk. Loved the location and our room was great. We read some comments about wonky bathrooms .. but our room 4 had none of that. Glad we stayed ...watched a football match with locals in the pub and just a few stairs to get to our room

8/10 Good

Colleen

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The location of this property was excellent for walking places in Kilkenny. The staff were amazingly friendly. It was unseasonably warm during our stay, so without AC and staying on the third floor, that was a bit uncomfortable. The beds were very firm. We did not have very good water pressure in our en-suite, but my in-laws were on the second floor and their water pressure was much better. All in all, I would still very much recommend this stay though, the staff were awesome, the pub/restaurant were fantastic, and breakfast was delicious. The ability to walk to everything we wanted to see in Kilkenny made this for a wonderful stop on our trip.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

2/10 Terrible

Catherine Marline

Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from gerry on 16 Sept 2023
I am awaiting to see your comments, so then I can assess and comment !

10/10 Excellent

Nader, Springboro

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Staff was very friendly.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from gerry on 16 Sept 2023
Many thanks for your Great Review

10/10 Excellent

Jane

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We were treated like family. Our hosts were wonderful. Excellent food and atmosphere. Highly recommend!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023
Response from gerry on 16 Sept 2023
Many thanks for your great Review

10/10 Excellent

Mary

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from gerry on 29 Aug 2023
Many thanks for your great review !Best wishes, Gerry.

10/10 Excellent

Charlie

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from g on 6 Aug 2023
Many thanks for your Great review....much appreciated !Regards, G

6/10 Okay

Travis

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
We overlooked the fact we were staying above the pub on a Friday night, and had to leave the windows open to try to cool off… didn’t get much sleep. Would be much better with a couple of fans in the room.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023
Response from g on 6 Aug 2023
Thank you for your suggestions !

10/10 Excellent

Colleen

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The room was pretty- very clean and charming and you couldn't hear the pub below.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023
Response from g on 5 Jul 2023
Many thanks for your Positive Response.

4/10 Poor

John

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Expected Better
For the price of the room I expected better, especially the bathroom which was outdated and moldy, issue with toilet, and terrible water pressure. The room was large enough for my family of four which was a plus. The location was ideal as it was close to everything.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023
Response from g on 5 Jul 2023
We are sorry not to have succeeded in meeting your expectations !

10/10 Excellent

Gary

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Tracy

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location & great food
Convenient location, great food--and breakfast! Easy walking distance to the Medieval Mile.
Stayed 1 night in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Charlie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Really cool place to stay. Close to everything a very friendly staff
Stayed 1 night in May 2023

8/10 Good

Coleen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Super friendly staff. Wonderful breakfast. Clean comfy room. No parking. Paid parking down the street. Only complaint was beer keg pick up and delivery at 5:45am, which was unbelievably loud😬
Stayed 1 night in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Alison

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jacqui

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Christine

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Rafter’s is a lovely little pub and B&B. We were only there for one night, but it served our needs perfectly. Checkin was a breeze and we were able to grab a few pints once our luggage was sorted. The room was bright and clean. And the included breakfast in the morning was the perfect way to start our day. The only issue was the hunt to locate the electrical outlets. Impossible to find without help from James at the bar, who it should be noted was a wonderful help.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2022

10/10 Excellent

Deborah

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Shelby

Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2022
Response from Gerry on 7 Oct 2022
Many , many thanks for such a Great Review !Really appreciate this !

8/10 Good

Allison

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Delightful first night in Ireland. Base of operation is in the pub - you pick up your room key there from owner. No arduous check-in process. We had wonderful lunch before heading out to explore Kilkenny. Gerry the innkeeper walked us up to our room. Accommodations pleasant - fresh - but room abutting street may bother some guests. Delicious breakfast on morning of check out. Again, this was one of the more charming places - go in with eyes open - town robust for young adults so know it may not be the most sound night. But worth it!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2022
Response from Gerry on 7 Oct 2022
Many thanks for your Positive and Great Review.Much Appreciated !Regards, Gerry.

10/10 Excellent

Sean

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great spot to view Kilkenny.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2022
Response from Gerry on 8 Sept 2022
Many thanks for your great Review.....Much Appreciated !Regards, Gerry.

8/10 Good

Steven

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Erin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Loved my stay here! Friendly staff, walkable location. Lived up to my standards of "cheap and cheerful." No frills, but cozy and safe! Only "complaint" is that my room was overlooking the bar's patio, so it was mildly noisy. But that's part in parcel with pub accommodation. Just worth mentioning if you are looking for a quiet spot.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2022
Response from Gerry on 18 Aug 2022
Many thanks for your Great Review !

8/10 Good

James

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great staff and nice breakfast.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022
Response from Gerry on 15 Jul 2022
Many thanks for staying with us, and also for your great review! We hope you will stay with us again in the future !

8/10 Good

Deborah

Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It was very central young staff were exceptional and couldn’t do enough.Could of done with tea/coffee making facilities in room rather than down in bar where you had to pay.Thoroughly enjoyed the terraced area .all round brilliant
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022
Response from Gerry on 21 Jul 2022
Many thanks for your Review.....Very much appreciated.

8/10 Good

Naomi

Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022
Response from Gerry on 7 Jul 2022
Many thanks for your review. Much appreciated !

4/10 Poor

Matthew Paul

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Location was good, room was ok however quality of sleep was terrible. I understand its a pub and a Friday night and that somethings are outside of a venues control but when paying 200 euros for a room that has literally no sound resistance at all from hotel guests, music or outdoor noise, it was almost impossible to sleep. From 10pm to after midnight, you might as well sit in the pub and enjoy the music. From 1am to 3am, constantly chatting inside rooms, in hallways, on street outside etc.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022
Response from Gerry on 25 Jun 2022
Very sorry to hear that you were not happy with your stay. Most of your concerns were with issues that we cannot control, such as the music from the Pub next door to us, or people chatting on the street outside ! A;lso as we are city center, one has to expect that people are out enjoying themselves at 10pm on a Friday night, and may well make some noise. I am still sorry that you were disappointed with your stay, and if you wish to stay again in the future, i will be happy to help you enjoy your stay better next time ! Kind regards, Gerry.

8/10 Good

Heide

Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022
Response from Gerry on 20 Jun 2022
many thanks for your great review. we will share your review with the staff.

8/10 Good

Tanya

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Okay for a short visit
Rafters was adequate for an overnight stay, but our room would not have worked for a longer stay. The room was separated by a large window from one of the bar areas and it was very loud until almost 3am. We would not have booked there had we known. The location was great!
Stayed 1 night in May 2022
Response from Gerry on 21 Jun 2022
Many thanks for your review. We hope to see you again in the future ! Regards, Gerry.

10/10 Excellent

Emily

Travelled with family, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The bnb is above a bar so my expectations were a little low, however everything was really nice! It looked recently renovated and was very clean and nicely decorated. We stayed on thursday night so it was a little noisy outside but it did settle down. So keep in mind it may be louder on the weekend. Check in was easy but we were unsure of where to go at first. We just walked into the bar and the person there helped us. The next morning when we checked out, i found they were a little rude to us and wanted to hurry us out. They also seemed hesitant to want to bring us breakfast or even serve us at all, and were much kinder to other people at the pub.
Stayed 1 night in May 2022
Response from Gerry on 28 Jun 2022
Im glad to hear that you liked your stay, but sorry to hear that you percieved the staff member to be a little rude ! Perhaps they were busy with other guests at the time and you felt neglected. Anyhow, i'm sorry your experience was a little tainted ! Many thanks for staying with us . Kind regards, gerry.

10/10 Excellent

K

Stayed 1 night in Apr 2022
Response from Gerry on 19 May 2022
Many thanks for you great review score. We will share this with our staff !

10/10 Excellent

Ruth

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Had a amazing stay and catch up in kilkenny with friend
Stayed 2 nights in May 2022
Response from Gerry on 11 May 2022
Many thanks for your Great Review ! Regards, Gerry.

10/10 Excellent

jacinta

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location, staff amazing, dinner lovely & good value. Bedroom spacious for 2 adults & 2 teens. Shower power poor. Breakfast lovely. Would recommend
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2022
Response from Gerry on 11 May 2022
Many thanks for your Great Review ! Regards, Gerry.

10/10 Excellent

angela

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Kilkenny
Brilliant location. Staff were lovely and very helpful even looked up bus times. Will definitely recommend it to friends@ family. ONLY DOWNSIDE THERE WAS NO KETTLE IN ROOMS THEY COULD CHARGE EXTRA FOR ONE WOULD MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2022
Response from Gerry on 19 May 2022
Many thanks for your kind review !

10/10 Excellent

Margaret

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2021
Response from Gerry on 11 Oct 2021
Many thanks for your great review.......We hope we can look after you again in the future !

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great weekend gr8 location clean room bathrooms need updatein done the job breakfast super staff friendly apart from manager.bit smart with 1 or 2 of my friends always had a sly remark about something no need for it nice apart from that gr8 place
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2021
Response from Gerry on 21 Sept 2021
Thank you for your review. I will discuss this with my staff.

10/10 Excellent

Steve

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We had a wonderful time and everyone one was super friendly
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2021
Response from Gerry on 16 Sept 2021
Thank you soo much for your great review.... I hope we can look after you again in the future.

4/10 Poor

Loughlin

Travelled with family
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2021
Response from Gerry on 30 Aug 2021
Sorry you were disappointed with your visit to our premesis. Please let us know more so as to assist you !