County Cork Restaurants

County Cork, home of the famous Slow Food Ireland movement, has become Ireland's top foodie destination. The mecca: Ballymaloe House, where Myrtle Allen pioneered New Irish cuisine and her daughter-in-law, the celebrated cookery author Darina Allen, learned her trade. Adventurous, well-traveled chefs throughout County Cork make the most of the first-rate local specialties: succulent beef and lamb, game in the winter, fresh seafood, and farmhouse cheeses. The best restaurants are not all in towns: even tiny villages might boast a gastropub.

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  • 1. Bastion

    $$$$

    Prosecco on tap sets the tone for fun at this wine bar and restaurant in the heart of Kinsale. There's a bar in the funky front parlor, along with some tables beside its street windows, supplemented by a more private back room. The eight-course tasting menu has a bouquet of carefully chosen indigenous produce: pigeon, rabbit, seaweed-infused potato, cured mackerel with ginger pickle, and sweet fruit with homemade sorbet---all offered with an imaginative take on traditional recipes.   

    5 Main St., Kinsale, Co. Cork, Ireland
    021-470–9696

    Known For

    • Experimental small plates
    • More than 100 wines
    • Range of prix-fixe and tasting menus

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon.--Tues. Closed last wk of Nov. and all Feb., Booking advised, No children\'s menu
  • 2. Dede at The Customs House

    $$$$

    Ahmet Dede, formerly of the exquisite Mews just down the street, bestows his culinary magic on his in season tasting menu that can include Wagyu beef, black sole, red mulberry, and brown butter—or even brown butter ice cream for that matter. This chef is living proof that with talent, a restaurant does not need the pomp and trappings of fine dining to offer a feast of flavor---because he's wowing critics both nationally and globally with his local ingredients served with Turkish flair in his stripped-back, casual eatery in the delightful seaside village of Baltimore.

    Baltimore, Co. Cork, Ireland
    28-48248

    Known For

    • Seasonal menu
    • Guided wine pairings
    • Reservations are essential

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.--Wed. (Phone ahead; owner Dede changes the schedule regularly.), Booking highly recommended as there is a long waiting list
  • 3. Fishy Fishy Café

    $$$$

    Originally a café in a fish shop, this place has moved up in the world, now located in a sumptuous two-story former art gallery in the town park. TV chef Martin Shanahan, who trained in San Francisco, brings California pizzazz to his dishes. There is an unrivaled selection of seafood available here. Stylish young staffers seem thrilled to be part of the show. Lunch is the big event, although service does continue until 9 pm (except for most of January).

    Crowley's Quay, Kinsale, Co. Cork, Ireland
    021-470–0415

    Known For

    • Surf 'n' turf of scallops and black pudding on parsnip puree
    • "fishy fish pie" served with mash au gratin in a hot cream sauce
    • Spicy seafood chowder

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.–Wed. in Nov.–Feb., Advised, Nonfish options available on the menu
  • 4. Restaurant Chestnut

    $$$$

    The last thing you would expect to find behind the typical, small pub facade located along a long street filled with a row of modest vernacular buildings, is a heightened level of dining experience with a sophisticated, inventive menu. Schull man Rob Krawczyk runs the kitchen a few miles from his hometown in Ballydehob, and he's impressing professional food critics and novices alike with his inventive taster menus. Expect the unexpected: butter comes with a turf-infused flavor, quail eggs are accompanied with caviar and oysters, while herbal tea to clear the palate has a snap of whiskey. Restaurant Chestnut opens from 6 pm, and you should plan to park yourself for just shy of three hours to sample all nine offerings on his daily changing menu.

    Ballydehob, Schull, Co. Cork, Ireland
    28-25766

    Known For

    • Tasting menu
    • Locally sourced produce
    • Creative and often experimental menu

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon., Tues., and Jan.--mid-Mar.
  • 5. Max's

    $$$

    Polished tables, a large stone chimney, and bay windows are the cornerstone of this contemporary space behind this double-fronted town house. At dinner, owner-chef Olivier Queva's classical French background is evident in his treatment of the daily catch directly from the pier, including fresh grilled lobster in the summer, and clever ways with unusual cuts of meat. In winter, the catch of the day is replaced by game: quail, pheasant, wild duck, or venison. The wine list is long and includes a good selection of French and new-world wines to complement serious and well-judged cuisine.

    48 Main St., Kinsale, Co. Cork, Ireland
    021-477–2443

    Known For

    • Good value early-bird menu
    • Excellent seafood
    • Reservations required on summer weekends

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Dec.–Feb.
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