3 Best Restaurants in Kinsale, County Cork

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.   

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).

A must stop for Kinsale's more carnivorous visitors, but while locally sourced meat (directly from the owner's farm) is center stage on the Finn family's menu, there's a good offering of fresh catch, too. Talented owner--chef John Finn runs the restaurant with his wife, Julie---but "Bertha" (an imported charcoal-burning oven) is second in command. The front room is quiet and luxurious, with white table linens, Villeroy & Boch platters, and extra-large wineglasses for the outstanding wine list. Another room is used for small groups and private parties.