2 Best Restaurants in Ireland

"Ichigo Ichie" translates as "a once-in-a-lifetime encounter" and a special, once-in-a lifetime dining experience is exactly what this dramatic, Michelin-starred kaiseki restaurant delivers. Japanese chef-owner Takashi Miyazaki brings the traditional Japanese multicourse tasting ritual to Cork in the kappou style (meaning the sushi and sashimi is prepared by the chef in front of the diner) and infuses the 12-course menu with Irish fish and produce. Alternatively, request harmony (dining room) or garden room dining---priced at €120 per person. Once-in-a-lifetime might also nod to the chances of getting a table at this 24-seater buzzy spot.

There is a takeaway menu available and the chef also owns Miyazaki, a restaurant-takeaway shop where he sells bento, udon noodles, rice bowls, curry, and other favorites from the Japanese canon.

The open plan and family-style tables have kept Yamamori popular with noodle addicts and the younger, hipster crowd. The meals-in-a-bowl are a splendid slurping experience, and although you'll be supplied with a small Chinese-style soup spoon, the best approach is with chopsticks. The bento box combo meal is the best value in town. The seafood yaki soba, stir-fried egg noodles with a combination of fresh seafood and seasonal vegetables with wakame (an edible seaweed), is a favorite example. You can also get sushi and sashimi, delicious chicken teriyaki, or house specials like baked lobster.