Finest Restaurant in Cork?

Ddad

mik_da_man wrote: »

I agree with the above.
Hayfield manor would be top of my list, if your out to go to the finest then it's the choice for ya.
Food and service is explempary

I've been to hayfield three times 9not by choice) and I've been disappointed on all three occasions. one was utterly shambolic. I'd never recommend the place.

Les gormandise is great, very good chefs but the room is a little dated. The food is very good. I'm not one for food fashions, either it's good or it isn't.

Cafe Paradiso, an excellent attitude to food, excellent produce. relaxed and informal. One of my favourite places in Cork.

Wouldn't rate Jaques at all. Been there twice and would describe it as mediocre.

Flemings has a very good rep. I haven't been there myself but I know a few lads that cooked there and they speak highly of the place. Bit remote though.

jacobs i'm afraid leaves me cold. Never been impressed but a lot better than Hayfield in the price bracket their in.

Scoozies, Amicus, etc do nothing for me. I'd rather have a sandwich.

overmantle

Some of the restaurants mentioned here are over rated. Small portions- lots of pomp and ceremony. Won't mention any names but have been left disappointed a couple of times, not just with the size of portions but also with the hole in my pocket afetrwards. Wouldn't mind if I was full also.

Dob74

overmantle wrote: »

Some of the restaurants mentioned here are over rated. Small portions- lots of pomp and ceremony. Won't mention any names but have been left disappointed a couple of times, not just with the size of portions but also with the hole in my pocket afetrwards. Wouldn't mind if I was full also.

+1

I think people think if they pay alot of money they have had a good meal.
There is nothing wrong with a reasonable restruntant.
Good food does not have to be expensive.

x43r0

My usual eating holes would be

Luigi Malone's - Emmet Place: Garlic Chicken is delicious

Amicus - Paul St: Not the best but a good all-rounder

Soho - grand parade: fantastic steak

glanman

I really don’t like Luigi Malones. Over priced, gimmicky and it really annoys me the way that they import a lot of their meats, Argentinean beef for example...

I'm just not a fan of chain/franchise restaurants, add Milanos to the list too!

Max001

x43r0 wrote: »

My usual eating holes would be

Luigi Malone's - Emmet Place: Garlic Chicken is delicious

Amicus - Paul St: Not the best but a good all-rounder

Soho - grand parade: fantastic steak

Luigi Malones? You cannot be serious man! :eek:

Tbh I'd rather admit to being a molester of farm animals
than admit to eating there. Then again, by labelling it an
eating 'hole', you are on the money lol

x43r0

Max001 wrote: »

Luigi Malones? You cannot be serious man! :eek:

Tbh I'd rather admit to being a molester of farm animals
than admit to eating there. Then again, by labelling it an
eating 'hole', you are on the money lol

Am I missing something here? Does the place use slave labour or serve human meet as "Argentinian Beef" or something?

I've enjoyed the meal anytime i've went

Mumha

x43r0 wrote: »

Am I missing something here? Does the place use slave labour or serve human meet as "Argentinian Beef" or something?

I've enjoyed the meal anytime i've went

Don't mind them x43r0 ! Luigis is just the job. In fact, I'm heading there for lunch...apparently they've got new choices on the menu including Roast Knuckle of Pork (Schweinehaxe). I like the fact that they have responded very well to the recession/depression to give great value and choice.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Restaurante Rossini on Princes Street. Without doubt it is the best Italian restaurant in Cork, at least. My only negative about them is that they have a habit of packing people in far too densely when busy (Christmas etc), but at this time of year they should be fine. Excellent food.

Max001

lol, sorry, that was a tad judgemental of me.

I've only eaten there once and it was probably the worst meal
I've had since coming to Cork four years ago. The Indian upstairs
/ next door was similarly awful. What Glanman says basically.
When I was there, the food was awful, they seemed to be adding
quantity to make up for no quality, the service was non-existant
and the prices were ridiculous. Struck me as one of the biggest rip
offs in Cork.
I tried Malones quite early on in my stay here and having eaten in
many places since, I know I can eat much, much better elsewhere
for the same $$ or less. As long as there are people who don't care what
they put in their mouths, places like Malones and that awful excuse for a
slop bucket Gambinis or whatever its called up from Paul St, will survive.
What we choose can be very subjective, so I'd say enjoy it if you like it,
but maybe try one new place, once in a while, that pushes your boundaries
.....you might be surprised.

Max001

Glanman....whens your Eating Guide to West Cork coming out dude?

Heading there Saturday and could use some good tips!

glanman

Il give you a few suggestions tomorrow ok! As I said Blairs Cove is well worth it... http://www.blairscove.ie/


What area are you going to (name some towns) and what are you looking for?

Max001

I'm okay as far as Kinsale and I know O'Connors in Bantry
but the rest of West Cork is a bit of a blank food-wise tbh.

Used to go to the Granary in Clon, but since it changed hands
and they took the fabulous goats cheese tart off, its dead to me lol

I tend to drive via Clon/Bandon past Castletownbere to Dzogchen Beara
every few weeks and sometimes head off along the coast for a wander.

Am an amateur photographer, so always exploring places off the beaten track, but coming up hungry :pac:

I'll quite happily go way off the beaten track for somewhere /someone that does simple food with love.....best ingredients, not messed with, you know what I mean

Max001

Free tip for anyone looking for something a little different.

The Silk Purse restaurant, upstairs in An Cruibin is newish and
doing fabulous Irish and continental food with a twist.
1, Union Quay, across the road from City Hall.

A sample menu is at www.themeatcentre.com

Very reasonably priced, great service and if you don't like it, I'll eat
my Cartman bobble hat!

Amtmann

A friend and I went to Luigi Malone's yesterday evening. Neither of us finished our food. It was rank. I could have cooked a better meal myself, and I'm an appalling chef. I will avoid it like the plague next time.

Jimmy1bob

Luigi Malones is total crap! The service is woeful, the food is dire microwaved slodge. You guys are aware that they "prepare" the food in an Industrial estate in Little island and ship it to the restaurant in Cork later.

I'm a bit suprised no-one has mentioned Augustines on Washington Street yet. I've been there for lunch twice and it has been excellant. This is serious FINE FOOD not the crap that most of ye are talking about.

Mumha

just back from Luigis, for Lunch, yum !

glanman

Max001 wrote: »

Glanman....whens your Eating Guide to West Cork coming out dude?

Heading there Saturday and could use some good tips!

Annies - Ballydehob 028-37292 is amazing

http://www.goireland.com/cork/annies-restaurant-attraction-restaurants-id3750.htm

O Connors Seafood - Bantry Not bad
http://www.oconnorseafood.com/

Blairs Cove as mentioned

Seacloud - just outside Bantry, suppose to be good, never been though

http://www.discoverireland.com/us/ireland-things-to-see-and-do/listings/product/?fid=FI_10258

Enjoy, hope the weather will be kind to ye:)

rsta

Well, we had a great time in Cork City last weekend. And to top it off the weather was excellent!

On Friday evening we went to Club Brassarie for dinner. It was really good. The service was great and the place had a great atmosphere. It was a busy place, but they didnt seem to mind if you wanted to sit there all evening! Food was good, not fine dining, but it was very nice for a casual/ish brasserie dinner. There was a lot of after work crowd in there so I'd say its very popular.

Les Gourmandises was excellent. We really enjoyed our food. The starters were very slow to arrive, we were waiting almost an hour... But apparently that's the norm in France? Anyway the food was definatly worth the wait. I had the beef cooked medium. It was absolutley perfectly cooked. My partner had the fish and it was delicious. I would totally recommend LG.

The OH was not impressed by how the Ivory Tower looked from the outside so we did not venture in!! I would have braved it, but the OH thought it looked really shabby and dark and dirty!! Next time I'm going in though as I thought it looked very interesting.

glanman

Should have mentioned that actually! Im surprised you even found the door. Looks a bit dodgy on the outside but so worth it inside. Glad you enjoyed cork:)

galactus

glanman wrote: »

I really don’t like Luigi Malones. Over priced, gimmicky and it really annoys me the way that they import a lot of their meats, Argentinean beef for example...

I'm just not a fan of chain/franchise restaurants, add Milanos to the list too!

I have been saying Malones is dire for ages. Great to see people agreeing with me. :pac:

I can't speak for other Milanos but what don't you like about the one in OP street? I think their pizza is authentic and delish! Also ther starters are not at all bad. Slighty pricey for what you are easting though...

For me, the outstanding restaurant in Cork is The Barn. Pricey but, for me, the food, service and atmosphere are unrivalled in Cork. Well worth the treat once or twice a year...

probe

I live on the continent, and speaking generally, the raw materials of the food in Irish restaurants (where it is of Irish origin) is usually good to excellent. On the negative side, on occasions, the service is a bit dozy and unprofessional, and food portions are frequently over-sized.

Even a cup of coffee in a cafe tends to default to a mega 40cl mug of weak, poor quality (invariably Robusta) coffee, rather than a small quantity of Arabica coffee. Even if one expressly "screams" for an expresso, the usual retort is "double or single". The quality of the coffee making machines and the quality of the water (ie need of water filtering) is often ignored. Despite the astronomical price of a cup of coffee in Ireland. One can get an expresso in an Italian city of similar size to Cork for 90c. The cheapest and best expresso I have come across in Cork is 190c in one of the sidewalk glass boxes on the Grand Parade, near the city library.

Max001

glanman wrote: »

Annies - Ballydehob 028-37292 is amazing

http://www.goireland.com/cork/annies-restaurant-attraction-restaurants-id3750.htm

O Connors Seafood - Bantry Not bad
http://www.oconnorseafood.com/

Blairs Cove as mentioned

Seacloud - just outside Bantry, suppose to be good, never been though

http://www.discoverireland.com/us/ireland-things-to-see-and-do/listings/product/?fid=FI_10258

Enjoy, hope the weather will be kind to ye:)

Cheers Glanman.....will work my way thru these over the summer. (if we get one!)

glanman

I was wondering had you gone anywhere last weekend, I take it you didn't. Let me know how you get on anyway if/when you go to any of them!! WOuld be interested in other places you go to around Cork so reviews would be welcomed by me

gccorcaigh

I hate to compliment that twat Neil Prenderville, but the restaurant he is involved in ,The Boardwalk, is absolutely fab. Gorgeous food, staff are lovely, bar is gorgeous, great buzz. Couldnt recommend it enough.

gccorcaigh

oH also, Fishy Fishy in Kinsale!!

Kazbah

Everywhere can be hit and miss.
Milano's is actually worse than Luigi's though
For everyday eating out I like Market Lane
For something special I like Fenn's Quay or Star Anise

Elevelyn

Luigis can be ok but service is shocking, last time i went there was waiting 3/4 of an hour between courses and the place was empty so im never going again, spend too much to get so little!

Soho has delicous steak (best ive ever tasted)

The Boardwalk is good, yummy yummy mussels and lovely staff.

IMO the worst place to eat is the Strausborg Goose, burnt food all the time.

deRanged

gccorcaigh wrote: »

I hate to compliment that twat Neil Prenderville, but the restaurant he is involved in ,The Boardwalk, is absolutely fab. Gorgeous food, staff are lovely, bar is gorgeous, great buzz. Couldnt recommend it enough.

I must disagree with that. lovely food, everything else was sub par, particularly the service.

Geog

Fishy Fishy in Kinsale is special. Man Friday's also in Kinsale for evening meal is VERY special.

Geog

If you don't want to travel out of town and stay middle of the road, Scoozis is fine. Soho's good too but neither of them for 'romantic' dinner.