The Restaurant Recommendation Thread

Markcheese

run_Forrest_run wrote: »

we're taking the kids to the Panto in the Everyman in December, we plan to have dinner in town beforehand. Can someone recommend a few good places? Thanks.

Scoozi's is always reliable , not flash but nice-
Went into pizza d'italia on grand parade on Tuesday evening (with the kids) ,I really liked it- again anything but flash- restaurant a little dated looking almost kitsch- but not quite -
Food was simple and nice -my wife is super critical on pasta(2years in Rome) and she enjoyed it-
The booths are a bonus for keeping kids in check -

whatever76

Not a restaurant as such I know ...

Spotted a new Coffee shop opening up in Barrack st - Alchemy

They serving 3fe coffee brand which is all the rage in Dublin at the moment.

Facebook page
facebook.com/pages/Alchemy-cork-123-barrack-st

sporina

Parchment wrote: »

Best option fir a varied tapas menu in a nice setting - in the city ?

try Tedo on princes street..

www.tedo.ie - also on facebook

who_me

run_Forrest_run wrote: »

sorry, I was a bit vague.

I was preferring places where the parents would eat too, ie, not the fast food joints.

The kids like pizzas, pasta, chicken, the 5 year old likes a good home made burger and chicken curries and stir-fry.

They are great suggestions @pwurple, actually Kudos isn't too far from the Everyman so it's an option because they like rice based dishes.

Market Lane would be very handy too, never thought of that. Cheers.

The Gourmet Burger restaurant on Bridge St. (very close) would be an option; not the absolute healthiest I'd say, but very tasty.

Ludo

run_Forrest_run wrote: »

we're taking the kids to the Panto in the Everyman in December, we plan to have dinner in town beforehand. Can someone recommend a few good places? Thanks.

Bear in mind that your options may be severely limited if you are going on a Sunday afternoon before the matinee panto. Not that I know when you are going or anything...ermm....just guessing

run_Forrest_run

Ludo wrote: »

Bear in mind that your options may be severely limited if you are going on a Sunday afternoon before the matinee panto. Not that I know when you are going or anything...ermm....just guessing

We're actually going on Saturday evening, we arranged for the tickets for then. Herself not able to make it on Sunday, less riffraff ;-)

etoughguy

Ate in the Liberty Grill tonight what a let down of enormous proportions
Had the special lamb burger which apparently can take up to 20 mins to cook a burger, the burger wasn't bad it was topped with a chuck of cold brie which came in approx 14 euro or so cant remember the exact price. Served with a bowl of diced potatoes and nothing else, Total rip off
The side salad I ordered was comical ,a bowl of lettuce and a big chunk of tomato with a few green beans the laziest effort of a dry tasteless side salad one could imagine
Herself had a chicken burger with the same side of potatoes
Come here if you want to overpay for less than average taste and insulting portions

Wouldnt return if the food was free

sporina

etoughguy wrote: »

Ate in the Liberty Grill tonight what a let down of enormous proportions
Had the special lamb burger which apparently can take up to 20 mins to cook a burger, the burger wasn't bad it was topped with a chuck of cold brie which came in approx 14 euro or so cant remember the exact price. Served with a bowl of diced potatoes and nothing else, Total rip off
The side salad I ordered was comical ,a bowl of lettuce and a big chunk of tomato with a few green beans the laziest effort of a dry tasteless side salad one could imagine
Herself had a chicken burger with the same side of potatoes
Come here if you want to overpay for less than average taste and insulting portions

Wouldnt return if the food was free

i had a similar experience in the liberty grill myself - had a chicken dish - a chicken breast - with a few roasted tomatoes and roasted potatoes - and i mean a few. I am a small las and i was still hungry after it - jesus if i was a bloke or someone with a big appetite I would have been starving after it. and I think it was like €18! Rip off.
I really do not understand the fuss about this place..

Cedrus

Went to the Ivory Tower for the first time in years. I always loved it but OH was always unconvinced. Cash levels, and moving out from the city ruled it out over the last few years. But, the reqonquista is total, we both loved the whole (if not always the detail, OH still can't do things like pickled mackerel). We also forked up for a magnificent bottle of Ribero del Duero, which added shedloads of delight.
I won't be going there every week (or month) but it definitely back on the annual calendar, there is nothing else like it in Cork or anywhere else in Ireland.

Markcheese

Cedrus wrote: »

Went to the Ivory Tower for the first time in years. I always loved it but OH was always unconvinced. Cash levels, and moving out from the city ruled it out over the last few years. But, the reqonquista is total, we both loved the whole (if not always the detail, OH still can't do things like pickled mackerel). We also forked up for a magnificent bottle of Ribero del Duero, which added shedloads of delight.
I won't be going there every week (or month) but it definitely back on the annual calendar, there is nothing else like it in Cork or anywhere else in Ireland.

When it's good it's great - when it's off its cat--

-Toppy-

Let me know when they get a card machine and a till. Aint much to ask in the 21st century

ABajaninCork

Saw this interesting article in the Indo today. I've taken friends from London to the Farmgate and loved it there. Not eaten at Ballymaloe though.

Adrian Gill's a bit of an arse though...

Nonoperational

Tried Tedo recently. Wasn't very impressed unfortunately.

The setting is ok, tables quite close together but fine. The service was grand, quite informal and friendly but had to ask for water twice and one of the Tapas I ordered was forgotten and we never ended up getting it.

The food itself was quite disappointing. I thought it lacked a bit of polish, and the portion sizes of some of the tapas were very small for the €7-8 they cost each. The burger tasted ok but the presentation was awful, looked like something you'd get in a work canteen.

I wouldn't necessarily put people off trying it, but personally I won't be going back.

byronbay2

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Saw this interesting article in the Indo today. I've taken friends from London to the Farmgate and loved it there. Not eaten at Ballymaloe though.

Adrian Gill's a bit of an arse though...

That is huge for The Farmgate - Gill is the most powerful and widely-read food critic in Britain. Even when he likes restaurants, he very rarely gives 5 stars for both food and atmosphere, as he did in this instance. Lots of Brits will be adding The Farmgate to their itinerary when visiting Cork.

As for Gill himself, you need to take what he says with a pinch of salt (culinary pun!) but he is a beautifully stylish food writer and very knowledgeable on the subject. I look forward to reading his column every week in The ST, even though he is generally very London-centric.

Malari

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Saw this interesting article in the Indo today. I've taken friends from London to the Farmgate and loved it there. Not eaten at Ballymaloe though.

Adrian Gill's a bit of an arse though...

I would pretty much agree with what he says about Ballymaloe. They may have once been ground-breaking but I've had better carvery in some pubs.

leahyl

Malari wrote: »

I would pretty much agree with what he says about Ballymaloe. They may have once been ground-breaking but I've had better carvery in some pubs.

I've never been to Ballymaloe for food but I have heard some very negative reviews about the place.

pwurple

leahyl wrote: »

I've never been to Ballymaloe for food but I have heard some very negative reviews about the place.

Ballymaloe is like a blast from the past. They come out with seconds of whatever you order, more fish, more meat, whatever. If you go there wth a hungry group they will be delighted. but it's traditional simple food, served in an old-fashioned way.

I like it sometimes.

JohnK

I've only eaten there once (Ballymaloe) and while I don't have anything negative to say about the place I don't have anything positive to say either in that it just wasn't memorable in the slightest so very middle of the road/nothing special.

Malari

pwurple wrote: »

Ballymaloe is like a blast from the past. They come out with seconds of whatever you order, more fish, more meat, whatever. If you go there wth a hungry group they will be delighted. but it's traditional simple food, served in an old-fashioned way.

I like it sometimes.

I don't have a problem with simple, traditional food if it's done well. But for the prices they charge I think the quality could be far higher.

pwurple

Malari wrote: »

I don't have a problem with simple, traditional food if it's done well. But for the prices they charge I think the quality could be far higher.

I have to say I don't think I could ever fault the quality. That's their selling point. Top quality, both in produce and cooking. They are a culinary school. I've never had anything there that wasn't perfectly cooked.

(other selling point being the dessert trolley!)

Their style isn't for everyone though, no doubt about that.

Malari

pwurple wrote: »

I have to say I don't think I could ever fault the quality. That's their selling point. Top quality, both in produce and cooking. They are a culinary school. I've never had anything there that wasn't perfectly cooked.

(other selling point being the dessert trolley!)

Their style isn't for everyone though, no doubt about that.

It's a fair point that the quality of the produce is indeed very good, but I'd argue that the quality of the cooking is often less than I'd expect.

pwurple

Malari wrote: »

It's a fair point that the quality of the produce is indeed very good, but I'd argue that the quality of the cooking is often less than I'd expect.

Might have the students in there!

Miss Demeanour

Went to the coq and bull for lunch the other day after hearing great reviews. Couldn't fault the service but wasn't majorly impressed with the food to be honest.

leahyl

What is it with consistency in a lot of restaurants in Cork - that seems to be the main problem I think - you go to a place once and it's lovely and then you go back and it's like a different restaurant!

pwurple

Miss Demeanour wrote: »

Went to the coq and bull for lunch the other day after hearing great reviews. Couldn't fault the service but wasn't majorly impressed with the food to be honest.

Jesus, where did you hear great reviews? Everyone I know slated the place.

leahyl

pwurple wrote: »

Jesus, where did you hear great reviews? Everyone I know slated the place.

I've heard both good and bad reviews about the place.

-Toppy-

I went there on a Saturday in November and couldnt fault it
Was decent enough burgers and no messing with the service

pwurple

-Toppy- wrote: »

Was decent enough burgers

Twould want to be more than a 'decent' burger for the price tag of 15 quid. Blob o coleslaw on the side, that's an extra 3 euro.

I can't justify paying almost 40 quid for burgers and chips for two people, it's just madness.

okedoke

Ate in Pho (Asian street food place on Douglas st) last week. Found it far better than Wagamamas/Ramen etc. I love asian food but not a fan of these places so far, there's usually only 1 or 2 things on the menus of these street food places that sounds remotely appealing. Most things on the Pho menu sounded delicious. I had a beef rendang and OH had a thai green curry. The green curry was nice, decent thai restaurant standard I thought - better than equivalent dishes is Wagamama/Ramen. The rendang was outstanding - rich, flavoursome sauce, melt in mouth beef. Only one desert item on the menu (shaved ice w/ some kind of syrup I think). The waitress said it wasn't going down well and they were doing a brownie instead, brownie was fine.

sporina

had lunch in KC Peaches on dawson st in Dublin today - it was 100% !!! And such good value for money. Wish we had one in Cork!!