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The Restaurant Recommendation Thread

Faith

There's been a crazy number of threads recently looking for restaurant recommendations, so I'd like to start a specific thread for it. Please post below about your favourite restaurants - why you like them, what price range they are, what type of food they serve, if they have an early bird, opening hours if you know them, where they're located. If you could include a link to the website, that would be great. The more details, the better. This is not a thread to post negative reviews - there's a thread in the main Food & Drink forum for that if you like. Basically, I want this thread to be full of recommendations, not positive and negative reviews. That being said, you can disagree with a recommendation briefly if you really feel the need to, but you must have a really valid reason such as an awful experience, rather than "I don't really like the food" or "It's too expensive".

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igCorcaigh

Anyone remember an upmarket restaurant on dyke parade years ago? It could have been called Oscars, I'm not sure.

Was a student at the time. Early 90s I guess.

Mardyke

igCorcaigh wrote: »

Anyone remember an upmarket restaurant on dyke parade years ago? It could have been called Oscars, I'm not sure.

Was a student at the time. Early 90s I guess.

Yes I have memory of a restaurant on Mardyke St. back in the late 80s / early 90s

igCorcaigh

Wasn't much to choose from back then, and I didn't have the money to eat there.

My parents went for a treat once a year in the Barn, on the way to Glanmire. Very retro!

polaris68

igCorcaigh wrote: »

Anyone remember an upmarket restaurant on dyke parade years ago? It could have been called Oscars, I'm not sure.

Was a student at the time. Early 90s I guess.

Cliffords:

https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/from-industrial-school-to-michelin-star-michael-clifford-was-a-chef-who-had-real-bite-295988.html

Water John

Really thanks for that, never knew his story. Tough times, a fair bit of crap from those with power. They were not long falling from their high perch.
I presume Liam Collins was a nephew of Michael Collins.

[Deleted User]

igCorcaigh wrote: »

Eating in ivory tower, was the best culinary experience I ever had in Cork, years ago.

I know Seamus can look a little unkempt, but the food was always amazing, and would not judge from either his personal life or appearance.

Ivory tower will be well missed. Would like to visit his new venture in kerry.

I only ate there once and it was a strange if rewarding experience. First year going out with my now wife about 10 years ago and left it late to book a table for Valentine's. Was not a regular restaurant goer and knew nothing about food at the time.

Rang Ivory Tower one evening and spoke to the man himself and the disdain in his voice when I asked him what a tasting menu was was palpable. He was comically rude to me on the phone.

Anyway, I booked and had one of the best nights ever in the restaurant. The food was outstanding, and despite the cracked plates, the dirty toilet and sitting next to an old fashioned bar heater to keep out the cold, we really enjoyed it. We still get a laugh about it every year at Valentines.

I suppose that was Seamus and his restaurant. You loved it or hated it and the experience was full of contradictions. Personally, I think it's a shame that the place is gone.

igCorcaigh

Yes! It certainly had character. The Hi-B of restaurants.

the beer revolu

Some of the best food I've ever eaten has been made by Seamus. He was way, way ahead of his time in the early 90s. There was no one in Ireland doing anything like what he was doing with food. A true innovator.
Now, I will admit to having had some pretty terrible meals there too.

Seamus is a pretty individual kind of guy, I can see why someone like Sporina would be frightened of him. He may not be the most astute business man in the world but he is a true talent and a really decent person.

Harika

I second beer revolu experience, calling him to make an arrangement is a horrible experience, like you would disturb him from important things.
The restaurant looked very run down but we didn't care. The food itself was amazing and loads of things you would not try easily like pigs feet. Last time I booked I asked for the Irish tasting menu as with a guest from abroad. He said that he would not have it normally and he would make it happen. And he did, like banana Ketchup and he told the story attached to it. Seamus in the restaurant then is a complete different experience.

dudara

I remember when Seamus had a sushi/Japanese restaurant in the Triskel. It was fantastic and way ahead of its time in Cork. In fact, it’s still some of the best sushi I remember eating. He also had a pizza place for a while, where Chambers is now. Again, it was damn good.

The Ivory Tower could be an odd spot. It’s where I had my first fine dining experiences and it could be amazing at times. Other times it could be poor enough. But it was original and unique.

It’s poor form to pass personal remarks on someone in the way I’ve seen on this thread. Critique the restaurant, critique the service by all means, but stop at the personal comments.

the beer revolu

dudara wrote: »

I remember when Seamus had a sushi/Japanese restaurant in the Triskel. It was fantastic and way ahead of its time in Cork. In fact, it’s still some of the best sushi I remember eating.

Ah, fond memories of the Yumi Yuki Club! It was such a cool little spot. My first sushi, I reckon. It turned from a restaurant into a bar into a night club as the night wore on. Great food, great drinks (saketini) and great sounds and people. The night I first met my wife, I dragged her there. That was a great time in Cork

[Deleted User]

igCorcaigh wrote: »

Yes! It certainly had character. The Hi-B of restaurants.

Yup, couldn't put it better myself. But I think the oddness of the place was a huge part of the experience.

JackieChang

Any good but cheap restaurant recommendations? Lots of talk about quality and flavour but how about bang for your buck. Looking for some good value tonight. Broke student.

sporina

igCorcaigh wrote: »

Yes! It certainly had character. The Hi-B of restaurants.

ha ha was actually in the Hi B last night - great spot - had not been in ages - had forgotten how special it is.. nothing else like it in the city

igCorcaigh

JackieChang wrote: »

Any good but cheap restaurant recommendations? Lots of talk about quality and flavour but how about bang for your buck. Looking for some good value tonight. Broke student.

Any of the burger or Asian chain restaurants should be of good value.

cadaliac

Had a meal in market lane, again, flawless

Cotts72

Anyone remember paddy garibaldis? Loved that place! Parents used always bring us there as kids

what the hell!

Cotts72 wrote: »

Anyone remember paddy garibaldis? Loved that place! Parents used always bring us there as kids

Yep loved it and they used to send us birthday cards on our birthdays! Great spot.

tailgunner

Had sushi in Sakura on MacCurtain St yesterday. Really good as always. Love the Rainbow Maki.

CHealy

Was in Il Padrinos on Saturday night, very dissapointed with what was one of my favourite restaurants, standard has dropped considerably.

[Deleted User]

CHealy wrote: »

Was in Il Padrinos on Saturday night, very dissapointed with what was one of my favourite restaurants, standard has dropped considerably.

i ate there a couple of months ago and thought the same, its definatly gone downhill which is a shame

morgana

Went to the Rising Sun's brew pub on the Coal Quay last night and loved it. Great for a few fabulous beers and good pizza. Very good value too at 12 Euro for a pizza and any pint.
Obviously nothing fancy but excellent for what it is. Their craft beers are absolutely great and the pizza was one of the best I had for a while. Rustic interior with many screens (but sound turned off as no event was screened and didn't really bother us), music level just right to allow easy conversation.

GavRedKing

Mod warning

Cut the personal attacks out, be critical of the restaurants themselves but lets reign in the personal attacks on owners , patrons etc.

Thanks.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

morgana wrote: »

Went to the Rising Sun's brew pub on the Coal Quay last night and loved it. Great for a few fabulous beers and good pizza. Very good value too at 12 Euro for a pizza and any pint.
Obviously nothing fancy but excellent for what it is. Their craft beers are absolutely great and the pizza was one of the best I had for a while. Rustic interior with many screens (but sound turned off as no event was screened and didn't really bother us), music level just right to allow easy conversation.

Those screens have always kind of puzzled me, I'm in there quite a bit (more for the location than anything else) and it really does not seem like it's a sports crowd that goes there usually, I guess for big matches maybe it's different.

But on a usual week or weekend night it's just forty people not paying attention to a huge screen tuned to like SkySports12EU showing a documentary about a darts rivalry from the 80s, on mute.

I don't know are they absolutely determined to get a good cost-per-use out of their Sky Sports subscription or what. I'm not very interested in sports but a screen that size does draw the eye, it's distracting and pointless.

mrpdap

Leonel Putrid Cheddar wrote: »

Those screens have always kind of puzzled me, I'm in there quite a bit (more for the location than anything else) and it really does not seem like it's a sports crowd that goes there usually, I guess for big matches maybe it's different.

But on a usual week or weekend night it's just forty people not paying attention to a huge screen tuned to like SkySports12EU showing a documentary about a darts rivalry from the 80s, on mute.

I don't know are they absolutely determined to get a good cost-per-use out of their Sky Sports subscription or what. I'm not very interested in sports but a screen that size does draw the eye, it's distracting and pointless.

Lots of pubs are like that unfortunately, maybe the screens aren’t so big. TV on mute, distracting everyone.
Can’t the just turn them off when ther isn’t something specific on?

clio_16v

Cherry_Cola wrote: »

Fair play, the only positive review I've seen of this place. Hopefully they upped their game as it was mediocre the last time I tried it. Might give it a second shot.

Eat regularly in the Ballincollig Sliced and love it. Very kid friendly which is a big plus for me and staff are great

[Deleted User]

CHealy wrote: »

Was in Il Padrinos on Saturday night, very dissapointed with what was one of my favourite restaurants, standard has dropped considerably.

Ate there recently when we we ended up in town with nothing booked in advance. Found it very disappointing. Felt like an Irish interpretation of Italian food rather than genuine Italian food.

WhoElse

Regards the thread on why new world wines are cheaper than the nearby old world wines, I'm no wine buff but my understanding is this:

* old world wines, esp. French, are a more complex blend of grape varieties, and some on;t state the varieties as they modify s little over time depending on the harvest. They claim superiority because the expertise is in the blend (like whiskies) as well as the growing. There's also very long family and cultural history in it.
* the flip side is that old world wines can have snobbery around them - e.g. they won't always say much about the blended grape varieties, whereas new world will usually tell you. You have to figure out yourself which region/type works for you. Like all things, people will pay more if something feels more exclusive, and it doesn't always mean the quality is there.
* New world wines can be great! But many of them are much simpler blends or a single variety, made for bulk shipping.
* New world wines also are more likely to have above natural levels of sulfites in them to kill bacteria and preserve the wine is large steel shipping containers. Most wines will say if it's present, it has an acidic tang in the after taste, and allegedly a small percentage of people react badly to it.
* They also often float wood in the shipping tanks to reproduce the flavour from wooden casks, as they do not use the traditional materials.

What amazes me is the mark up a restaurant can get on booze. 50% on bottled beers, up to 100% on wine. Is there any reason for this (storage costs, or something), or is it just like a tax, as they know most people are already treating themselves and will go that step further?

JackieChang

CHealy wrote: »

Was in Il Padrinos on Saturday night, very dissapointed with what was one of my favourite restaurants, standard h

as dropped considerably.

About Italian restaurants in general, I've only been to one in my 33 years on this planet. My brain just refuses to pay €15 for a bit of pasta. Is it really worth it? Last and only pasta dish I had was in Gallo and Galleti. Nothing against the flavour, it was yummy, but I finished it in about 3 spoons and it cost €17 I think. I could have eaten another 5 portions. And I'm skinny.

Nonoperational

Cotts72 wrote: »

Anyone remember paddy garibaldis? Loved that place! Parents used always bring us there as kids

Yep. The Miss Piggy Burger. Loved it. Probably be the kind of place that would be slated these days but I have warm memories of it.

Re the Ivory Tower, ate there only once. Was, for me, a challenging meal. I was younger and I think the surroundings slightly put me off the offal, I like a place that is serving offal and tartare etc to look spotless. But was still a very interesting meal. I will try the place in Killarney and look forward to it.

Brunch in 12 tables recently. Nice. Nothing spectacular but good coffee and good food.

Despite being slightly reserved about it for the price, have booked a return visit to Ichigoo Ichie shortly. Looking forward to it again now that it's matured a little. I was there in the first week previously.

Finally, had another super meal in Gallo and Galetti recently. Quick and easy. I do like it.