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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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bladebrew

I went to Liberty grill recently for breakfast, I was very impressed, had poached eggs and a nice coffee, and it's pretty cheap compared to other places in the city, there was a queue outside waiting for a table on a Wednesday morning!

pwurple

Had a cuppa and a scone in Sunbean on union quay (next to the phoenix), really liked it. Scone was warm and came with butter, jam, cream and fruit. The place was warm and comfortable on a nippy morning. Very nice.

Loire

It's not a restaurant per se, but I went to Filter last week and it's a great little spot. Very good coffee too.

-Toppy-

.red. wrote: »

We bought another grab one voucher this morning, this time for a new place in ballincollig called Rooster Pil Pil. €15 for a €30 voucher. We brought the kids to the cinema and went in after.
The place is a copy of Nandos, the menu is even the same. Its got restaurant service tho and not the fast food type of service i hate so much in nandos.
The food was fantastic, 4 different types of marinade available with 4 spice levels of each ranging from mild to very hot.
We got 2 half chickens with "mild pil pil" on one and "hot mexican" on the other. The chicken was nice and juicy, cooked to perfection. We werent mad about the pil pil flavour but that was a personal preferance and nothing to do with the food. The mexican was delicious tho.
the kids both had chips and garlic bread with 6 wings or a breast cut into strips. Bots were a fine sized portion with a small dessert included for €5.95.
in total we had 2 kids meals, 2 mains, 2 teas and 1 adult dessert and it came to €44 so only cost €29 with the voucher. Great value even at full price.
Its not the kind of place id go to for a big romantic gesture but for simple well cooked food its perfect. Just make sure all your party likes chicken.

Went here on Saturday after the cinema too, wasnt too bad. The chicken was pretty good (had the groupon voucher as well) Service wasnt perfect but not the worst either. I dont know if I would be back for a sit down meal but its definately one I would do takeaway from. (Takeaway and sitdown are the same menu and same price)

Cheers
Toppy

.red.

-Toppy- wrote: »

Went here on Saturday after the cinema too, wasnt too bad. The chicken was pretty good (had the groupon voucher as well) Service wasnt perfect but not the worst either. I dont know if I would be back for a sit down meal but its definately one I would do takeaway from. (Takeaway and sitdown are the same menu and same price)

Cheers
Toppy

We actually went back last night again with another voucher. Service was shocking. Took 40 mims from when we were seated to when we got our food. A couple were seated next to us 20mins after we got there and got their food about 30seconds after us.
I went for the same as last time, hot mexican half chicken and it was a lot hotter than i remembered. I also got 3 wings with extra hot mexican and they werent as spicy the hot for some reason lol. My wife got mild tika which was really nice but again, way too spicy to be mild.
The food is nice but they need to sort out their service and flavouring as its all over the place.

applehunter

Was in Harvey's(Academy Street) yesterday evening.

Think it was €21 for 2 courses and a glass of wine.

Very reasonable and the food was lovely.

Would recommend.

blade1

applehunter wrote: »

Was in Harvey's(Academy Street) yesterday evening.

Think it was €21 for 2 courses and a glass of wine.

Very reasonable and the food was lovely.

Would recommend.

I love Harvey's, go there a good bit!

monkeynuz

Looking for fine dining in cork city, where is the best place to go with a good menu and wine list

Malari

monkeynuz wrote: »

Looking for fine dining in cork city, where is the best place to go with a good menu and wine list

Oysters in the Clarion for excellent fish, and Les Gourmandaises for fine French dining are both very good quality. Great food and service in my experience.

pwurple

monkeynuz wrote: »

Looking for fine dining in cork city, where is the best place to go with a good menu and wine list

Oysters in the clarion hotel
Orchids in hayfield manor
The ivory tower (quirkier than the others)
Les Gourmandaise

Maybe the new place in the kingsley (that's a guess, haven't been there yet myself)
Maybe greenes.

Lemag

monkeynuz wrote: »

Looking for fine dining in cork city, where is the best place to go with a good menu and wine list

If by 'fine dining' you mean a formal experience with high prices and good quality food I'd suggest Les Gourmandises in the city centre or Hayfield Manor up by the university on the city's outskirts. However, my favourite restaurtant which would be less formal than the two which I've mentioned is Star Anise. It is quite centrally located. It's small so you'd probably have to reserve a table if your intention was to go there.

monkeynuz

Many thanks for all the suggestions.

the beer revolu

I'd second Star Anise.
More bistro style than fine dining but lovely ambiance and top notch food!

Markcheese

the beer revolu wrote: »

I'd second Star Anise.
More bistro style than fine dining but lovely ambiance and top notch food!

+1 on the above, I'd add greenes on macCurtain st.

ABajaninCork

the beer revolu wrote: »

I'd second Star Anise.
More bistro style than fine dining but lovely ambiance and top notch food!

We've booked a table for our wedding anniversary on Saturday night. Really looking forward to it...

nerwen

Was flipping through a free magazine of what's happening in Cork (called [Insert title] I believe) and there was a small add for a new place opening soon, "Upstairs" on French Church st. with tapas style dining. Anyone heard of this? I do love me some tapas.

evilivor

nerwen wrote: »

Was flipping through a free magazine of what's happening in Cork (called [Insert title] I believe) and there was a small add for a new place opening soon, "Upstairs" on French Church st. with tapas style dining. Anyone heard of this? I do love me some tapas.

There's some tapas place called Tedo opening on Princes Street Lower too.

draiochtanois

This post has been deleted.

pwurple

draiochtanois wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Translates to me as food poisoning.... we went on the tapas trail sales thing a few month ago and the whole 8 of us were sick.

btw, loved aroi a few nights ago. That guy running it is a dote altogether, so full of smiles and very welcoming. I got the calamari, and tom yum... we had no booking, were wandering in very late after someone offering to babysit last minute. food was good, tasty and very spicy, which I like. Frikken draughty in the seats by the window though.

spitfireIRL

Went to Aroi tonight. Got the Pad Kei Mao Telay, which is (I took a pic of the menu :P) prawn, squid, thai green peppercorn, basil, a lot of chilli, baby corn and keoteow. It was UNREAL! My dad got the green vegetable curry and he loved it. Two meals, two beers, 30 euro.

would recommend.

pappyodaniel

Is the Bierhalle any good?

ABajaninCork

Finally made it to Aroi today for a late lunch.

Got the Pad Thai which was absolutely delicious! Very authentic, right down to the dried shrimp sprinkled over the dish. Better than the Thai Square (London) Pad Thai which is saying something. Huge bowl too, so the idea of tea now is something I'm viewing with some detachment. :P

The menu looks good. Service was very pleasant and the restaurant was spotless. E10 for any main course and a gelato served between 12-5pm is pretty good value, I think

The difference between Ramen (less said about that the better) and Aroi is like night and day.

People - Don't waste your money in Ramen. The food's crap and the service worse. Go to Aroi instead. You won't be disappointed.

curly from cork

Had a really lovely lunch in The Castle Cafe at Blackrock Castle today . Pate to start , plenty of it with toast and crisp breads. Sea Breem on cous cous with asparagus for mains . Half baked choc cake for dessert. Start to finish excellent . (Boiled egg for tea !!! ) I would highly recommend it . The place seemed to be full too , we had booked thankfully . Horrible day but arrived to a lovely real fire in the dining room

byronbay2

I live quite close to UCC but had never been to the café in The Glucksman Gallery (called Fresco) before. So, when I saw an offer on LivingSocial for a €30 voucher for €13, I decided to go for the weekend brunch. The result was reasonably decent (but not exceptional) grub and the most Fawlty Towers-esque service I have ever experienced.

You would need to have been there to understand how ridiculous the service was (and I don't want to write an essay here) but to give a quick synopsis:
Our group of 4 ordered 2 full Irish breakfasts and 2 burgers - the breakfasts are inclusive of tea or coffee. The people who ordered the breakfasts were never asked whether they wanted tea or coffee - the breakfasts just arrived. BOTH breakfasts were missing the sausages. It took 5 minutes to get the attention of a waitress and inform her. There was no apology whatsoever. The 2 breakfast people ate their breakfasts (sans tea/coffee) before their sausages arrived. The table had been cleared of all crockery and cutlery by the time the 4 sausages were plonked on the table - on one plate! Needless to say we had to request another plate and 2 knives/forks. We mentioned the fact that the breakfast was supposed to come with tea/coffee but that we had not been offered either - we were informed that we should have asked!

Anyway, we eventually got 2 coffees - again with no apology. In fact, we got the impression that WE were pissing the staff off (Fawlty Towers style) with all of our impossible demands. We finished up and I went to pay at the counter. The waitress called out a number to me as the bill and I said it seemed a bit high. She then listed our items which included a cost for 2 coffees - I explained (as she didn't seem to realise) that these were included in the cost of the 2 breakfasts. Again, no apology, just another number which I accepted and paid. She gave me my change but offered no receipt. I asked for a receipt but what I got was a piece of printed paper with the total cost on it i.e nothing itemised. At that stage I got the fcuk out of Dodge!

At the time I was fuming but we had a good laugh about it later on, when my blood pressure returned to normal. In case you're wondering: No, I won't be going back!

TL/DR: I do not recommend Fresco Café in The Glucksman Gallery, UCC.

leahyl

byronbay2 wrote: »

I live quite close to UCC but had never been to the café in The Glucksman Gallery (called Fresco) before. So, when I saw an offer on LivingSocial for a €30 voucher for €13, I decided to go for the weekend brunch. The result was reasonably decent (but not exceptional) grub and the most Fawlty Towers-esque service I have ever experienced.

You would need to have been there to understand how ridiculous the service was (and I don't want to write an essay here) but to give a quick synopsis:
Our group of 4 ordered 2 full Irish breakfasts and 2 burgers - the breakfasts are inclusive of tea or coffee. The people who ordered the breakfasts were never asked whether they wanted tea or coffee - the breakfasts just arrived. BOTH breakfasts were missing the sausages. It took 5 minutes to get the attention of a waitress and inform her. There was no apology whatsoever. The 2 breakfast people ate their breakfasts (sans tea/coffee) before their sausages arrived. The table had been cleared of all crockery and cutlery by the time the 4 sausages were plonked on the table - on one plate! Needless to say we had to request another plate and 2 knives/forks. We mentioned the fact that the breakfast was supposed to come with tea/coffee but that we had not been offered either - we were informed that we should have asked!

Anyway, we eventually got 2 coffees - again with no apology. In fact, we got the impression that WE were pissing the staff off (Fawlty Towers style) with all of our impossible demands. We finished up and I went to pay at the counter. The waitress called out a number to me as the bill and I said it seemed a bit high. She then listed our items which included a cost for 2 coffees - I explained (as she didn't seem to realise) that these were included in the cost of the 2 breakfasts. Again, no apology, just another number which I accepted and paid. She gave me my change but offered no receipt. I asked for a receipt but what I got was a piece of printed paper with the total cost on it i.e nothing itemised. At that stage I got the fcuk out of Dodge!

At the time I was fuming but we had a good laugh about it later on, when my blood pressure returned to normal. In case you're wondering: No, I won't be going back!

TL/DR: I do not recommend Fresco Café in The Glucksman Gallery, UCC.

I work in UCC and have been there maybe twice (both times a good few years ago now) and each time the service has been extremely slow and each time I went was on a lunch break so you'd want to have 2 hours for lunch! The food was only ok each time too....they obv haven't improved on their service which would put me off going again, because I was only thinking recently that I might visit again....perhaps not now...

pwurple

leahyl wrote: »

I work in UCC and have been there maybe twice (both times a good few years ago now) and each time the service has been extremely slow and each time I went was on a lunch break so you'd want to have 2 hours for lunch! The food was only ok each time too....they obv haven't improved on their service which would put me off going again, because I was only thinking recently that I might visit again....perhaps not now...

I know, lunch service has to be snappy for it to be viable for working people. It really does.

Now, the glucksman is probably students, with zero training on working in a restaurant. I know people think it's a no-brainer, but I've worked as a waitress ( in nyc, where the customers will tell you pretty sharpish when you are getting it wrong!). You really need to have your wits about you to be good at it. Watch your tables, watch the kitchen, manage the drinks. Watch the bill, and probably do the tidy-up as well. Juggle them all at the same time, make no mistakes, and be fast.

Anyway, I had some food in one of the Kingsley restaurants over the weekend. Not the fancy one, the middling one you don't make bookings for, that isn't the bar. I think they have 4 restaurants in there? Place looks great anyway, nice refurb. Anyway, the menu was sandwiches, steaks, burgers and that kind of thing. Menu was oddly presented, some ratty creased papers tied with a dirty shoelace onto a heavy piece of sheet-metal, all dangling on meathooks as you go in the door. Don't know what that was supposed to add to the experience. You can see the kitchen from the restaurant through glass, which is nice though, and the river is all around as well.

We got a wonton starter between us. It was 4 deep fried wontons, all stuck together into one congealed lump. Not good. Mains were alright, steak and a burger. Pepper sauce that came with the steak was like a packet-one, had a skin over it when when it arrived, but the steak was cooked correctly, burger was good.

Dessert was godawful. Chocolate fondant was burnt and not in any way a fondant. Mille feuille (Which I assumed was going to be a good old cork Milly Filly!) was a slab of soap-flavoured jelly between 3 sheets of filo pastry. Both went back uneaten. Yeuch. Pricing is ok, I think it was 20 for the steak, desserts were 6. Service was fine. Just some of the food wasn't great, and getting the dessert wrong just leaves a bad impression.

draiochtanois

This post has been deleted.

pwurple

draiochtanois wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Do you mean 'ate it all'?

See the part where I wrote "it went back uneaten"... that's the bit where we sent it back, and told them we weren't happy with it. They offered replacements, but we said leave it, and take it off the bill instead.

Jeez like.

draiochtanois

This post has been deleted.

pwurple

draiochtanois wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Ah lad come on, this is a place that only reopened this year, we were giving it a fighting chance. I'll always let something go at the start, and give it a chance to improve over the rest of the meal. The mains were ok, so it was looking good for ordering something else.

There's a medium ground there between being the ultimate nightmare whingebag customer, and not being walked over. And who wants their mains spat in!