Some of the best fine dining in County Cork

By Ciara McDonnell

With an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients, Cork people are passionate when it comes to food. As you journey through the county, you’ll find it hard to eat a bad meal. Here are some of our best picks in the County Cork.


Cork City

If you can manage to get a table at Takashi Miyazaki’s Ichigo Ichie on Sheares Street in Cork, you are in for a treat. Awarded a Michelin star, the restaurant is Miyazaki’s realisation of a life-long dream and is as much about performance as it is the food.

Celebrating the art of Japanese kappou, guests are treated to an elaborate multi-course meal prepared and plated by the chef as you watch; expect a dozen courses spread over three hours or so. If you want to taste Mikazaki’s food but missed out on a seat at Ichigo Ichie this time, then check out their sister noodle bar, Miyazaki for a casual but still incredible meal.

The Wild Atlantic Way

A seaside town that marks the start of the Wild Atlantic Way, Kinsale has long been considered a jewel in Cork’s culinary crown. This year, Bastion, one of its high-end and consistently popular restaurants received its first Michelin star, and it is well-deserved. Here expect food that pushes the boundaries of your perception, in the best possible way.

Fish dish at Bastion Michelin-starred restaurant in Kinsale, County Cork

Bastion offers Michelin star dining

Martin Shanahan’s Fishy Fishy is as much a reason to visit Kinsale as any. Renowned for fish that comes straight out of the sea and into his kitchen, Shanahan extended his offering in 2019 by opening The Blue Room, a restaurant specialising in small bites, just behind the main restaurant.

A seaside town that marks the start of the Wild Atlantic Way, Kinsale has long been considered a jewel in Cork’s culinary crown

Quality informal dining

Clonakilty is renowned for its culinary feats, and is heaving with cafes, pubs and restaurants all eager to feed you well. An Súgán has been in operation since 1979 and is an ideal spot for a bowl of soup and a sandwich at lunchtime. Sticky Bun cafe serves incredible scones, sandwiches and lots of local treats – essential for a midday stop-off to stave off the hunger that comes with exploring West Cork!

Pancakes for breakfast at a cafe

Cafe culture is well and truly alive and kicking in the county

Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa is an institution in Clonakilty. The bar offers family-friendly food with a view of the stunning beach below the hotel. Inchydoney is famous for its afternoon tea, which is well-deserved after a morning spent lounging in the magnificent onsite Thalassotherapy spa.

A short drive from Clonakilty brings you to Long Strand Beach and The Fish Basket, one of the area’s most popular foodie destinations. Serving out-of-this-world fish right on the beach, this restaurant comes into its own during the summer months when it’s hard to find a seat, and well worth queuing for one.

Rosscarbery

Pilgrim’s of Rosscarbery has garnered quite the reputation, thanks to a sensitive approach to local ingredients and a small, ever-changing menu. Worth travelling for, book an evening table here and enjoy some of the best food and service in the country.

Restaurant Chestnut in Ballydehob occupies The Chestnut Tree, an ex-pub and now an intimate, Michelin-starred dining space. Seating a maximum of 18 guests, chef Rob Krawczyk invites his guest to ‘experience nature’s larder’ through a 12-course tasting menu over three hours. A once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Pizza lovers need to make a pilgrimage to Macroom, where Toons Bridge Dairy have an onsite cafe where visitors can sample of wood-fired pizzas made with their own buffalo mozzarella. It is exactly as heavenly as it sounds.

Seating a maximum of 18 guests, chef Rob Krawczyk invites his guest to ‘experience nature’s larder’ through a 12-course tasting menu over three hours

Bantry

The Brick Oven has been serving the people of Bantry and West Cork since 1997 with an extensive range of mouth-watering pizzas from an authentic wood-burning stove together with a range of pasta, steak and seafood options. Bia Restaurant is another popular restaurant in the heart of Bantry. Bia’s classic menu offers quality local produce, including West Cork meats and local seafood, which are given a French twist by Head Chef Gilles Eynaud.

With so many wonderful restaurants in the county of Cork, you will be spoilt for choice.


A taste of Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa

Read more about County Cork

Image credits: ©Bastion Restaurant; Brooke Lark/Unsplash; Clare Keogh/Ichigo Ichie; Elaine Fleming/Restaurant Chestnut; Petr Stary/Pilgrim's; Video: Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa/Youtube

Related features

×