16 Best Restaurants in County Cork, Ireland

Ahmet Dede, formerly of the exquisite Mews just down the street, bestows his culinary magic on his in season tasting menu that can include Wagyu beef, black sole, red mulberry, and brown butter—or even brown butter ice cream for that matter. This chef is living proof that with talent, a restaurant does not need the pomp and trappings of fine dining to offer a feast of flavor---because he's wowing critics both nationally and globally with his local ingredients served with Turkish flair in his stripped-back, casual eatery in the delightful seaside village of Baltimore.

Originally a café in a fish shop, this place has moved up in the world, now located in a sumptuous two-story former art gallery in the town park. TV chef Martin Shanahan, who trained in San Francisco, brings California pizzazz to his dishes. There is an unrivaled selection of seafood available here. Stylish young staffers seem thrilled to be part of the show. Lunch is the big event, although service does continue until 9 pm (except for most of January).

Tucked away on a cobbled patio, this surprising haven is part of a Victorian warehouse conversion that houses Hotel Isaacs. Stone and redbrick walls are the backdrop to a minimalist modern interior, while out back a gigantic rock-wall waterfall makes a stunning backdrop to the dining area. The menu features the best of local produce, often served with an unusual twist. Start with organic Ummera smoked salmon three ways—with lemon, beetroot, and crème fraîche on organic leaves—or steamed West Cork mussels (marinière or with chorizo and onion). For dessert, try the iced white chocolate parfait with roast peaches or classic crème brûlée.

Advance booking advisable weekends and during festivals.

Expect fresh, in-season catch from the pier---hake; or shrimps, prawns, scallops, lobster, and crab---to feature on the menu. The setting is gorgeously maritime with sea views from a number of windows. There are six recently refurbished rooms on-site for visitors who want to extend the visit.   

In front of a fast-flowing, urban stretch of the River Lee, the neon-clad exterior of a snazzy Art Deco building announces a casual city-center venue that combines a sense of dining as theater with a friendly staff that puts everyone at ease. The ground floor has a square bar with booths and dining niches around the perimeter, while upstairs is a more conventional dining room.

One of the best—and busiest—informal lunch spots in town is on a terraced gallery above the fountain at the Princes Street entrance to the atmospheric English Market. All ingredients used at the café are purchased in the market below. One side of the gallery is self-service; the other side is glassed in and has table service (reservations advised). Weekend dinner available.

Cross Patrick's Bridge to the River Lee's north side and turn right to reach this large, atmospheric brasserie in a converted 18th-century warehouse—a true Cork institution. Modern art, muted jazz, high ceilings, and well-spaced tables with colored wooden tops create a relaxed setting. The menu focus is contemporary---fish cakes, crispy duck confit, or steak. Service is friendly and efficient. Reservations are advisable Friday and Saturday evening. 

Tucked away near the GPO is one of Cork's favorite restaurants. Enter through a softly lit, curved Art Deco–style bar that combines exposed brick walls with caramel-shaded leather banquettes to create a soothing respite from the city center. Food is always sourced from local artisan producers, and the seafood as fresh as it gets, while the imaginative, well-judged menu encourages flavor to shine through. Small to large appetites are catered for---and priced accordingly---with big plates that include seared Castletownbere Scallops, venison, or rib-eye steak.  

One of Ireland's original bar--restaurants, this is a Kinsale institution that serves local steak, lamb, duck, and fresh seafood. Choose from the inexpensive daily specials in the busy bar, or have a more leisurely meal among the mahogany tables, dark red decor, and oil lamps of the somewhat baronial restaurant. Classic homemade desserts (profiteroles, crème brûlée) are substantial and the Irish coffee is renowned.

All that remains of this building's former identity as a pub is the long mahogany bar; today, it is a bustling bistro-style restaurant serving robust, freshly prepared food from an open kitchen. Art Deco touches and a predominantly black-and-white theme set a Parisian mood, and light floods in from two walls of large windows on summer evenings. Most ingredients come from the renowned English Market, for a menu (on no-frills paper table mats) that is mainly contemporary Irish, centered on comfort food.

A three-course dinner menu is available for €39.50 for large groups.

Polished tables, a large stone chimney, and bay windows are the cornerstone of this contemporary space behind this double-fronted town house. At dinner, owner-chef Olivier Queva's classical French background is evident in his treatment of the daily catch directly from the pier, including fresh grilled lobster in the summer, and clever ways with unusual cuts of meat. In winter, the catch of the day is replaced by game: quail, pheasant, wild duck, or venison. The wine list is long and includes a good selection of French and new-world wines to complement serious and well-judged cuisine.

Easily missed, tucked into a quiet lane close to the renowned English Market, Nash 19 is one of Cork's secret gems, popular with locals for its wholesome, unpretentious cooking using local, seasonal ingredients. Highlights include a decadent signature platter that features the best of Cork's artisanal produce. Takeaway meals are available at the deli.

Irish owner--chef Denis Cotter has won awards for his cookbooks, which have added greatly to the fame of this simple, café-style restaurant. The Mediterranean–Eastern fusion-style food is locally grown, and is known for its imaginative combinations, so tasty that even dedicated meat eaters forget that it's vegetarian. 

When it comes to an organically sourced menu, it's hard to match the offerings at the Casey family's wonderful, oceanfront restaurant close to the tiny, roadside hamlet of Baltimore. The mussels come from their farm at Roaring Bay, water from the property's spring well, and root vegetables travel a couple of feet from their garden to the kitchen, while the bread arrives warm to the table as it's freshly baked on-site. The produce they can't source on-site hails from local West Cork trawlers and farms. To cap it all off, the craft beer by bottle and on tap like Sherkin Lass Pale Ale comes from the family's nano-brewery in the garden. Of course, none of this would amount to anything if they didn't bring it all together with culinary perfection and precision (as they do) at the hands of their pedigree chefs.

Kinsale has other pub--restaurants, but none with such an idyllic waterside location. In summer, bar food is served on the big stone quay right beside the ocean. The characterful interior has a large open fireplace and a maritime theme, with a quirky selection of furniture. A concise, seasonal menu is on offer---try hot Oysterhaven oysters with spring cabbage.

The legendary Pink Elephant looks out to sea and across the bay to wooded slopes. Huge windows frame the stunning view, and in good weather there is seating outside. This is also a popular bar, often lively with banter between the friendly hosts and their clientele. On weekdays call first, or check the website, as opening times vary.