Cork, Ireland — Food and Dining
Restaurants in Cork, Ireland
Restaurants
Recommended restaurants
Café Bar Deli
Friendly and unpretentious, the Café Bar Deli is a lively place offering generous portions of tasty, quality Mediterranean food made from fresh ingredients. Prices are reasonable both for food and drinks.
Academy Street
Tel: (021) 485 1865.
Website: www.cafebardeli.ie
Price: $
Café Paradiso
This is the best vegetarian restaurant in Cork (and possibly in Ireland). On offer is award-winning and highly original vegetarian fusion food based on local and seasonal ingredients. Critics and other guests have been singing the restaurant's praises for many years, and with good reason. Vegetarian cuisine doesn't get much better than this.
16 Lancaster Quay
Tel: (021) 427 7939.
Website: www.cafeparadiso.ie
Price: $$$
The Ivory Tower
The Ivory Tower is run by Seamus O'Connell, one of Ireland's most original and famous chefs. With experience from Mexico as well as Japan, he has described his cooking as ‘trans-ethnic fusion'. Emphasis is given to high-quality local and organic ingredients and to harmonious complexity in flavors and textures. The result is consistently delicious and exciting.
The Exchange Buildings, 35 Princes Street
Tel: (021) 427 4665.
Price: $$$$
Jacob's on the Mall
Jacob's is a modern, 130-seat restaurant in Cork's financial district. Located in the city's old Turkish baths, it has an unusual, intriguing atmosphere. The cuisine is modern European, and the food is characterized by imaginative cooking and the blending of fresh, local and organic ingredients.
30A South Mall
Tel: (021) 425 1530.
Website: www.jacobsonthemall.com
Price: $$$
Prime at Clancy's
Clancy's is a popular bar and restaurant establishment in the city center. The restaurant is called Prime, and specializes in steaks. Poultry, fish and vegetarian dishes also feature, alongside such traditional Irish dishes as Irish stew and local seafood platters.
15-16 Princes Street
Tel: (021) 427 6097.
Website: www.clancys-bar.com
Price: $$$
Nightlife
Cork has a varied and buzzing nightlife with bars, clubs and live music venues to satisfy all preferences. Bodega, 46 Cornmarket Street, with four bars within a large warehouse, is considered by many to be Cork's best watering-hole. Also popular is the classic Irish pub, The Long Valley Bar, 10 Winthrop Street, and The Franciscan Well, 14B North Mall, which sells its own brews.
The Newport Bar, 6 Paul Street Plaza, is a trendy bar, restaurant and club. The popular nightclub Redz, 17 Liberty Street, stays open until 0300 and features local and international DJs. City Limits, Coburg Street, is a combined comedy/nightclub.
Pronounced ‘shin ay', meaning ‘that's it', Sin É, 8 Coburg Street, and An Spailpin Fanac (The Wandering Laborer), 28 South Main Street, are the top venues for live traditional Irish music. The Half Moon Theater, Emmett Place, located to the rear of the main Cork Opera House, is another good live-music venue.
