Bastion in Kinsale

My partner and myself had a lovely meal here on a Saturday night. Paul and Helen are exceptional at what they do and I'd highly recommend for anyone to try it. We enjoyed every course. Nothing was too experimental the way some Michelins can be sometimes. It was just good food cooked well with great service.

Interesting menu, beautifully cooked, fantastic wine pairing.

We visited Bastion today and, given the one Michelin star, expected a bit more overall. Not every course came with a wine as part of the tasting, which felt inconsistent. Coffee was some of the worst we've had, which was a strange way to end a meal at this level. The dining room was quite loud, so it was hard to hear the staff over the noise — and one of the waitresses in particular spoke very quietly, which made it even harder to catch what she was saying. The chairs also felt more like office furniture than what you'd expect in a fine dining setting, and the music selection didn't quite match the atmosphere either. The food itself was good — just not the standout experience we were expecting. Nothing was mind-blowing, and it's hard to see what sets it apart from a solid one-star spot.

Dined here in mid July and they looked after me well on my birthday. Very strong wine pairing. Food all lovely.

Amazing experience. 100% recommended 👌🏾

Food is tasty but not worth the money. Whole experience is over-rated. Better places to dine in Kinsale for a fraction the price.

We had an absolutely fabulous time at Bastion with their tasting menu! Every single course was delicious, inventive, and unique to anything we’ve tried before. The service was top notch, Helen was so welcoming and helpful with her recommendations as she guided us along our tasting journey. We’ve been to multiple Michelin restaurants and I honestly would put the food and service against any of them. Throughly enjoyed everything all the way through the “sweet treats” at the end. Only one caveat, it is a long tasting with the 8 courses stretching over 2.5 hours, but every dish kept us wanting more.

We came for the set menu on a weekday and the restaurant was relatively quiet. Overall I enjoyed the meal and my personal favourite was the langoustine course, which was light and the langoustine was super fresh. The courses that I didn’t enjoyed was the fish with the prawn broth (v salty) and the main paired with the beetroot sauce and Szechuan pepper - somehow it over complicates the dish and the combination don’t work. One of the course was a round croissant served with some beautiful Irish butter - but again I’m happy with a simple good warm bread that could highlight the flavour of the butter .. instead of putting butter on a croissant that’s already made with a lot of butter.

An amazing experience, superb tasting menu and paired wines. Impeccable service. The culinary highlight of our 10 day trip to the south and west of Ireland.

Fantastic tasting menu. Every course was well-thought out, balanced, and absolutely delectable, not to mention, beautifully plated. The wines were perfectly paired to each course. The service was well paced and attentive. Helen and Paul were an absolute delight. This was the highlight of our time in Kinsale.