Coughlans Bar in Cork

10/08/2026: Very popular restaurant, located in a quieter part of Cork in the shadow of Fort Elizabeth. And though it was busy and we were a party of 8, they still managed to find room for us. The cooked breakfasts were top quality, and one of our party opted for the ricotta pancakes which he said were delicious. Good coffe, faultless service, highly recommended and the views from the Fort (which is free) is also well worth a look.

08/08/2026: As a person of colour who has lived in Ireland for many years, I never expected to experience what felt like discriminatory treatment at a restaurant that received a McKenna award in 2026. When we arrived for our reservation, we were asked to wait, despite there being 4–5 staff members who appeared to be available. We stood there for a couple of minutes before being seated. The experience continued once we were at the table. It took quite some time for a server to come over to take our order. I noticed staff members walking past our table several times without making eye contact or acknowledging us, which left us feeling uncomfortable and unwelcome. To make matters worse, we then had to wait almost 45 minutes for our food, despite the restaurant not being particularly busy. The overall service felt unnecessarily slow and inattentive. I ordered a rosti, which I understood to be shredded potatoes formed into a cake or patty and fried. However, what I received was essentially a plate of fried potato pieces, which was not what I expected from a rosti. The one positive aspect of the experience was the decor, which was lovely. Unfortunately, the service and food did not live up to expectations. Overall, this was a very disappointing experience, and I would not return.