The Castle in Cork

All three courses are sooooo gooood

The restaurant is in a beautiful location in blackrock observatory on the cork harbour. It is a 15min taxi which is between 15 to 25 euro each way. The staff are wonderful very friendly and accommodating. Getting the steak and lamb cooked a little more to my dad's and aunt's liking. The food is amazing. We all got different starters, mains and desserts and everything down to the sides that accompany them were well taught out. The restaurant was quiet busy but the atmosphere and service were 5 star the whole night long. We will definitely be going again for another special night out.

Most cafe next to kids museums are terrible. This place is genuinly amazing food AND service. We often go here just for the food alone. The fact the castle is there is merely a bonus. Must try the chips with garlic aoli and the desserts (all are amazing)

I visited The Castle café for brunch as a group of three. I had a good experience and would recommend the place if you are planning to have brunch around Cork City. I ordered the Rosscarbery sausage and bacon bap with a fried egg as extra. It was cooked perfectly and not covered in sauces to take away from the meat and egg flavours. At our table we also ordered Nasi Goreng which tasted amazing but very spicy. We ordered the Avocado Smash too which tasted great but serving cold avocados with warm eggs took away from the good flavours. Parking at the castle is difficult outside the door. However, there is a nearby carpark which is well-sized and only a two minute walk from the castle. Despite the café not being full on arrival, staff prefer reserving a table in advance. If the place is busy, diners have to wait in a queue outside the café.

The museum doesn't offer much. It's small. We didn't see the planetarium since it was separate from the entrance fee. Entry was €32 for a family of four, and children under five get in free. The planetarium was €5 per person, but in the end we didn't go in.

Excellent fresh food. Appropriate sized portions. Professional Chefs create the dishes in a semi open kitchen area that is very clean and well run. Staff are friendly and attentative. Will I visit again? yes.

We reserved a table indoors due to the heat outdoors and we are very glad we did. The AC was set just right and was a welcome cool space after a very hot day! We arrived ahead of our booked time but did not have to wait to be seated. Our server was attentive but not intrusive. She could, however, have been slightly more knowledgable about the wines on offer in terms of dryness / sweetness etc but she offered us tastings before deciding to ensure were happy with our selections. The menu, whilst not extensive, caters to all tastes. We had the mussels, the lamb and a steak. The mussels main course was HUGE cooked in a rich, creamy stock. Having lived in France for many years I can say that the mussels served at The Castle Blackrock were just as good, if not better than those in France! I was very lucky too as earlier in the day I was told they didn't have any - so glad they managed to get more for evening service. The lamb was cooked very pink but tasted wonderful with a rostie that was very delicious. The steak was served blue exactly as my husband likes it and melted in his mouth. We then had 3 desserts which were delicious but perhaps not as enjoyable as the main courses. The orange marmalade bread and butter pudding, whilst delicious I could not taste the marmalade and the custard serving was TINY in a very small ramekin dish. Again, the rhubarb cheesecake was delicious too, the sauce served with it was quite small. The chocolate and honeycomb brownie was great and the ice cream was delicious! The overall cost, whilst expensive, represented good value for money as we all left feeling full and needed to walk off the meal! A highly recommended place for a good meal out but booking in advance is advisable in high season!

Delicious fish monkfish and hake were on the menu. Good wine as well. The waitress was a bit inexperienced but well even if it's a castle that is the new standards I guess. I assume the atmosphere outside would have been more festive but we were told there was only place left inside. Strangely we saw a few empty tables when we exited. Nice experience, recommended.

Federico is the best waiter of the universe. He was very kind and he suggested me the best options

Sadly, some restaurants can’t even make their main courses as delicious as this duck sandwich. I was just looking for something light, but wow… what an amazing surprise. Absolutely packed with flavor!