The best restaurants in Cork

27/07/2026: Firsrt for the good news. Food was all good. No complaints about that whatsoever. Service was EXTREMELY slow. When I rang to make a booking while travelling to Cork, I was directed to make a reservation on their website. There were only a few options left at that stage so I chose 6:30 pm. Booking confirmation stated that the table had to be vacated by 7:55 pm. Got to the restaurant at 6:20. Spotted that there were a number of empty tables and we were directed to a table for 2. Things went rapidly downhill from here. Our order was taken about 20 mins later. We had not ordered a starter but two main courses. While we were waing we noticed that there seemed to be too few waiting staff. The kitchen was obviously under pressure as different tables were not receiving their orders with the same time relative to when they placed their order. When we asked when could we expect our main courses. We were curtly told "It is being plated up" and arrived on our table at 7:35 - no word of apology. At this stage it was over an hour since we sat down. There was no way that we would have been finished before the advised vacate time of 7:55 p.m. It was delicious. Again no sign of any staff once we had finished to clear away the table until we manage to accost one 20 mins later. I reckon that ordering desserts would create more delays so just opted for coffees instead. At that stage I decided to go to the till and pay the bill. I asked if they were under pressure do to unexpected walk-ins. It was confirmed to me that all the tables had been allocated by their reservation system. This should have shown exactly how many staff should be rostered to cover busy periods. This indicates to me that there reservation system is flawed. The worst case interpretation is that insufficient numbers of staff are employed as policy. This experience has made me question if I will return as there is no guarantee of how long service will take before I sit down. Eating out is not about the food but the overall experience for customers as well. This not intended as a rant, just constructive criticism. Spending over 2 hours to just have main courses and coffees IS excessive, when you could probably have turned over the same table within that amount of time. This is ultimately costing you money in the long run.

24/07/2026: Wow! Absolutely amazing. Get the burrata! Also everything else on the menu lol.

10/07/2026: Great brunch and dinner options. Menu changes often and has a variety of specials! Couldn’t recommend enough.

25/06/2026: Excellent food. Friendly staff. Very nice experience.

27/12/2025: The best spot in Cork City to get good quality coffee

21/12/2025: Friendly staff and really good coffee😍

10/07/2026: Very cozy pub in the outskirts of Cork, definitely worth a visit

16/06/2026: We had a funeral here and the staff were so friendly and obliging. The soup and sandwiches were lovely.

12/07/2026: Myself and my partner were in cork for the night travelling from Galway, we had wanted to go to a pub with a traditional feel to it. When we got to the end of the bar, I had went make an order for two drinks when the bar man on last night Saturday the 11th of July, gestured with his hand that we were cut off. To my shock I looked to my partner and then in confusion I went to order again. And he done the same. We left the bar and I asked the security guy what the bar man's issue was and he also couldn't understand what I was saying. If it's a case of mistaken identity then at least have the respect to speak to people or explain. 100s of people pass through your bar. 0 Stars!!!!

15/06/2026: My niece and I had a wonderful time. The locals were very kind to us. Enjoyed the banter and felt very comfortable. Juke box was great. Bartender was a great host. God willing It will be a first stop when we go back.

13/06/2026: Very good japanese restaurant, one of the best i ever been in. The service was fast.

09/06/2026: Open hours online are not correct, they open at 4 and was told by the staff they do not do takeaway before then

20/07/2026: Very good chocolates to accompany coffee.

16/07/2026: We’ve tried the chocolates from several different places and this was our favorite both in terms of taste and value. We particularly loved the passion fruit and our son who prefers white chocolate loved the nice variety there. And at .70 each they’re a steal

18/05/2026: Great bar, staff lovely, fantastic atmosphere, plenty of seating, perfect for watching that match as loads of tvs and while I was there a spontaneous music session started It was great

13/05/2026: Great Pints. Awesome staff and Owners, so you are always looked after.

22/07/2026: Excellent spot. Very deceiving. Very welcoming

24/05/2026: Best place in the whole of cork, Brian is so accommodating and kind. Definitely recommend

16/06/2026: Only heard about this on the "Yay Cork" website. Subsequently found out it was the old Quin Ryan local pub in a previous life. Decent beer garden out back and you can order pizza from a place a few doors up and eat it in the pub.

25/05/2026: The place to be on a sunny day in Cork

16/06/2026: Lovely experience here with my Mam. Food was lovely & the staff were very nice & attentive

09/06/2026: Can’t say enough, they were absolutely amazing. Arrived for a very late dinner on June 7 and Summer was serving us, they went over and above in making sure we were comfortable and not feeling rushed. They took the time when needed and were extremely accommodating with any requests! All in all Darren should be very appreciative of his staff as they were amazing!

10/04/2026: All good as always. Lovely spot foe your breakfast.

02/04/2026: They serve delicious breakfasts, good coffee, and pastries. Friendly service. I recommend them.

22/08/2025: shocking standards Since they closing down, raw chips , chicken burger dead dry and black inside meet , chicken wings black inside absolutely disgusting

10/08/2025: Visited Route Fourteen with my family for lunch. The food was great, the dining area was spacious, but I have a few points I hope can be considered to improve the service. There were two lunch menus on our visit: one standard lunch menu (same as website) and one specific for the day or week. We ordered from the second menu since they seemed seasonal and more fresh than the regular menu. The prices were similar to other gastropubs around Cork City. I ordered pork belly with vegetables and mashed potatoes. The pork was stuffed with walnuts and dates, a stuffing I would have never thought would taste so nice with pork. Other dishes we had were the "Smash Burger" and Reuben sandwich. We ordered chicken wings with buffalo sauce for starters. Everybody enjoyed their orders but the beef in the Reuben would be better if it was not heated much. For dessert we had a mango and raspberry cheesecake and lemon meringue. Both were presented nicely and tasted amazing. They are best eaten between two people as they are large desserts. We were seated at a bright high table by the window, however we were near a large private booking and I felt a bit under pressure as the staff were setting the tables around us for the arriving diners. Given that the venue was not busy when we arrived, I would have preferred sitting further away from the large group booking. I would highly recommend visiting Route Fourteen on your next day out for lunch or dinner at a gastropub.