The best restaurants in Cork

01/08/2026: Menu is well curated and has a good selection of options. Also great selection of wines and cocktails. The service was great - super friendly and made to feel welcomed right away. Food was absolutely delicious - the cod was just perfectly cooked but the the squash purée stole the show for me.

30/05/2026: We booked Elbow Lane before our trip after it was recommended by a friend who knows someone working there, and judging by how busy it was on a Saturday evening, it's clearly one of Cork's more popular dining destinations. One thing worth mentioning is that Google Maps labels it as an Irish restaurant, but in reality it feels much more like a smokehouse and steakhouse, with the menu centred around grilled meats, fish, and their own beers rather than traditional Irish cuisine. The atmosphere was lively without feeling overwhelming, and there was a real buzz around the dining room. Between the four of us we worked our way through a selection of cocktails and beers. My Town Bowsie cocktail was particularly enjoyable, well balanced, flavourful, and stronger than expected in the best way. For starters and sides we ordered the pork belly, broccoli, artichokes, mushrooms, and chips. The chips were an unexpected standout, perfectly crisp and dangerously easy to keep reaching for. The pork belly was also well executed with good flavour and texture, although the portion felt a little conservative. For mains we ordered two rib eyes, a full rack of ribs, and I opted for the lamb rump. The lamb was the highlight of the evening for me. While a few bites were slightly chewier than ideal, the cooking was spot on overall and the accompanying jus elevated the dish considerably. Tangy, rich, and packed with depth, it tied everything together beautifully. The bill came to €214.40 before tips for four people. It's definitely an occasion-style price point, but we left satisfied and feeling we'd had a very good meal. From a food quality perspective, the ingredients were strong and the kitchen clearly knows what it's doing. Would I rush back? Probably not, simply because I've had similar meals elsewhere at slightly better value. That said, if you're visiting Cork and looking for quality grilled food in a lively setting, I don't think you'll leave disappointed.

05/10/2026: I had a really great experience with Star Pizza and Grill and would definitely recommend them. The food was absolutely delicious, fresh, full of flavour, and prepared really well. The pizza was especially impressive — perfectly cooked with generous toppings, plenty of cheese and sauce, and a really satisfying taste. You can tell they put effort into both the quality and presentation of their food. The fries were also excellent — nicely seasoned, tasty, and a perfect addition to the meal. What made the experience even better was the customer service. The staff were extremely friendly, welcoming, and polite. They made us feel genuinely appreciated as customers, and that kind of service makes a big difference. Overall, I am very satisfied with everything — the food quality, taste, portions, pizza, fries, and especially the friendly service. It is always nice to find a place where you receive delicious food along with such warm and respectful customer service. Thank you to everyone at Star Pizza and Grill for the wonderful food and hospitality. Keep up the great work! I will definitely be happy to order from you again and recommend you to others. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

05/10/2026: Good experience high-quality of pizza you can find here

24/07/2026: Couldn't fault this place , if you have to wait for a table it's worth it.

21/07/2026: Lovely place, food was very tasty, nice relaxed atmosphere

14/08/2026: We stayed for 2 nights in the one of the lodges on the resort ( with a family of 8, 6 adults and 2 kids) there is plenty to do on the resort walks, golf, spa swimming pool, and Fota wildlife park itself. Would highly recommend it if you are thinking about it. Close by there is the Elm tree restaurant Brambley lodge cafe and Cobh is only a short 10 minute drive where you have plenty more activities to do, pleasant stay and if we are doing this type of holiday again we will be back

28/07/2026: Beautiful hotel with spacious and comfortable rooms. It is a little outside of Cork, which makes for a relaxing and quiet stay. We enjoyed our time here, and the team at the hotel were welcoming.

25/09/2026: With all sincerity, the single best dinning experience of my life! My wife and I traveled to Ireland for our honeymoon and we reserved a table a month in advance. Best reservation we've ever made! The staff are beyond friendly and very quick to assist you with menu recommendations and explanations. The drink selection is very wide but I couldn't stop ordering the Jawbone pale ale, my wife got the palomino wine. We ordered in order of course; The "shiso & seaweed potato crisps, cuinneog ranch" -the "oak smoked mackerel, vindaloo spices, raita & pickled cucumber" - the "pan roasted halibut, sprouting broccoli, chicken and miso butter sauce" and for the wife "pan roasted cod, caramelized chicory chutney, cafe de paris butter" and lasty -the "caramelized white chocolate, kinsale sea salt milk sorbet, buckwheat" and "sangria sorbet." Each course is brought to you individually and each one more delicious than the previous. Everything single plate was beautifully presented and just as tasty as it looks! Absolutely unforgettable experience and could not recommend enough.

23/09/2026: I’ve wanted to come here for a while and it definitely lived up to the expectations. We made an early reservation, which made for such a relaxed experience, and honestly, I have no notes. A must-visit when in Cork! Everything we had was amazing, but the plaice with chicken & miso butter was a standout, as were the oysters with cucumber and kimchi mignonette. Every dish was so thoughtfully done and full of flavour. The service was brilliant too really attentive without being overbearing. We could also see into the kitchen, which was lovely as you could see how calm and relaxed the chefs were while still being so meticulous with every dish. An all-round fantastic meal and experience. Couldn’t recommend it enough!

11/10/2026: This was some of the best food we’ve ever had - they also were very accommodating for gluten free! Highly recommend

11/10/2026: Thank you so much Jeff again an amazing experience food is always fabulous atmosphere so chilled staff so friendly and you are so kind an amazing place to eat

10/10/2026: 2nd time in glass curtain and cannot fault the staff. Brilliant, attentive and incredibly warm. Food was incredibly well cooked and a fantastic variation of flavours. Only thing I would say was the wine pairing was really quite lacking, in that there was more focus on the wine being alternative than of good quality. In fear of sounding overly pretentious and harsh, overall the value for money wasn't in the same category as the likes of Goldies and Paradiso. Also felt a bit rushed off the table to allow for the next customers.

06/10/2026: They want to be a gourmet restaurant, the steak was absolutely amazing. But the rest didn't quite measure up

07/07/2026: A new Pub here for a while now seems doing well due the location be in city centre be just around the corner the famous street for food, and não posso deixar de falar do/a barman’s here in paladar they are very friendly, professional and never see no one person inside very drunk probably because I was there a couple times only, but is a pub very respectful, far my view seeing and the people felling good they keep coming back, congratulations for the good work and amazing service.

28/06/2026: Absolutely stunning restaurant in Cork city. Paladar has a diverse range of cocktails which certainly do not disappoint. The food is bursting with flavour and is perfect for sharing. Service was fantastic, everybody was very welcoming and friendly. Definitely will be back!

09/09/2026: Great coffee and food, fab atmosphere and the riverside seats are a welcome sun trap ☀️ ☕️

05/09/2026: Staff are incredible here. So friendly!! Highly recommend.

29/07/2026: Fantastic brunch with my boys (8&9). They had the kids pancakes and the kids cheeseburger (great size). Food was lovely. Decor is a bit disappointing. Not very cosy or inviting, bit mismatched. Service was good, not overly friendly. Had to ask twice for ketchup. But will be back for the food.

25/07/2026: Brunch was unrealll and the staff are friendly

12/09/2026: The food, atmosphere and service were fab. Chris is great craic, I’ll definitely be coming back!

12/09/2026: Ordered the Special Seafood Pasta, delicious and pleasantly surprised on the delivery! Our waiter Chris friendly and had us laughing . We have a new cousin across the Atlantic Ocean!

22/08/2026: Lovely place with the autentic Spanish feel

13/08/2026: I really wanted to love St. Luke’s Wine Tavern as we had heard such good things, but unfortunately our experience didn’t live up to our expectations. We ordered a few picky bits, including the croquettes, which had a strange taste to them. The mozzarella sticks were also disappointing — they were a special, but unfortunately tasted and had the texture of something that had been frozen. The spicy meatballs were okay, but nothing particularly memorable. I also ordered an Aperol Spritz, but the measurements seemed completely off. It was extremely bright orange and didn’t taste right at all. I asked for some extra soda water, but unfortunately it didn’t make much difference and I couldn’t drink it. We didn’t make a complaint on the night as it was busy (ish) and we’re not really the type to make a fuss, but overall we left feeling quite disappointed. It’s a shame as we had such high expectations and were really looking forward to it.

21/09/2026: Absolutely delicious duck, perfectly crispy on the outside and simply melting on your tongue. The personnel is exceptionally friendly and the atmosphere is pleasant. Not too expensive either.

06/09/2026: Was invited to a 50th to the Cornstore recently. Booking was for 8.15pm but they werent ready for us until 840pm. A drinks order was taken at the door where lots of people were waiting and we headed up stairs. Our food order was taken around 9.15pm, an hour after our booking. My order was good but my husbands prawn starter had too much chilli and he coughed a bit too much. The room was really noisy and hectic. Maybe they were understaffed, who knows but a less than satisfactory visit to the Cornstore.

24/05/2026: Got treated with zero respect at all by the polish female waiter in springboard ,very ignorant to me and my partner, wouldn’t give any time to have a look at the menu and food quality was very very average 😂Didn’t even get offered any water but every other table did which we were completely judge by our age because we looked young would never be recommended to anybody who has money for nearly a 5 star hotel it’s a joke the way we got treated. If you are looking for a nice and respectful place to eat then don’t choose this location 😅

18/05/2026: Not too far from Cork city centre stands a beautiful hotel on the banks of the river. Rooms are of a good size, clean and beds are very comfortable. Staff are lovely, professional and pleasant, and they can only bested by the food served. Everything from the goats cheese tartlet through to the incredible beef mains was nothing short of exceptional. To top it all off, a trip to the spa, including the outdoor heated (really warm) swimming pool. Overall, a really pleasant experience, and worth every moment.

15/10/2026: University College Cork is a truly outstanding university with a beautiful campus, impressive historic buildings, and a wonderful atmosphere. It offers excellent educational opportunities, modern facilities, and a welcoming environment for students from all over the world. The combination of tradition, academic excellence, and innovation makes UCC one of the finest universities in Ireland. Highly recommended!

14/10/2026: (Please scroll for Gaelic version👇🏽🙏🏽) God is great Welcome to humanity Welcome to the Republic of Ireland. It was one September day, many years ago I left for university.... to be continued, thank you🔆 Ms. Mary Sisk, our kind hostess from Togher, welcomed me into her womb, bosom buddies. Hail the Mother of God. I was the sole Asian, and among the tenants, the sole male. My life flourished in dreams. I had the pick of the lot Karen, Hazel and, Michelle. Ms. Sisk had a sprawling two storey fantasy. I lived with a family in a house, that is. And, there were others (students, teachers), renting, too. The central applications office website opened vistas like never before. After bailing out of Denmark's spell check riddled international education, being a mature student, with no secondary education certification, was indeed a unique provision for budding aspirants, seen around the world. Little did I reckon a chance meeting with Bono (Dublin) himself, walks in the buff in Waterford and even a stint teaching Irish nursing students about life in Denmark (for pocket money)... My first ever year in university encompasses all this and, much more. Buckle up, dear readers... life beckons. ♥️ The first week had this relishing intro trip to the Muckross house and nearby lake (lough). My heart fell for Fiona, Gemma and, a third butterfly. On the flip side, some five hearts intended to court me. 💕💕 Irish punters? I had no idea. This one I had to check out. God is kind My sincere regards are expressed for the four male competent lecturers Mr. Barry O'Sullivan, Mr. Joseph Manning, Mr. Anthony Seda, and Mr. Cormac Srinan, as well as the foremost endowed female Ms. Eleanor Doyle. Thank you, dear readers, for your kind attention🤗 Gaelic translation🎂 God is great Welcome to humanity Welcome to the Republic of Ireland. It was one September day, many years ago that I left for university.... to be continued, thank you🔆 Mrs. Mary Sisk, our kind housekeeper from Togher, welcomed me into her womb, dear friends. God bless you. I was the only Asian, and among the tenants, the only man. My life was awash in dreams. I had a choice of Karen, Hazel and Michelle. Mr. Sisk had a two-storey fantasy. I lived with a family in a house, that is. And, there were other people there (students, teachers), renting too. The central application office website opened up a scene never seen before. Having escaped the spell-checking international education of Denmark, becoming a mature student, with no secondary education certificate, was a unique provision for emerging candidates, something that was seen all over the world. I never thought I would meet Bono (Dublin), hikes in Waterford and even a stint teaching Irish nursing students about life in Denmark (for pocket money)... My first year ever at university encompasses all of this and much more. Fasten your seatbelts, loyal readers... life is coming. ♥️ We had a lovely introductory trip in the first week to Muckross house and the nearby lake. My heart fell in love with Fiona, Gemma and the third butterfly. On the other side, there were five hearts trying to flirt with me. 💕💕 Irish suitors? I had no idea. I had to check this one out. God is kind I extend my heartfelt condolences to the four able male lecturers, Mr. Barry O'Sullivan, Mr. Joseph Manning, Mr. Anthony Seda, and Mr. Cormac Srinan, as well as the most distinguished woman, Ms. Eleanor Doyle. Thank you, my loyal readers, for your kind attention🤗