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.

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.

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

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. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

09/10/2026: As visitors to Cork we had a great time here. Dai, the barman, made us feel very much at home and we soon got talking to others at the bar. Thanks for great drinks and a fantastic evening.

19/09/2026: Great location, warm feel and excellent beer selection

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

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.

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

13/08/2026: very obviously knowledgeable and passionate people making some delicious coffee. nicest oat flat white I've had in cork by a long shot.

03/08/2026: Cool gaffer kid and dacent coffee yup yup yup yuppp

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.

15/10/2026: Met a friend for lunch and the patio was perfect for 2 prams. I got a sandwich and my friend got the burger, the food was good but we had a nearly 40 minute wait for food. The service was just a bit slow for a midweek lunch. The sandwich was €18 and while I understand that the price of everything has gone up I don't think it was worth the price.

17/09/2026: Updated, this used to be my favourite place to have breakfast, but unfortunately, the prices are gone too expensive. The last time i ate here, was the day the government reduced the vat from 13.5% to 9%. Yet, a coffee was priced at €4 and a cup of tea (teabag & hotwater) was also €4.when the government reduce the prices (by reducing the vat),this restaurant seems to have increased them. I have been going here for years, but i dont think i will be going back.

01/09/2026: The food was delicious. The restaurant was quite empty, but we were served very quickly and courteously. We received a small complimentary treat from the kitchen and our food arrived promptly. I can't comment on the pizza, but the pasta was very tasty. If we were in the area more often, we would definitely eat here more often.

31/07/2026: Passing through the area, we stopped at this small restaurant tucked away in an alley. Excellent, authentic pasta carbonara and cannelloni. Quite generous portions. Pleasant and attentive service. I recommend it.

18/10/2026: Sat upstairs, great service and good food. Shoutout to Chris and Eileen for the bit of craic and good service. Give Eileen the promotion she deserves!

18/10/2026: Very poor service here for a birthday dinner with a group of friends. The waiter kept getting things wrong in the order but instead of apologising he made out we had ordered different things. Brought a regular beer instead of alcoholic beer, the wrong steak, the wrong sauce with another steak, each time arguing that we had ordered what he had brought to the table and suggesting we had changed our minds on what we ordered. My friends steak was cooked rare instead of medium and in the end she didn't say it as his attitude was so poor. Disappointing.

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🤗

10/10/2026: Just left the brook and good news the curry is back on the menu and better than ever . Kids loved the wings and goujons. Staff were amazing as always . Highly recommend. Ten out of ten 🌟🌟🌟

07/10/2026: We were traveling from Meath to Cork for a short break, we didn't have a reservation and cheekily arrived in at a busy time. lady that greeted us was warm, welcoming and really friendly. Food was EXCEPTIONAL! Highly recommend The Brook Inn. We will be back!