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Ciaran Connolly
Ciaran Connolly
We have compiled a list of the best places to eat in Cork City so you never go hungry when walking alongside the banks of the River Lee.
Otherwise known as the Foodie Capital of Ireland, Cork is renowned for its wide variety of delicious cuisine. There is a restaurant for every taste, dietary need, and budget.
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25 Places to Eat in Cork City
There are endless restaurants, markets, and cafés in Cork City. Whether you are looking for a quick bite to eat or a sit-down Michelin-starred meal, you will find exactly what you need to satisfy your taste buds in Rebel County.
1. Joe’s & Bro’s
Joe’s & Bros is so famous that it has not one but two locations in Cork City. This is just the spot for you if you want coffee, tea, sandwiches, or sweet treats. Not many sandwiches come close to the ones that Joe’s & Bros make; you must have one to know exactly what we mean. You will never want to eat another plain toastie again. Joe’s & Bros does various sandwiches, and you can have your fillings in toasted ciabatta bread or sourdough.
A personal favourite of mine has to be the Sourdough Cluck Cluck sandwich. This includes grilled chicken, caramelised onions, siracha mayo, and Monterey jack cheese, which have the perfect balance of sweetness with a hint of spice. Don’t forget to ask for a side of tater tots to add to your scrumptious lunch. Other food options are sausage rolls, acai smoothie bowls and smoothies, croissants, cookies and brownies. The store in Gillabbey offers more brunch options. You can order in-store and sit down or order online through their website for click-and-collect.
Location: 22 Gillabbey Street and Winthrop Arcade
Opening Hours: Monday- Sunday: 10 am- 3 pm
2. The Spitjack
The Spitjack is an award-winning restaurant that serves breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, making it the perfect place to eat no matter what time of the day. The beautiful interiors of the Spitjack create a lovely, cosy atmosphere that you won’t want to leave. The breakfast menu is very varied, and you can get anything from breakfast baps, a selection of eggs benedict, homemade buttermilk pancakes with a choice of toppings or just your plain and straightforward breakfast fry.
If it’s too late for breakfast and too early for lunch, why not have something from their amazing brunch menu? It includes salads, gourmet sandwiches, rotisserie chicken, and cocktails. The dinner menu is also exquisite, and if you aren’t full after that feed, the dessert is also something to write home about.
Location: 34 Washington Street
Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday: 9 am-9 pm (Closes from 3:30 pm-5 pm)
3. Dwyers of Cork
Dwyers of Cork really is an all-rounder restaurant. In one place, you can get bottomless brunch, dinner, and delicious cocktails served with amazing live music. Bottomless brunch is a very fun and great way to spend an afternoon with friends, but Dwyers makes it that bit extra special by offering themed brunches such as Father Ted Brunch, Grease Brunch, and Music Bingo Brunch.
They also offer “crunch,” which gives you two for three cocktails. Who could say no to an offer like that? Not only does Dwyers of Cork serve excellent food and drink, but the gastropub has an eccentric and charming vintage style that reflects its rich history. Dwyers of Cork is a must-visit on a trip to Cork.
Location: 27-28 Washington Street
Opening Hours: Mon-Thurs: 12 pm-11:30 pm, Fri & Sat 12 pm-2:30 am, Sunday 12 pm-1:30 am
4. Liberty Grill
Liberty Grill is located next door to the Spitjack on Washington Street. It is an excellent spot for a bite in Cork, with a varied menu for breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner. They cater to all types of dietary needs, including vegan, gluten-free, and vegetarian. Their fish is locally sourced from the English Market and is a must-try when visiting. The brunch/lunch menu at Liberty Grill is delicious, with options like eggs benedict, French toast, fritters, Caesar salad, toasties, and chicken sandwiches.
Just a reminder that Liberty Grill works on a walk-in-only service on Saturdays; therefore, you cannot book in advance, although they do have a virtual queuing system on their website. If you want to sit down for a meal that will fill you up, dine in luxury at Liberty Grill, which has a divine dinner menu. Here, you will find rare breed pork, lamb burgers, fish of the day and crab burgers.
Location: 32 Washington Street
Opening Hours: Monday-Saturday: 9 am-3:30 pm (Thurs-Sat: Extended hours of 5 pm-9 pm)
5. Sophie’s Rooftop
Located on the top of the Dean Hotel, Sophie’s Rooftop is a glasshouse restaurant that offers fabulous 360-degree views and even better food. The interiors are elegant and picturesque, with gold and copper accents and swings that are very Instagram-worthy. Whether you want to enjoy a relaxed lunch, sit-down dinner, or just casual drinks, Sophie’s Rooftop will cater to all.
The food here is delicious, with wood-fired pizza, steaks, mouth-watering burgers, crispy duck leg, risotto, seabass, and much more to choose from. If you are looking for a sweet treat to accompany your drinks, you can choose between sticky toffee pudding, salted caramel cheesecake, and orange blossom panna cotta.
Location: Horgan’s Quay, Railway St, Northern Quarter
Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday: 8 am-9:30 pm
6. Luigi Malones
If you’re looking for comfort food, Luigi Malones offers delicious Italian cuisine. The low lighting and large, colourful leather seats create a very cosy atmosphere. Luigi Malones is located right across from the Cork Opera House and adjacent to Opera Lane, making it a great spot to grab a bite to eat while watching a show or shopping.
The staff at Luigi Malones is very attentive and friendly. The food is delicious and affordable. From 12 pm-4 pm, Monday to Friday, Luigi Malones offers a €15 lunch menu, which gives you the option to have a taster, main, and soft drink of choice. Some dishes that Luigi Malones serves are burgers, steaks, fajitas, tasty pizzas, and a variety of specialities such as lamb and chorizo espetadas and BB1 Baby Back Ribs.
Location: 1-2 Emmett Pl, Centre
Opening Hours: Monday-Saturday: 12 pm-9 pm (Sunday 1 pm start)
7. Scoozis
Scoozis is a fabulous family restaurant. This place is always bustling, so be willing to queue or try and get in early to get a table. Trust us, though, it is well worth the wait. Here, you can have breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert; each meal is as good as the other. I have never had a bad meal at Scoozis. You can choose from porridge to warm you up, fluffy pancakes, a full hearty breakfast, eggs benny, breakfast bap or waffles. The only negative about Scoozis is how difficult it can be to decide on just one thing from the menu.
Scoozis delivers fabulous-tasting food at a very reasonable price. These low prices do not reflect the standard of the food. The Bistro menu has many dishes, including burgers, fresh pizzas, salads, pasta dishes, wings, goujons and sirloin steaks. As a family-run and owned restaurant, they have family in mind when cooking and provide lovely kids’ menus. It is the perfect spot to bring the family high-quality, delicious food.
Location: 2-5 Winthrop Lane
Opening Hours: Tue-Thurs: 10 am-8 pm, Fri-Sat: 10 am-9 pm, Sun: 1 pm-8 pm
8. Coqbull
As the name suggests, this restaurant is well known for its delicious coq (chicken) and bull (burger) dishes. If you like succulent chicken and gourmet beef, look no further; Coqbull is just the place to eat in Cork for you. The lunch menu has delicious options to fill you up while shopping or simply strolling around the city. With delicious platters of chicken with your choice of sauce, salads, chicken wraps, rolls, and pizza to choose from, you are sure to find something you like.
The dinner menu at Coqbull is delicious. Choose from their signature wings, bull and coq burgers or rotisserie chicken, which you can get in a quarter, half or full. You can also get enchiladas, steak frites and a tasty Coqbull spice bag that will surely have your taste buds watering. You must try their delicious signature Cocktails, such as “It Is What It Is” and “Little Red Rooster”.
Location: 5 French Church Street
Opening Hours: Wednesday- Friday: 1 pm -9:30 pm (9 pm finish Wed), Saturday-Sunday: 12 pm-9:30 pm
9. Amicus
If you drive to Cork and park in Paul Street’s car park, you will enter Paul St. when you exit the car park. Directly across from the carpark is Amicus, so if hunger strikes when you arrive in Cork, this is the perfect spot to satisfy your taste buds. This two-storey restaurant has beautiful wood and brick interiors, which create a cosy atmosphere. Whether you want to eat inside or outside, this family-run restaurant delivers delicious and flavoursome food.
After over 20 years in the restaurant business, Amicus serves breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner to all who enter its doors. All meals are scrumptious. For your first meal of the day, you can choose from breakfast pots, eggs, butties, full Irish breakfasts, and pancakes. For lunch, they serve gourmet open sandwiches such as BBQ pulled pork and Cajun spicy. You will not be disappointed with the variety of food Amicus has on offer.
Location: Paul Street, Centre
Opening Hours: Sun-Wed:10am-9pm(Sun:11am),Thurs:10am-10pm, Fri&Sat:10am-10:30pm(Sat: 9am)
10. The Glass Curtain
A short walk from Kent Station, the Glass Curtain is a glamorous place to eat in Cork City. This beautiful restaurant is located in the Old Thompson Bakery, which has been transformed into a chic and elegant restaurant. The Glass Curtain prides itself on its mouth-watering flavours, which it creates from local produce. The dishes at the Glass Curtain are exquisite.
The food here tastes even better than it looks, which says a lot, considering the presentation of the food is second to none. You might not want to be one of those who takes pictures of their food, but in the Glass Curtain, you will find it hard to resist. You can choose from their “á la carte”, sharing, or tasting menu. Eating at the Glass Curtain is truly an experience.
Location: Thompson House, MacCurtain Street, Victorian Quarter
Opening Hours: Tue-Thurs: 5:30 pm-9:30 pm, Fri & Sat: 5-10 pm
11. Paradiso
Paradiso is a restaurant that is paving the way for plant-based eating. This vegetation restaurant will blow you away with flavour and taste. This restaurant is for all dietary needs and food tastes; Paradsico breaks down the stigma around vegetarian and vegan food. Many people still have this mindset of “if there isn’t meat in it, it’s not a meal”. Whether you are vegan, vegetarian or a meat eater, you are guaranteed to enjoy the incredible food Paradiso has to offer.
The menu at Paradiso is €65 per person for a 6-course meal. If you give notice in advance of any dietary needs, such as gluten allergies, the menu can be adapted for you. This is just a straightforward way for Paradiso to show their care and respect to all who enter through their door. The staff here are also very attentive and friendly, making the experience enjoyable. This is undoubtedly a must-try when you eat in Cork.
Location: 16 Lancaster Quay, Mardyke
Opening Hours: Tuesday- Saturday: 5:00-10:pm
12. Goldie
If you are looking for delish fish dishes to eat in Cork, then you have come to the right place. Goldie is a restaurant that serves high-quality food that tastes just as good as it looks. The friendly and inviting atmosphere created by the staff really adds to the whole restaurant experience. The combination of flavours will leave your mouth watering for more.
This Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant in the heart of Cork City has a variety of dishes on the menu, so you will indeed find one you will enjoy. Whether you want a small snack to get you through the day or a main course, Goldie will sort your hunger needs. Here, you can enjoy Buttermilk fried fish, Cromane oysters, Sauerkraut & potato Boxty, steamed white sole and East Ferry roast chicken, just to name a few.
Location: 128 Oliver Plunkett Street
Opening Hours: Wednesday- Saturday: 5 pm-10 pm
13. Dashi Deli
Keeping with the fish theme, Dashi Deli is a well-known and loved sushi bar in Cork. This sushi and noodle bar offers sit-down, eat-in, or takeaway options. So, if you are rushing home after work and want to grab a bite to eat or sit down and enjoy the atmosphere inside, Dashi Deli is there for you. Dashi Deli prides itself on the freshness and quality of its fish, which creates delicious-tasting sushi.
At Dashi Deli, you can get a variety of different types of sushi. Here, you can eat platters of sushi, noodle soup, and curries. Some of the dishes you can expect to find at Dashi Deli include a Futomaki Platter, a Chumaki Platter, Spring rolls, dumplings, Japanese curry, and Char Siu chicken.
Location: 11 Cook Street, Centre
Opening Hours: Tue: 1 pm-7 pm, Wed & Thurs: 1 pm-9 pm, Fri & Sat: 1 pm-10 pm
14. Farmgate café
Located in Ireland’s oldest covered food market, the Farmgate Café creates a relaxing and unique atmosphere in the centre of Cork City. This café is beautifully decorated with black and white chequered flooring and wooden furniture. The menu at the Farmgate Café is focused on the seasons and sourced straight from the English Market itself.
The Farmgate café serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Here, you can get soup, sandwiches, seafood chowder, succulent roast chicken, Irish lamb stew, a full breakfast, granola and yoghurt, and sausage rolls. Not only do the dishes taste amazing, but they are also very pleasing to the eye.
Location: The English Market, Princes Street
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Thursday: 8:00 am-4:00 pm, Friday-Saturday: 8:30 am-4:00 pm
15. Jacob’s on the Mall
The interiors at Jacobs on the Mall create a very glamorous atmosphere with navy and dark green suede furniture and gold accents. The menus on offer at Jacobs on the Mall are “Early Bird,” “A La Carte,” “Group €49,” and “Vegan & Vegetarian.” Dishes you can expect to see on these menus include roast duck confit leg, venison fillet, monkfish and crab claws pancetta, pan-fired salmon, and chickpea burger.
The desserts are also delicious here, with options such as Bailey’s and Malteser cheesecake, date and butterscotch pudding, and lemon posset. You will not be disappointed with your time at Jacobs on the Mall.
Location: 30 South Mall, Centre
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Saturday: 5:00 pm-10:00 pm
16. Cornstore Restaurant
If you’re looking for a good steak to eat in Cork City, look no further. The Cornstore is the place for you. Here, you can choose from their Set menu or A La Carte menu. The Cornstore’s appetizers include goat’s cheese crostini, crispy seared seabass, crab brûlée, and prawn pil pil.
If you think the appetisers are special, the main course here will blow you away. With dishes such as slow-cooked crispy pork belly, aubergine moussaka, dry-aged fillet steak, and confit duck leg, the Cornstore is sure not to disappoint.
Location: 41-43 Cornmarket Street, Centre
Opening Hours: Tue-Thurs: 5:00 pm-8:30 pm, Fri: 4-9:30 pm, Sat: 12:00 pm-9:30 pm & Sun: 12:00 pm-8:30 pm
17. Ichigo Ichie
Eating at Ichigo Ichie is an experience to remember. This Japanese restaurant is in high demand, so you will have to book in advance. Every single bite of the food here is a burst of unique and exciting flavours. The food here isn’t just packed with flavour; it also conveys pure artistry.
The atmosphere, matched with spectacular food, really makes eating at Ichigo Ichie an unforgettable experience. You will eat unique and different dishes at this Michelin-starred restaurant. There is nothing plain and simple about this place!
Location: No.5 Fenns Quay, Sheares Street,
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Saturday from 6 pm
18. Da Micro Osteria
If you love authentic Italian food, then Da Micro Osteria is the right place to eat in Cork City. Although the menu may not be extensive, it has been carefully and thoughtfully prepared for every dish. There is a monthly menu, and you can also opt for a tasting experience menu if you like, choosing either starter and main, main and dessert or all three courses. Dishes can also be gluten-free or vegetarian on request.
Da Micro is on the more expensive side, but you are certainly paying for what you get. As they say, you will never mind paying for good food, and that is exactly what you will get at Da Micro. Both the food and the service are spectacular. You will not be disappointed with your visit here!
Location: 4 Bridge Street, Montenotte
Opening Hours: Tues-Thurs: 5:30 pm-9:00 pm, Fri: 5:00 pm-9:30 pm, Sat: 4:30 pm-9:30 pm
19. Isaacs Restaurant
When you enter Isaacs Restaurant, you are greeted by a warm and cosy ambience and friendly staff. Located on MacCurtain Street, Isaacs is a short walk from the train station, making it a great spot to enjoy dinner and a drink. The food at this restaurant is truly delicious.
Some dishes you can get at Isaacs restaurant are prawn pil pil, crispy fired brie, mild madras lamb curry, crispy Skeaghanore duck confit and beef fillet to name but a few. The desserts are just as tasty with sticky toffee pudding, apple and rhubarb crumble and good old bread and butter pudding.
Location: 48 MacCurtain Street, Victorian Quarter
Opening Hours: Sun-Tue: 5 pm-9 pm, Wed&Thurs: 12:30 pm-9 pm, Fri&Sat: 12:30 pm-9:30 pm (Closes Wed-Sat: 2:30 pm-5:30 pm)
20. Market Lane
This award-winning restaurant is the perfect place to eat in Cork City. Using local produce, Market Lane creates scrumptious Irish dishes that will have your taste buds tingling. The lunch and dinner menus are filled with delicious options, such as Buddha bowls, steak sandwiches, crispy shredded duck, fish curry, and slow-cooked Crowe’s bacon collar.
Market Lane is also a fabulous bar, and I would recommend the cocktails, especially the specials. It is the perfect spot to have a few drinks while enjoying the bustling energy of Oliver Plunkett Street. Market Lane should be high on your list of places to visit in Cork City.
Location: 5-6 Oliver Plunkett Street, Centre
Opening Hours: Sun-Wed: 12 pm-9:30 pm, Thurs: 12 pm-10 pm, Fri&Sat: 12 pm-10:30 pm
We hope you found this article helpful. Let us know in the comments if you have been to any of these restaurants before or have any other restaurant suggestions for Cork City. If you enjoyed this article, you may also like 5 Great Ways to Spend a Day in Cork City
