Cafe Paradiso

fonzy157

Anyone eaten here? Have just checked out the menu-looks fab!I dont live in cork but hopefully heading there next month..

sweet-rasmus

have never been, but i have seen the menu. definately worth goin to if in cork

Tar.Aldarion

Most poeple say it is good and I ahve only heard one bad review from a friend, she was not impressed. Have not been myself but look forward to eharing what you make of it.

Christina B

Booked a weekend away in Cork (from Wicklow) especially with trying out Cafe Paradisco in mind. It was absolutely fantastic, been back twice since and have never been disappointed. My husband isn’t a veggie, far from it, but really enjoyed it too!

maameeo

we were supposed to go there last year when we visited cork, its supposed to be amazing! but book in advance, they are busy busy i hear.
yum!

Slaphead07

It's on my list of places to go... I could really do with a weekend away! Mmmm Cork, Paris or Vienna ooohhh decisions decisions... Less language problems in Vienna I suppose.

AssaultedPeanut

Though I haven't eaten there in years, it was absolutely delicious when I did. I'd highly recommend it.

Censorsh!t

I've eaten there about 3 times, bu t it's easy for me as i live in cork.

It's yum! Got one of the cook books after, and always make the meal I first had there

mimihops

Another vote for cafe paradiso, its just fab :-) Would definitely recommend it. I have some of his cookery books as well and they are super too.

Tar.Aldarion

Ah I knew my lovely friend was crazy.
Look forward to spending all my money there some day.
Next cork meetup when we are rich.

Sapsorrow

I've been there loads of times and 95% of the time it's amazing and when it's not amazing it's still very good. They've hacked the opening hours lately though so you wanna check it out as far as I know they don't open mondays either.
Lunch isn't too expensive only around 15euro, tiny portions on huge plates you know it's gonna be savage.
My fave is the little pumkin dumplings with burnt sage butter sauce mmm...

Aoifums

I've been and I didn't think too much of it. Not a very good selection for vegans, all but one dishes had sheep or goats cheese in it. I got some dish that was meant to have cauliflower in it, but the cauliflower was no where to be found.

Sapsorrow

Aoifums wrote: »

I've been and I didn't think too much of it. Not a very good selection for vegans, all but one dishes had sheep or goats cheese in it. I got some dish that was meant to have cauliflower in it, but the cauliflower was no where to be found.

Good point actually I haven't been since I started trying to eat vegan seem to rememer sushi being one of the few options alright. I think they make the food really rich and get a lot of the intensity of flavour from dairy esp cheese to compensate or the flavour you'd usually get from meat, but if yer not vegan it's still great. Are there any gourmet quality vegan restaurants in Ireland?

Mentalmiss

Not very vegan friendly. I have been told that the guy in charge has a special dislike for vegans. Thinks that we are awkward and slightly nuts. Said that he does not like it when we go in there. I also find that the staff are not helpful when you need to find out what on the menu is vegan.
I find the Quay Coop very vegan friendly and you get away more food there. Big servings. Pity they do not open for dinner.

Sapsorrow

Mentalmiss wrote: »

Not very vegan friendly. I have been told that the guy in charge has a special dislike for vegans. Thinks that we are awkward and slightly nuts. Said that he does not like it when we go in there. I also find that the staff are not helpful when you need to find out what on the menu is vegan.
I find the Quay Coop very vegan friendly and you get away more food there. Big servings. Pity they do not open for dinner.

Ya but in fairness thats just hear say isn't it and it's not really fair to post it online. Plus people tend to say that sort of thing about people who run restaurants fairly regularly. I happened to have a very good friend involved with the family for a good while and never got anything other than the impression that they are very open minded and consciencious people.
That he gains a lot of his creative inspriation from ingredients derived from animal products is just his buzz, cafe paradiso and the dish's served there are his brainchild and he doesn't owe it to anyonwe to provide a larger vegan selection. I also doubt someone so passionate about vegetarian food is likely to be anti-veganism in any way at all. I am grateful that someone with such culinary imagination has provided the south with such a fantastic place for vegetarians to go.
I happen to disagree about the staff the usual waitress in there is excellent and has on many occasions gone to huge lengths to explain exactlyu whats in different dish's for me.
Quay coop's good too, portions are uaually so big that food is inevitably wasted which I disagree with even most guys have to stuff themselves to finish a dish, but the standard is incomparable to cafe paradiso it's cheap and cheerful but cafe paradiso is gourmet vegetarian cooking.

Edit: actualy quay coop's not cheap at all but you know what I mean

Ddad

i had the pleasure of working there for a couple of years. the attitude to food and its providence is without equal. It is a vegetarian restaurant though not a vegan one. It doesn't claim to be vegan.

What did get on my goat when I worked there was the arrogance of many a customer. I think it's a bit much to show up on the night without prior warning and list out your dietary preferences and expect special treatment. Sample menus are available online and god knows there are three books out there to have a gander at.

We had a customer in one night who announced that she didn't eat anything from the deadly nightshade family. No prior notice, nada. Handed her back the menu and said figure it out. I've has som many customers that say I'm allergic to onions, no notice; onions go in almost everything in restaurants. If you have a dietary preference let the people know in advance and they may be able to help you.

The vegan dishes on the menu were good though but they weren't the best sellers in the world. The quay co-op is good but it is a very different experience and market to Paradiso.

Right, I'm off to Jerusalem for a bacon sandwich.

kmick

Mentalmiss wrote: »

Not very vegan friendly. I have been told that the guy in charge has a special dislike for vegans. Thinks that we are awkward and slightly nuts. Said that he does not like it when we go in there. I also find that the staff are not helpful when you need to find out what on the menu is vegan.
I find the Quay Coop very vegan friendly and you get away more food there. Big servings. Pity they do not open for dinner.

Its not a Vegan restaurant so I dont understand the comment. Its like going to a bbq restaurant and saying there is nothing for non-meat eaters. Did you ask were there vegan options when you booked? I mean its a pretty restrictive regime veganism so its up to you to do your homework.

Sapsorrow

Ddad wrote: »

i had the pleasure of working there for a couple of years. The vegan dishes on the menu were good though but they weren't the best sellers in the world. The quay co-op is good but it is a very different experience and market to Paradiso.

Do I know you per chance? I've known a good few of the staff there over the last few years? Were you cheffing?

Ddad wrote: »

The quay co-op is good but it is a very different experience and market to Paradiso.

amen to that! Coop really gets on my tits sometimes with their sh*te quality ingredients and poorly thought out recipes

Edit: sorry shoud say often poorly thought out as sometimes the food is good but 50% of the time I'd say it's rubbish as would most other regular goers with healthy active tastebuds

bullpost

Was there last year for lunch during the winter. Great food and wine and lovely ambience - highly recommend it and I'm not vegetarian .

Ddad

khrystyna100 wrote: »

Do I know you per chance? I've known a good few of the staff there over the last few years? Were you cheffing?



amen to that! Coop really gets on my tits sometimes with their sh*te quality ingredients and poorly thought out recipes

Edit: sorry shoud say often poorly thought out as sometimes the food is good but 50% of the time I'd say it's rubbish as would most other regular goers with healthy active tastebuds

I was biting my tongue to be honest. I would only eat in the quay Co-op ubder duress. Yeah I used to chef there 2-3 years ago mainly partime, around the same time as Ciara, Leah etc

Sapsorrow

Ddad wrote: »

I was biting my tongue to be honest. I would only eat in the quay Co-op ubder duress. Yeah I used to chef there 2-3 years ago mainly partime, around the same time as Ciara, Leah etc

Lol ya I know what you mean it can be so god damn awful in there a lot of the time and it's not even cheap anymore which was half the point of the place existing in the first place!
Not sure bout those names do you know Niamh or Nev? Ali my good mate was goign out with their son for a good while about two years ago (she's nev sister)

Ddad

Fraid not, quite a lot of people make their working way through Paradiso though.
You'd be like ships passing in the night. D'ya know Johan?

Sapsorrow

Ddad wrote: »

Fraid not, quite a lot of people make their working way through Paradiso though.
You'd be like ships passing in the night. D'ya know Johan?

:pac: ya I know what you mean you're so lucky to have worked there you must of learned so much! (I'm jealous) No don't know Johan at least not by name!

henryporter

Another thumbs up for cafe paradiso from me - the mrs. and i have been going there on and off for about 5 years, and seeing as we have to travel from Monaghan to Cork you can understand that it is a pilgramage. Generally the food is fantastic - definitely the best vegetarian restaurant in the country. Denis Cotter is a genius with vegetables.

The farm that supplies most of the vegetables to the place also has a bed and breakfast with the option of dinners as well. It's located about 30 minutes south west of the city near Kinsale. Its called Gort-na-nain and you can find a link to it from Cafe Paradiso's web site. We stayed there a couple of months ago and can safely say that the food is equal in standing to Mr. Cotters fine efforts.

Sapsorrow

henryporter wrote: »

The farm that supplies most of the vegetables to the place also has a bed and breakfast with the option of dinners as well. It's located about 30 minutes south west of the city near Kinsale. Its called Gort-na-nain and you can find a link to it from Cafe Paradiso's web site. We stayed there a couple of months ago and can safely say that the food is equal in standing to Mr. Cotters fine efforts.

Oh oh thats great news was jsut emailing the owners yesterday as I plan on staying there withthe OH and dog for a weekend to celebrate my grads next year instead of going around campus like a tw*t in an expensive dress and bad make-up/hair job for a day!

henryporter

Couldn't recommend the place highly enough - and yes the dog friendly attitude is great. You could also have a look at Tripadvisor for the comments the mrs. put up there around the beginning of August

Sapsorrow

henryporter wrote: »

Couldn't recommend the place highly enough - and yes the dog friendly attitude is great. You could also have a look at Tripadvisor for the comments the mrs. put up there around the beginning of August

Nice one chhers for the tip!

dereko1969

Cafe Paradiso is probably the best vegetarian restaurant in britain or ireland, great great food and a lovely ambiance too. Always enjoyed any of the wines that were recommended or that i picked out myself. It always takes me an age to figure out what to have which makes a welcome change from most other restaurants.

As others have said it's not a vegan restaurant so complaining about the limited vegan options without having notified them in advance is just foolishness.