Restaurant Recommendation Thread - Anyone for seconds?

JackieChang · 29-03-2022 9:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118779452#Comment_118779452

I love a good kebab but I'm not a fan of how they hack big chunks of meat off the kebab tower. The strips should be nice and thin. Like these lads:

Best Döner Kebab Restaurant in Istanbul You Have To Eat At - YouTube

Also speaking of kebabs, if anyone's ever down in Kilkenny you should try Anatolia for a delicious kebab and amazing bread. Absolutely delicious. Dine in the place now, don't walk around the streets with kebab juice all over your face.

JackieChang · 10-04-2022 1:33am

Any buffet / all you can eat restaurants in Cork?

Other than that Chinese place on north main street.

Kerry25x · 11-04-2022 12:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118725408#Comment_118725408

Thompsons Brewrey on McCurtain Street do a great lunch deal, starter, main and a drink for €12.

Faith · 11-04-2022 1:50pm

I had afternoon tea in the Imperial recently. I had an irritating situation where I needed to cancel a booking with about 27 hours notice due to a positive covid test, and they wouldn't let me do it online and weren't answering their phones. When I finally got through, a person assured me it was cancelled and all was fine. The next working day, I got an email cheerfully informing me I was being charged €40 for non-attendance. It was a SERIOUS effort to get that refunded, and maybe a sign that I shouldn't have rebooked...

Anyway, I did. We stood around like lemons until someone finally came over to us, kind of walked behind us, and then said "yes?" in a slightly accusatory way, before being seated. The area itself is gorgeous, really nicely decorated and looking out on the street. Our server was very young, very inexperienced and clearly had been given minimal training. She did her best, to be fair, but there was lots of having to repeat ourselves about basic things. The actual meal was okay. Sandwiches were a bit non-descript and I wouldn't be able to easily tell you what the fillings were. Scones were nice, served with butter, jam and clotted cream. There were small bars of O'Conaills milk chocolate, which isn't really what I want with afternoon tea tbh. There was a very adorable macaron with a little cowboy hat chocolate decoration, but the macaron itself was terrible. Like, almost inedible. There was a small eclair with a very floral taste to it, like rose or violet. Then a quite large chocolate egg filled with (best guess) a Crème Pâtissière and a small 'yolk' of a caramel/biscuit mix. It was nice, but way too large IMO.

Overall, a nice setting but the poorest actual Afternoon Tea food I've had, I'd say. Cost was €35 per person, which is at the lower end, but in future I'd pay a bit extra for Hayfield Manor or The Kingsley.

whatever76 · 11-04-2022 2:22pm

Had lunch in Sonflour home page (sonflour.ie) over weekend - very nice cool spot, really enjoyed it. Chef seem really nice as well chatting to customers. Food is limited to Pizza, flatbreads and Pasta but all cooked on spot so very fresh and tasty ! Nice wines as welll .. Would recommend for something different :)

BruteStock · 11-04-2022 3:55pm

I wouldn't recommend getting a delivery from East Village. The food was terrible. Soggy chips and dry burgers

notAMember · 11-04-2022 4:43pm

Had a nice-ish lunch/brunch in Vikkis Sundays Well with friends. Their online booking is fiddly, you've to go back and forth through the options to get to an actual table you can book and some of the options make no sense. Service is distracted, they forgot a few things, we reminded them.. I had a black pudding hash with egg, it was nice, decent quality pudding and the egg was good. spuds were more like a soft mash though, no crispy bits, which is one of the nice bits in a potato hash. Their eggs benny looked good, and the french toast. Brunch chips are tasty (eggs with avocado and a poached egg) but teeny tiny portion served in a cup for 8 euro felt saucy, maybe because of the presentation. You can't really park anywhere nearby, we walked up from fitzgeralds park.

the beer revolu · 17-04-2022 8:53am

Had a few plates and some wine in the new wine bar, "Nell's", on Mccurtain Street.

The food is really good. A small enough menu of small plates. They are small, but they are reasonably priced and very good. Light, balanced and simple.

As you might expect, the wine list is good and interesting and they encourage you to taste any wines you want.

I liked it and thought it was good value. If you have a big appetite and are all about big portions, I guess it could get a bit pricy to fill that void.

Cork Lass · 17-04-2022 10:16am

Went to Masseytown on Saturday morning. Only went because it was early and not a great selection open. Ordered the coffee and pancakes for me and just a coffee for my daughter. Coffee was really lovely but the pancakes morphed into a crepe. I wasn’t fussed to be honest but by god I could have soled my shoe with it - it was like leather. Even between us we didn’t finish it. Very disappointing.

the beer revolu · 17-04-2022 10:53am

A crepe is a pancake, no?

sporina · 17-04-2022 10:56am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118937968#Comment_118937968

"soled my shoes with it" lol

did you mention it to them?

Cotts72 · 17-04-2022 12:04pm

I enjoy masseytown every now and then as I do enjoy the samdwiches/rolls! It's still very hard to justify the pricing tho!

Cork Lass · 17-04-2022 6:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118938103#Comment_118938103

No, I was going to but a guy came in, you might know him - he’s always around and comes across as a drunk but he’s actually had a stroke. She had her hands full trying to deal with him so I just felt my complaint was pretty insignificant compared to his problems. He actually offered to buy us a coffee. I’d say no one talks to him.

sporina · 17-04-2022 10:07pm

2 of us had lunch in The Bayleaf Bistro Bandon today - twas delicious - staff wer wonderful and lovely setting - I highly recommend it if ever that way

notAMember · 18-04-2022 3:19pm

Okura was good a few days ago in Douglas. That ikura maki (sushi with the salmon roe) is mega. Oysters were good as well. Kids loved the robot waiter.

siblers · 18-04-2022 10:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118911757#Comment_118911757

I wouldn't recommend eating there either.

Debub · 19-04-2022 5:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118937968#Comment_118937968

Just on this - car was parked at Paul Street Car Park, had an hour n half drive back home, so thought that we'd pick up coffees to go. Good news - they have O'Connaills chocolate so the kids had decent hot chocolates, but the coffee's were scalding hot when we took the first sip, at that temperatute the I am sure that the coffee will be kinda nuked...

We also got take away's from Yuang Ming Yuang, wife ordered while I was taking the kids to the loo (from the regular menu as I found out later).. and guess what - the food that we ate at home was as good (or bad to be more oprecise) as any local small time bad Chinese takeaway - this was the first poor meal that I have had from there in all our years of eating from there

igCorcaigh · 19-04-2022 5:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118947188#Comment_118947188

I used to love YMY, especially their dim sum and lamb curry, but they seem to have gone downhill. Jade Palace on Douglas Street is my regular Chinese takeaway option for now (great onion rings!).

Jim from Cork · 19-04-2022 5:14pm

Had a superb meal on Saturday night in Bocelli on Maylor St.

I'm not the greatest fan of Italian but the menu had a great choice of tasty grub.

They were very busy!

https://bocellicork.com/

who_me · 20-04-2022 1:08am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118947227#Comment_118947227

Yeah, it's very near my home and so very convenient, and yet I'm always forgetting about the place. On the few times I've been, it's always been excellent. The only (minor) complaint I've had is that the service can be slow if seated outdoors, but the food is always top notch.

marty whelan · 20-04-2022 7:37am

Went to Nua Asador last weekend, well worth a visit 👍 Amazingly good steak for a food market, if it was twice the price at a proper restaurant I'd have thought it was a bargain

sporina · 20-04-2022 11:47am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118949942#Comment_118949942

Q do you like The Marina Market?

I find it v noisy and draughty.. wondering if its just me? showing my age?

notAMember · 20-04-2022 12:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118950876#Comment_118950876

Do take-away sporina. I don't like it there either, feels like eating out of a skip. But the food is good if you can bring it somewhere else.

Cotts72 · 20-04-2022 12:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118950876#Comment_118950876

I enjoy it down there. Great food choices (something for everyone) generally just a good buzz and atmosphere about the place

who_me · 20-04-2022 12:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118950876#Comment_118950876

Well, it is objectively noisy and draughty! :)

On the draughts, not much is ever likely to be done about that; it's pretty much an outdoor space with a roof and some protection from the wind/cold. On the noise, yeah when it's busy the noise level ramps up. The outdoor seating areas are quieter and can be nice when the weather is good, or there are lots of times of the week when the indoor area is much quieter.

sporina · 20-04-2022 2:32pm

re: The Marina Market - noise.. yeah for me its the acoustics.. its not the music I have a prob with - but when they turn it up it seems to bounce off the walls (and my ears).. makes it an uncomfortable place to eat/hang out..

outside is ok when the sun is out - but only ok.. I mean,.. it still feels like an industrial unit..

but I am not knocking it.. it is a great addition to Cork..

I prefer The Black Market on Monaghan Rd though.. smaller but nicer inside.. love the food from Dip and SOMA is cool for coffee and cake

marty whelan · 20-04-2022 8:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118950876#Comment_118950876

Only been there once to be honest, twas quiet when I was there so hard to judge. Plenty of parking when I went so it was very handy. Would not go back if it was just a standard food court with McDonald's etc, but will def be going back just to get food and leave.

Spideoige · 03-05-2022 6:02pm

Went to 5 Points finally and had an enjoyable sandwich, would recommend if you're in that neck of the woods and looking for an easy lunch. My one issue is that anytime I've visited over the past few months there have been no bagels (time would have been from 11am up to 2pm). I thought that this was a bagel place but I've been unable to actually try their bagels! They will substitute your order with whatever bread they have but still, disappointed to not get my NYC style bagel fix.

igCorcaigh · 03-05-2022 7:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119010956#Comment_119010956

I've been meaning to go there just to try their bagels, but would be happy with an alternative if the food is of good quality. Did you enjoy your visit otherwise?

notAMember · 04-05-2022 9:48am

Tried the new EGG bar in black market.

On the positive side the eggs are perfectly poached. I got the one with crispy prawns. Prawns were crispy but I think they could be precooked then breaded as the prawn itself was rubbery and overdone, wouldn't recommend. And this was on a bun. Unfortunately they use fake bottled hollandaise on it. I don't know what it's made out of, but it's not egg yoke, lemon and butter. It's oily, mustardy, seems to have a gummy thickener and tastes more like a warm mayo. Poachies don't really travel so we did eat there. I didn't enjoy the trucks reversing around beeping, or eating surrounded by diesel fumes. Black market is another place I would prefer a take-away from, sitting in a cold dark car park in an industrial estate eating out of a cardboard box is too derelicte for me (sorry to those who are too young for a zoolander ref).

Also went out with a group to Isaacs. Hadn't been there in years with covid etc, it really is a great spot, doing their thing for years. Service was really good, friendly, efficient. They had loads of fish on the menu, steaks, salads, chowder. I had turbot with a lovely light sauce, it was gorgeous. Wanted to mention their wine as well, as their wines of the month in particular are very well chosen. As an example they had a Famille Perrin Ventoux which is ~17 euro from a off license, and they had it in the restaurant for 26 euro. That's decent value in my opinion.

Restaurant Recommendation Thread - Anyone for seconds?

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