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Cork’s cuisine: 10 things we love
English Market
A Cork institution, the English Market has been feeding our city for centuries. Trading since 1788, it’s one of the oldest covered markets in Europe and sells some of the very best produce Cork has to offer. It’s made up of independent stall holders and retailers, from multigenerational butchers and fish and cheesemongers, to purveyors of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Coastal influence
Cork Harbour is among the largest natural harbours in the world, and is home to scenic beaches and small fishing villages with access to incredible seafood. Cork produces some of the best shellfish, so be sure to sample the local mussels and oysters.
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Spiced beef
This is a Cork speciality, made with cured, spiced beef. At Christmas, we’ll have spiced beef cooked in stout, but it’s available (and enjoyed) year-round. The process dates back hundreds of years, and was originally designed to preserve beef for export. A good spiced beef sandwich rivals that of any traditional pastrami counterpart.
Tripe and drisheen
A duo that’s always served together, tripe – the honeycomb-like lining of a cow’s intestine – and drisheen – a sausage made from beef and sheep’s blood – is a quintessential Cork dish that you won’t find on many menus in the city. The tripe is typically braised in milk and onions, and the drisheen is warmed through in the same sauce. Head to the Farmgate Café upstairs in the English Market to try it for yourself.
Farmhouse cheese
Veronica Steele kick-started the Irish farmhouse cheese movement in Cork in the 1970s with her cow’s milk cheese, Milleens. Now, Ireland produces world-renowned farmhouse cheeses all over the country, and Cork is home to many of the best. Look out for Durrus, Coolea and Hegarty’s cheeses.
Honey
Cork produces truly delicious honey. There are many beekeepers throughout the county who are as committed to the conservation of the native Irish honeybee as they are to producing the glorious wild nectar. There are also plenty of beekeeping workshops for hive enthusiasts to try for themselves.
Check out our best honey recipes f0r sweet ways to put it to good to use.
Breweries
Cork has a long-standing tradition of brewing. There are now three microbreweries in the city centre, with Elbow Lane being one of the smallest in the country. All offer excellent guided tours and tastings. You can sample the local brews in the many pubs around the city.
Smoked fish
Sally Barnes is the owner of Woodcock Smokery in west Cork, the last smokehouse in Ireland that exclusively smokes wild fish. Located 10 minutes from Skibbereen, it produces the finest smoked wild salmon, haddock and tuna. Sally also offers masterclasses in smoking fish and coastal foraging.
Farmers’ markets
Cork is famous for its farmers’ markets, which are dotted all over the county and host local famers, food producers and delicious food trucks and craft stalls. It’s always a morning or early afternoon well spent. The Saturday farmers’ market on Cornmarket Street in the city centre is not to be missed.
Cork on a Fork
This annual five-day food festival is the perfect opportunity to explore the county’s dynamic food culture – there are lots of pop-up dining events, workshops, guided tastings and cookery demonstrations to enjoy. Plan ahead and attend next August. corkonaforkfest.ie
Where to eat and drink in Cork
Franciscan Well Bar & Brewery
Based on the site of a medieval monastery, this multitasking space offers its own selection of craft beers in the Brew Pub, as well as woodfired pizza from Pompeii Pizza and expertly crafted cocktails in Monk bar. Live music, pizza-making classes and weekly brewery tours are also available. franwellbar.com
Goldie
Aishling Moore’s award-winning restaurant champions a gill-to-fin approach to cooking fish, which sees the menu change daily depending on the catch landed that day. Additionally, clever use of the whole fish massively reduces food waste and results in inventive dishes like hake tail schnitzel with celeriac and gherkin remoulade and soy-cured egg yolk, or pibil monkfish cheek sope with pickled red onion and salsa verde. goldie.ie
L’Atitude 51
Part wine shop, part wine bar and restaurant, L’Atitude 51 offers a huge selection of natural and organic/biodynamic wines by the glass in a buzzy, airy space with a terrace for fine-weather drinking. In the evening, a menu of snacks, small plates and sharing platters of cheese and charcuterie is served. latitude51.ie
The Glass Curtain
Housed in the former Thompson Bakery building on MacCurtain Street, the restaurant’s ingredient-focussed menus are inspired by its top-notch suppliers, and influenced by the chefs’ travels. Expect open-fire cooking and inventive plates like fermented potato pizzette, smoked lamb shoulder and taramasalata, or gurnard, squid noodles, spiced broth and salsa macha. theglasscurtain.ie
Hayfield Manor
A short stroll out of the city brings you to this luxurious boutique country house hotel. Hayfield Manor’s signature restaurant, Orchids, overlooks the beautiful private gardens and has developed a reputation for its fine dining, offering contemporary Irish cuisine. Refined dishes like Skeaghanore duck with confit Parisian potato, celeriac purée, rosemary gel and apple highlight the great sourcing of produce. hayfieldmanor.ie
Where to stay in Cork
The Metropole Hotel
Bang in the centre of Cork’s buzzy Victorian Quarter, with its myriad pubs, restaurants and cafés, The Metropole is perfect for a stay in the heart of the city. Built in 1897, the grand hotel is full of historic, elegant charm, and has recently undergone a smart update. Plus, it’s within walking distance of foodie attractions like the English Market. The Met bar and restaurant supports local producers, such as Union Hall Smoked Fish and Gubbeen Farm cheese and charcuterie, and the seasonally changing themed afternoon tea is a great way to experience its food offering. In the evening, the bar is bright and welcoming, making it the perfect pitstop for a cocktail before heading out on the town. themetropolehotel.ie
Gabriel House Guesthouse
Set in an elevated position, with views over the Cork skyline, and just a short stroll from the city centre, this small boutique guesthouse has luxury touches. For breakfast, resident chef Martin creates classics like eggs florentine and benedict, as well as a full Corkonian fry-up or stacks of fluffy American pancakes. Eggs are sourced from the Gabriel House chickens, while veg and herbs come from the organic, sustainable kitchen garden (which is also part of the Irish Bee Conservation Project, working to preserve native bee species in the country). gabriel-house.com
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