Hungry? If you aren’t now, you will be after reading this edition! Cork is the food capital of Ireland, so I must write a post all about my favorite eats in the city. We’ll cover cafes, sit-down restaurants, and our favorite chippers! Eat up because here we go!
Let’s start with breakfast. If you’re craving the best cup of coffee, cafes are the way to go. Alchemy on Barrack Street is a fan favorite with cozy digs and an award-winning sausage roll. (It truly is the best I’ve had) The Lough Cafe is another fan favorite from the Holy Cross kids. Right up from the beautiful Cork Lough, they have great toastie sandwiches and desserts with hot chocolate and a chai latte to die for. Tiramisu has the best all-around latte and egg breakfast with Italian-inspired digs.
Before leaving the island, you must have a proper, full Irish breakfast. Filled to the brim with sausage, eggs, bacon, beans, tomatoes, and mushrooms, served with a mountain of toast and a cup of tea or coffee, it is a delicious feat. For a great, quick, and cheap version, we adored Tony’s Bistro—a small NYC diner-inspired joint with photos from The Godfather lining the walls. I grew up in NYC, so I did feel at home there. For a nicer option, Spitjack on Washington Street does a fantastic job. Joe and Bros on Gillabbey Street is the way to go for an alternate brunch option. It’s a small college cafe right off campus; order the pancakes or the cluck cluck sandwich. We all still dream about the cluck cluck.
Lunch has the same rules as breakfast; go the cafe route. However, the English Market is a fabulous way to go if you want something heartier. Besides the myriad of options at the vendors, the market is home to the Farmgate cafe, a fantastic farm-to-table option serving breakfast and lunch. If you want to live the authentic college experience, Centra (the Irish bodega chain) has some excellent lunch items—spring for a chicken fillet roll (an Irish classic) or their chicken wrap.
For dinner, you have a million options in the city. However, I would say you must try Tom Barry’s. Located on Barrack Street, the biergarten-pizzeria is serving up Neapolitan-style pizza. Tom Barry’s is never a miss. Chipper culture is huge in Ireland, which are mom-and-pop joints serving up everything battered and fried. Jackie Lennox on Bandon Road has the best fish and chips for a genuine meal. O’Reilly’s on Barrack Street has the best late-night eats, where you can find O’Reilly himself scooping chips. Make sure to always order with salt and vinegar!
I’m super hungry now, so I’ll be signing off. I hope this guide gave some insight and some hunger—Food Files out.
