Ireland Guide
Cork
Eating
1 Bully's 40 Paul St, the island 
021/427 3555 Unpretentious, comfy restaurant dishing up mostly Italian food: pizza, home-made pasta, seafood, omelettes and burgers. Reasonably priced, especially at lunchtime.
2 Café-Bar-Deli entrances on Academy St and French Church St, the island A stylish setting, with spacious red velvet seating and a marble bar, for a tried-and-trusted formula that's been very successfully road-tested in Dublin: starters, pastas, salads, pizzas and desserts, with daily specials, at moderate prices. No booking.
3 Café Mexicana, the island Carey's Lane 021/427 6433 Largely authentic, moderately priced Mexican restaurant with relaxing, warm decor and a buzzy atmosphere.
4 Café Paradiso, the island 16 Lancaster Quay, Western Rd, the island 021/427 7939 Opening time: Closed Sun & MonPopular, unpretentious restaurant serving excellent and innovative Mediterranean-influenced vegetarian and vegan cuisine. Moderate lunches; expensive dinners.
5 
The Crawford Art Gallery Café Emmet Place, the island 021/427 4415 Opening time: Mon– Sat 10am–4.30pmClassy and affordable café-restaurant in a gorgeous ground-floor room of the gallery. You can lunch on snacks such as delicious pork terrine and salad, more substantial dishes like sausage, mash and onion, or push the boat right out with three courses for €25. And after a short spin round the gallery, you might well find yourself tempted back for tea and cake.
6 The Farm Gate Café Upstairs in the English Market, Princes St, the island Opening time: Closed SunExcellent daytime café-restaurant overlooking the market's bustling stalls from its skylit balconies. Great cakes and desserts and very reasonably priced lunches, which feature salads and savoury tarts, as well as many traditional dishes: Irish stew, oysters and other seafood, tripe and onions, and drisheen. One balcony is self-service, the other table service.
7 Gino's Winthrop St, the island The epitome of cheap'n'cheerful, a bright, no-frills restaurant dishing up pizza, salads, wine and ice cream.
8 Ivory Tower Princes St, the island 021/427 4665 Opening time: Wed– Sun eveningsSmall, eccentric, first-floor restaurant that draws its culinary inspirations from all over the world to produce imaginative, off-the-wall combinations, such as venison with smoked chilli and dark chocolate jus – the effects can be hit-and-miss but are never boring. €60 for a three-course set menu plus soup or sorbet.
9 Jacobs on the Mall 30A South Mall, the island 021/425 1530 Opening time: Closed SunTop-drawer cooking, using local, seasonal produce whenever possible, that's surprisingly affordable at lunchtime. The setting's a winner too, a former Turkish bathhouse illuminated by abundant skylights, which has had a contemporary makeover in reds and blues.
10 Jacques Phoenix St, a lane off Pembroke St by the GPO, the island 021/427 7387 Opening time: Evenings onlyLong-running favourite, a mellow oasis in the heart of the city, serving creative but carefully judged food – generally expensive, but great value before 7pm.
11 Kafka's 7 Maylor St, the island Opening time: Closed SunSimple, cheap daytime café close to the bus station. The menu caters roughly equally for vegetarians and meat-eaters, with great all-day breakfasts and basic, filling sandwiches, baguettes and burgers, plus coffee and cake.
12 Nash 19 19 Princes St, the island Bright, efficent daytime buffet restaurant serving delicious, high-quality cuisine – including a fish, a pasta and a warm salad of the day, sandwiches, and hot and cold breakfasts – at reasonable prices.
13 Tribes 8 Tuckey St, the island Opening time: Tues– Thurs 10.30am– midnight, Fri & Sat 10.30am–4am, Sun noon–11pmRelaxing meeting-place with plenty of armchairs and sofas, which caters especially for night owls with its late hours and dozens of tea and coffee varieties. The menu has recently been expanded to include hot meals such as lasagne, salads, sandwiches and desserts, as well as beer and wine.
14 Wagamama 4–5 South Main St, the island Branch of the reliable chain of Japanese noodle bars, offering tasty fried and soup noodles, rice dishes, dumplings and invigorating juices.
15 Wild Ways 21 Princes St, the island Opening time: Closed SunFriendly organic sandwich shop and juice bar, offering good breakfasts and coffees, and delicious wraps, focaccias, pies and soups for lunch. Closed Sun.
16 Boqueria 6 Bridge St, off-island 021/455 9049 Opening time: Closed Sun lunchtimes in summerElegant tapas bar in a skilfully converted traditional pub, with shining leather banquettes and a marble-topped bar. Delicious traditional Spanish dishes have been adapted to make the best use of local artisan produce, such as cheeses, sausages and breads, and it's great for breakfasts such as Macroom porridge, too.
17 Isaac's MacCurtain St, off-island 021/450 3805 Popular, informal restaurant with bare stone walls, candles and a buzzy atmosphere. The short, global menu, supplemented by daily specials, might take in Moroccan lamb-shank tagine and green Thai curry.
18 The Quay Co-op 24 Sullivan's Quay, off-island 021/431 7026 Opening time: Mon– Sat 9am–9pmSelf-service, mostly organic workers' co-operative café above a health-food store and bakery, serving tasty, substantial and cheap vegetarian and vegan meals (and catering for many other dietary requirements), great salads, soups, puddings, breakfasts and teas.
19 Star Anise Bridge St, off-island 021/455 1635 Opening time: Closed Sat lunchtime, Sun & MonWell-regarded, bright orange café-restaurant serving excellent modern food such as duck confit with rustic potatoes, green beans and balsamic cream. Very reasonable for lunch, and good-value early-bird menu Tues– Fri before 7pm.
20 A Taste of Thailand (BKK 93) Bridge St, off-island 021/450 5404 Stylish, moderately priced Thai restaurant, where the dishes themselves aren't all that authentic, but the flavours certainly are – try the tasty beef salad with mango and crispy noodles.