Delicious & affordable fruit tarts (4/5 green stars) I…read morepicked up two tartlets from Heaven's Cakes in the English Market and wish I had bought more! They were only €2 each, which seems amazing really. They were both fruit-nut combinations - one had plums on top while the other had rhubarb and the nuts were pistachio and almond. Both were delicious and I have to say I preferred them to the tart I tried from the Queen of Tarts in Dublin a few days later. Heaven's cakes tarts and pastries are a little more rustic looking but I actually prefer them that way. I'm also giving them 4/5 "green stars" for social and environmental impact. Here are some pros and cons: Pro: *You're supporting an independent, family-run business. *They provide a simple paper bag (preferable to boxes with plastic windows). *They appear to support community events like a healthy eating day at a local school Cons: *I don't know much about their ingredients - would be nice to know a few things, e.g., are eggs free range? Any organic ingredients used? Where is fruit sourced? Etc. Interested in writing green star reviews? If so, contact me! (greenstarsproject)

HEAVENS CAKES This five year old patisserie stall in the…read moreEnglish Market is well named. Here you get the tastes of pastry paradise, made locally! My latest purchase consisted of two French style tartlets: one a Berry and Almond mix, the other of Lemon Curd (photo), €2.00 each. Both were delicious. Service is always good and, while the wrapping may not be quite up to the French standard, it is not far off it and, in any case, is totally adequate. Web is www. Heavenscakes.ie but it didn't work last time I tried it.

I wander in, ashen, pale faced, shaking a little…read more Joannie the proprietor takes one look and says "so, when are you getting married". Actually I think I'm getting the flu but the overall effect is pretty much the same in the run up to the big event, there is much to do, much stress and a little bickering about great aunt Doris (I can't remember, is she your great aunt or mine?) I look around at the staggering array of cake designs and the most coherent question I can manage is " do they all have to be fruit cakes or can they be, you know, nice?". I am told that in fact a wedding cake these days can be anything from plain sponge to broken biscuit, i am overjoyed, I ask for a 5 foot mar-bsar rice crispie cake in the shape of joanna lumley, she frowns and advises to check with herself first. As I leave I am also given a wee bag of cake samples to take away, nice, very nice indeed.

My pear and almond tart was truly delicious! And I don't even like pears! Highly recommend!read more

Nice french style bakery. Small counter seating & glass display cases. Croque monsieur was…read moreexcellent. The eclairs are good also. One of few places for decent pastries in Cork

Bracken's Bakery does look like nothing from the outside, but the interior shows the wide range of…read morecookies, cakes, bread, sandwiches and hot meals. The prices are moderate, but the staff is completely overstrained, when the nearby companies are on lunch break. The queues are much too long, the waiting time for a sandwich are extended. The food is good, not doubt about that. I had a toasted jumbo with brown bread, chicken, cheese and salad for € 5,50. Quite tasty with added salt. Do yourself a favour, don't come during lunch time. You may find a seat inside or, if the weather is nice, on the sidewalk in the emissions of the passing cars.

Best sandwich in cork. Yes the queues are long at lunch time but that's a sign of how good the food…read moreis. (it wouldn't look too good if it was empty at 1pm) Cakes are exceptional and they do lots of other food such as salad plates and quiches. Coffee is also top quality and the staff are excellent and always helpful!!

Located at the heart of Cobh sea front, this cafe serves breakfast and lunch items with a full…read morerange of coffees and soft drinks. Absolutely loved the beef brisket toastie. Toast was super crispy and well-layered with butter. Generous portion of beef brisket with tender texture and pleasant seasoning. Also fresh and juicy vegetables. The place is perfect for a quick bite or drink before or after touring the Cobh town.

Great GF breakfast option. Food was fresh and came out quickly. Staff was lovely. Kicking playlist…read moregoing for good vibes!

CRAFTY CONFECTIONS Crafty Confections is run by "sugar…read moreartist" Kelly Cope. "I love the challenge of designing each cake, creating something unique, that will truly be a centrepiece and quite simply, make people say Wow! It is very important to me that the cakes not only look good, but that they also taste amazing. I often get told by people, they can't believe they actually taste even better than they look!" The hype can be taken with a grain of salt but the proof is in the eating and I certainly enjoyed a couple of examples of her cups cakes recently. You'd have to say they are excellent. But they are not a big as most cup cakes. They are an intermediate size between the big and the mini and still cost €2.00 each. Once noticeable advantage though is that the toppings are made from Italian Meringue Buttercream, "a smooth, creamy and not too sweet filling, far superior to 'traditional' butter icing, in both taste and texture. Try it, you'll love it!" I did try it and I agree! Crafty make all kinds of cakes including wedding, birthday, christening and corporate. Midleton 087 2280613 http://www.craftyconfections.net

I've also had some of Crafty Confections cupcakes. Absolutely delicious; the buttercream really is…read moredifferent to normal buttercream and is amazing... like a mousse. It's very more-ish!! Have to disagree with the reviewer and say that the cupcakes are a good size - certainly wouldn't want them any bigger ('cause then I'd have to share!!!!) And to top it all, Kelly was really friendly and helpful. I had a chance to look through Kelly's photos of cakes she's made - not just cupcakes but birthday cakes and wedding cakes, etc... WOW! I'm definitely looking forward to getting some more cakes from Crafty Confections.

Oldtown Hill Farmhouse Bakery has excellent baked treats and pastries. EXCEPTIONAL espresso/coffee…read more They also make sandwiches. The value and quality are very good! They also have a seating area at the rear of the building. One of my favourite places for coffee in Kilkenny.

The above bakery restaurant was a good choice for lunch. We were happy that it opened before 12…read moretoo. We had the seafood chowder, the warm brie and the fish and chips. The fish was cooked perfectly! The seafood chowder had great bites of mussels. The brie was lovely EXCEPT we didn't like that the bread that the brie was on, was placed directly on top of salad with dressing. It made it messy and we did not like the flavour.

We were drawn to this place while looking for a quicker bite to eat while in Killarney stopping by…read moreon a tour. The outside of the building definitely draws you in and once you are close enough to look inside there is no turning back. They have a full restaurant as can be seen in the photo I submitted of the outside, but once you enter you realize they are also a full bakery and have a great assortment of all kinds of scones and baked goods as well as many breakfast and lunch items. I ended up getting a cappuccino and slice of a quiche and both were excellent. My wife ended up getting a scone which was also terrific and a latte. We also had an 18 month old with us and we were surprised that they catered well to children and had baby chairs as well. This is a place where it is welcoming and once you sit down, it is hard to leave. Service was friendly and quick and if we were staying in Killarney longer, there would have definitely been a repeat visit to this place. We will look to visit this place on our next trip to Killarney.

A great little bakery just off the main road through Midleton. The selection of cakes is…read moreridiculous, and it's a good spot for lunch too. The Summer is definitely the Granary's friend. A bit of sun and the courtyard is a excellent spot for some cake and coffee. Just don't wait for a sunny day, this is Ireland after all...

I went there for a quick lunch and they had many options considering the current covid 19…read moresituation. I had a chicken salad wrap with a takeaway tea. The wrap was very nice and all the vegetables and chicken tasted fresh and flavoursome. The service wasn't the best and the staff could be a little more friendly but again considering how restrictive masks can be it was understandable. The staff also provided me with plant milk on request which was appreciated. I ate outside on the chairs and tables provided as they aren't allowing eating indoors. Overall very delicious lunch.

Delicious pastries, super friendly service. Definitely look them up next time you're in Kinsale!read more

This review is a little late, we were there in Sep, but I wanted to make sure we put our wonderful…read moreexperience with Jo as many places as we could. We spent 3 days in Jo's room in Kinsale and loved her hospitality. The rooms are not 5 star but are well appointed and have everything you need. Jo's food is just awesome. You need to stop for breakfast or lunch no matter where you stay in Kinsale. We will defiantly be back our next time in Ireland.