I did enjoy Max's very much, but a few things irked me enough to lose the 5th star. But I can be a…read morehard grader, and my expectations were set high by several enthusiastic mentions by locals and excellent reviews online. Not perfect but I still recommend it wholeheartedly and would love to return. We made a reservation for 6:00 and for a little while we were the only ones there. Did we even need a reservation? Yes. It was full by the time we left. And I'm sure summer is harder. There's a small selection of wines by the glass, all of which I've never heard of, mostly of European origin. We both liked our López De Heredia tempranillo and I chose the same when I had a second glass. The menu is prix-fix, sort of. Starter plus main for €49 - though there's a small surcharge for some items, like my scallops appetizer. Dessert is extra but inexpensive in comparison (€7-8) If you're a picky eater be sure to check the menu before coming and make sure something appeals. There's nothing crazy weird here but the selection is small. We had no trouble with the menu choices. My Sauté Scallops starter was prepared with venison broth, lovage, celeriac, Coppa ham, Irish Winter Chanterelles, wild leeks, peas, and cream and was truly excellent and very pretty. I particularly liked the slight caramelization of the tops of the scallops, the subtle flavors and textures of the vegetables, and how the broth flavor changed as the cream (which was apparently whipped) slowly melted in. The wife's Baked Goat's Cheese, with wilted leeks, roast butternut squash, pumpkin seed, confit of shallots in red wine, and hazelnut oil was also excellent, and beautiful. My main was Slow Cooked Irish Pork Belly: hint of 5 spice, rhubarb puree, carrot with lovage, braised local cabbage. I did like it, especially how all these different flavors somehow worked together (5-spice, rhubarb, and lovage - who knew!) And I finally figured out that the crusty part on top wasn't overly dried fat to be removed but a layer of sugar, caramelized, dark brown and which shattered like glass when cut into. Very intriguing. What I didn't like about it was the haphazard presentation - the various ingredients arrayed around the plate in random fashion with a single chive thrown on top seemingly as an afterthought - and that the portion was a bit small for an entree (as was the wife's, while both the starters were generously sized). The wife's main was Pan Fried Irish Lamb Cutlets, with chestnut mushrooms, Meli-Melo of vegetables, Sacred Basil Jus. What is meli-melo? French for mess or jumble, but it sounds better, right? As for the sacred basil, it's Indian and has a spicy, peppery, clove-like flavor not like the kind we're accustomed to. Perfectly cooked lamb cutlets and intriguing flavors but like my entree I thought it was too small (but she was fine with it and even gave me some!) All entrees are served with a side of steamed local potatoes, adorned with just a slight salt crust and chopped chives. I know Ireland is famous for potatoes but this seems rather gimmicky to me. Dessert selection is very limited. Just 3 that day: Sticky Toffee Pudding, Bourbon Vanilla Crème Brulèe, and a cheese/fruit/nut plate. I've been on a Sticky Toffee Pudding kick lately so I tried that. It was good but nothing special despite their attempts to make it differently. The pear and date compote was too subtle and as for the toffee & green cardamon sauce: I think I liked but there wasn't nearly enough of it. The pudding part was also small for that matter. As for ambience, it was a nice relaxing setting, even as the room filled up, our small table was by the window and had an assortment of fresh flowers in a vase and a real candle. Our waiter was ok but would only say that the green in the salad we asked about was "some kind of lettuce I think", though on pressing him he did ask the chef who said it was winter purslane. I suspect he's new and will eventually learn how to better handle challenging diners such as ourselves.

Absolutely LOVED our dinner here! Our Airbnb was just across the street so extremely convenient…read more They said the didn't have an opening but to check back later and they could probably fit us in, so we went down to The Tap Room, had a pint and came back. My sister has been craving lobster but it's not on any menus. We were seated at a great window table, and they said there was an added starter which was a grilled half lobster. SOLD x 3. It's a fixed price with many choices. One had the sea bass, one the pork belly and one the lamb. All were unbelievably great with beautiful sides, and because it's Ireland, a bowl of salted roasted potatoes. We split a bottle of great wine and made the trip back to our B&B in about 30 seconds! Max's is near the harbor and city parking on Main Street. Best meal of our trip so far, and we've eaten out for 2 1/2 weeks.

Wanting a healthier lunch we got just one order of fish & chips this time and one of beet salad and…read moresplit them between the two of us. Both were excellent. The fish was hake. This was easily the best of the four fish&chips we've tried so far in Ireland. Outstanding actually. The batter had the most perfect crunchy texture, wasn't too thick, and it adhered well. The fish was just-off-the-boat fresh, flaky and cooked just right. The portion was enormous - two fillets, one large and one medium, with a relatively small portion of good fries. The tartar sauce was tangy with tiny chopped pickles. Vinegar was available at the table. This was served with a small salad of lettuces, spinach, scallions, and onions. Price was surprisingly low given the portion, right around average for fish&chips in our experience so far. We ordered the entree salad with the locally made goat cheese add-on for a small extra charge. More excellent leafy greens, beets in small cubes, pomegranate seeds, picked onions, candied nuts and plenty of chèvre in large pieces. It was pre-dressed with vinaigrette and drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Very good, a far better choice for us than two orders of fried fish. Also on the menu were 3 other kinds of fish (monkfish, black sole, and plaice), each prepared differently. Shrimp scampi, seafood au gratin, and steamed mussels rounded out the seafood section. Oysters are on the menu but they weren't available that day. Other than seafood there were also burgers (beef and veggie), chicken wings, soup of the day, chowder, a steak, lasagna, pan roasted duck breast, cannelloni, liver paté, spring roll, and more. So a very extensive menu here, and not just the same things found everywhere. Sadly we didn't have room to try their desserts, which included sticky toffee pudding, banoffi pie, flourless chocolate cake, and meringue pie with raspberries and ice cream. They were hard to pass up.

food: 4.5/10 ambiance: 7/10…read moreservice:6/10 overall 6/10 honestly the most bland fish and chips I have had- it wasnt flavorful and just mid. I think you can find better elsewhere In this little town. the oysters was good yet we had better in Galway which felt fresher. basic service- had to wait some time to order and to get served

If you're in Cork and consulting Yelp for a place for dinner - don't hesitate, but make a…read morereservation. Great food with locally sourced ingredients and excellent friendly service.

Good family lunch stop…read more We arrived at 2pm and were seated w/ a party of 6 immediately. They accommodated my son's request for 2 beef patties on plate. 4.0 - Fries (crispy) 4.0 - Sweet potato fries 2.5 - Beef Burgers (ok - kind of bland plus a funky meatloaf taste) 4.0 - Iced Cafe Latte Clean bathroom (with strangely small sinks ). Service was attentive and accommodating.

This was a lovely spot for dinner. Very high end modern interior with a covered outdoor patio. I…read morerecommend a reservation, we did not have one but were fortunate to have a few seats open up at the bar. The Hake dish was fresh and delicious. I didn't enjoy the ratatouille that accompanies the dish, but the fish was well worth it. The filet was also cooked perfectly and had great flavor! The chips were also yummy. Great texture outside and soft interior. Their own soup was also delicious. Great flavor and had a great onion to broth ratio. If in the area I recommend getting a reservation or arriving earlier to snag a table. Great overall

Market Lane is an absolute must when visiting Cork! I had the steak sandwich, and it was…read moreoutstanding, served on incredible homemade bread that was fresh, flavorful, and the perfect complement to the tender steak. I paired it with one of their locally brewed lagers, which was crisp, refreshing, and a great match for the meal. The biggest surprise was the mushroom soup. It was rich, velvety, and absolutely exquisite, served with warm house made bread that was impossible to stop eating. What truly made the experience exceptional was the hospitality. Every member of the staff was warm, welcoming, and genuinely made us feel at home. Fresh local ingredients, fantastic beer, unforgettable food, and wonderful service. Market Lane deserves every bit of its five stars. Highly recommended!

Hadn't eaten here before but we were staying in the Montenotte and it was recommended to us. it…read morecertainly didn't disappoint. we were greeted by Aine, who was amazing from start to finish, very warm and welcoming. they were very busy but it clearly didn't effect their service. we had the pate and mussels for starter. the Mussels portion was massive and it was perfect. main course was chicken and the cauliflower steak. now i'm not a vegan but i thought id try something different. and it was amazing. id definitely recommend. will definitely come back next time i'm in cork.

This is one of two restaurants, one in Limerick and this one in Cork. They are both fabulous, this…read moreone won this year's best restaurant, based on a local magazine, I'm not sure if it's the best, but it's pretty good. I come here for the steak and fries, comfort food. If you don't know, Irish beef is phenomenal, no growth hormones nor antibiotics. Very natural. It's actually against the law here, how civilized.

The original of the species! This is where it all (i.e. the English Market's Farm Gate) started…read more Lovely local spot with great coffee (and refils), wholesome lunches and grrrreat deserts. There's a shop at the front of the cafe/restaurant selling the best of the best.

You have to eat here. You HAVE to eat here. We were…read morefamished after a bit of a drive and the Jameson tour. This restaurant is about a 5 minute walk from there. You walk in and you feel right at home. You can tell that everything is made from scratch and most likely DOES come from a farm nearby. Hubs and I started with an incredibly creamy and delicious seafood chowder- studded with oodles of fresh fish, and then moved onto a Scallop Salad with bacon and other tasty morsels. So divine. Though we're not big dessert people, the Irish seem to love it and there is a huge table of desserts right in the front of the restaurant that beckons you. We caved and ordered the creamiest, most decadent and lovely lemon pie tart that I have ever had. I am pretty sure they must add cream to the filling just for fun. I mean, it's Ireland and they add cream to everything. So. good. Go here. Eat and be happy. Have dessert. You won't be sorry.

We stayed at Hotel Isaacs and cycled through the restaurants and none of they disappointed. After a…read morelong day of exploring we stopped here and had a delicious meal. The waitress was new and had trouble placing our order, but all of our meal came out fine and in one piece so no harm there. It's a beautiful location and it was warm, intimate yet modern inside. Gave me a roaring 20's vibe. We would frequent this place again and were very pleased with our meal. Full bellies and warm hearts!

Was recommended this restaurant by some county cork locals while we were on a tour in Dublin. It…read morewas the first restaurant we've been to on our journey through Ireland that didn't have Guinness on tap, which excited me that we had found a nice local restaurant rather than a "tourist trap". The ambiance is definitely more upscale and service from staff was quite good. For my entreé I had the duck confit with a local cider. The duck was tender and had a good flavor to it. We had a sticky toffee pudding for dessert, and while it was very good, having it accompanied with creme instead of ice cream was a bit disappointing, as the pudding itself was quite rich. All and all, it was a great experience at a good price, and I'd recommend it.

My sister and I came here and we absolutely loved it. Everybody is so friendly service and food is…read morelovely. It's like walking into a hallmark movie. You can just walk across the street to the Castle

The person at our B&B recommended this place, and we ended up dining here two nights in a row. She…read moresaid she used to work there and knew the chef. Walking in, the first room on the left is a pub; walk a couple of steps further and you will find a restaurant. We ordered from the daily specials. The first night, we got a steak salad and the fish dish (forgot the name), and the second night, we did the seafood pie and green curry. We licked those plates clean!