The Brown Hen Guest Accommodation

There's just something so loveable about this laid-back little restaurant in the centre of a colourful coastal town. That's largely down to the friendly and genuine service team, along with a wonderful buzz inside the small dining room that holds just 15 seats – the heated terrace is also a great place to sit. The concise, daily changing menu offers a range of Mediterranean-inspired sharing plates such as cod with confit red pepper; top local produce is an underlying theme, as are punchy flavours and a welcome simplicity. An all-natural wine list completes the picture.

Take your seat in this understated, rustic-chic dining room and watch the team at work through the large kitchen windows. The chef is from Chennai and it is the southern-Indian region of Tamil Nadu which most influences the cooking, resulting in dishes that make abundant use of chilli, coconut and sweeter elements such as tamarind and date – all underpinned by the abundant West Cork larder. Service is professional and engaging, with the chefs bringing dishes to the table themselves to make for a more personal experience.

Run by the fourth generation of the owners’ family, this restaurant is set in an enviable position on the ground floor of the Dunmore House Hotel with views out over Clonakilty Bay. As you'd expect in such a location, fish and shellfish – such as Galley Head lobster – play a large role in the menu, as does other locally sourced produce and ingredients from their own organic kitchen garden. This is all fashioned into bright, fresh-tasting dishes that have an appealing lack of fuss and deliver on flavour.