Best restaurants in Inishannon

Terre

★★ Michelin€€€€Modern Cuisine

Inside the Manor House of this breathtaking resort, you’ll find this equally glorious restaurant. The kitchen team provide a warm welcome before regaling you with a procession of original and elaborate snacks which more than hint at the supreme quality of the tasting menu to come. The striking and sophisticated dishes showcase the best of the local larder alongside more international flavours which highlight the chef’s time in Asia; the sauces are superlative. Dishes are finished off at your table in the elegant dining room – a fitting touch for an experience to remember.

dede

★★ Michelin€€€€Turkish, Creative

Chef Ahmet Dede’s warm, inviting restaurant in this West Cork coastal village is a masterful marriage between his Irish surroundings and his Turkish heritage. Superb local produce is the bedrock of the cooking, enhanced by skilful, judicious spicing which delivers multiple layers of authentic Turkish flavours while never overpowering the core ingredients – as with a refined take on street food 'îçli köfte'. The charismatic Ahmet and his mostly Turkish brigade deliver their dishes with pride, while co-owner Maria runs the service with a friendly charm.

Bastion

★ Michelin€€€€Modern Cuisine

Set in the very centre of town, Bastion is a contemporary restaurant owned and run by a talented couple: Paul McDonald cooks, while his wife Helen looks after the service. A large bar splits the room in two and twinkling candles add a welcoming touch. Paul is Scottish born but his cooking has a strong Irish base. Natural flavours are kept to the fore and local seafood is a highlight. The skilfully prepared, exacting dishes take on a modern style and often exhibit a playful, innovative element, while at the same time showing depth in their flavours and textures.

Saint Francis Provisions

Bib Gourmand€€Mediterranean Cuisine

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.

Ichigo Ichie Bistro & Natural Wine

Bib Gourmand€€japanese

Don’t be fooled by the unassuming, mirror-glazed façade; once you enter this popular Japanese bistro, you’ll be greeted by the almighty buzz of many contented diners. A relaxed, lively reimagining of the former Ichigo Ichie, the emphasis here is on fairly priced, unfussy dishes that use quality produce. You mustn’t leave without trying the matcha panna cotta with lychee ice cream, or sampling one of their carefully sourced natural wines. The friendly, well-orchestrated service team enhance the experience.

🕐 We-Sa 18:00+

Goldie

Bib Gourmand€€seafood

What a terrific, buzzing little place this is. The compact space is filled to bursting with happy diners delighting in Goldie's inviting combination of sensibly priced cooking, electric atmosphere and friendly service. The daily menu is based around the latest catch from the West Cork coastline, with the top-notch seafood used with a 'fin-to-gill' approach and often enlivened by an array of international influences. Cod tail schnitzel or pan-fried red mullet with chicory chutney are prime examples of the ethos, which yields delicious results.

🕐 We-Sa 17:00-22:00

Baba'de

Bib Gourmand€€Turkish

With a name meaning ‘Baby Dede’, this second Baltimore venture from Chef Ahmet Dede is an ode to his family and comes with all the homespun charm you’d expect. Located mere feet away from his acclaimed flagship restaurant, this is a more relaxed affair but the great value sharing plates retain the older sibling’s ethos of Turkish flavours married with Irish produce. Each dish – from a unique take on oyster chowder to Ahmet’s signature ‘içli köfte’ – is bright, fresh and wholly satisfying.

Rare

€€€€Indian, Modern Cuisine

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.

The Glass Curtain

€€€Modern Cuisine

What was once the locally renowned Thompson's Bakery is now this compact brasserie with stylish monochrome décor and exposed pipework, run by a charming team. The menu is designed for sharing, with heartily sized main courses largely consisting of prime produce like lamb saddle, côte de boeuf or meaty monkfish. The kitchen's pared-back approach frequently pays dividends, thanks to the quality of the ingredients, including less eye-catching elements like the simply delicious beetroot packed with natural flavour.

🕐 Tu-Th 17:30-22:00, Fr-Sa 17:00-22:00

Adrift

€€€Modern Cuisine

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.