Elbow Lane Brew and Smokehouse is a smokehouse restaurant in City Centre, Cork.
Cork's smokehouse and nano-brewery on Oliver Plunkett Street, with ribs, brisket and wood-grilled meats matched to in-house beers made to German Purity Law.
Must order: Slow smoked baby back ribs with house-brewed pale ale; the ribs need the full smoke time, so arrive by 19:30.
Tip: Book a table; the room is small and the regulars know when to show up.
Address: 4 Oliver Plunkett Street, Cork, T12 YH24
A daytime room behind Brown Thomas on Caroline Street, winner of Best Brunch Destination at the Georgina Campbell Irish Food and Hospitality Awards 2025.
Order: Weekend brunch plate with house granola and seasonal fruit; Best Brunch Destination at the Georgina Campbell 2025 awards.
Tip: Book a table for weekend brunch; walk-in seats are rare from 10:30 on Saturdays.
A Cornmarket Street anchor with a serious whiskey list and a kitchen that runs from evening through late at night on weekdays and bottomless brunch weekends.
Order: Weekend bottomless brunch with Irish whiskey on the side; a Cork institution on its busiest days.
Tip: Bottomless brunch runs Saturday and Sunday noon to 16:00; book ahead.
Cork's most decorated burger counter, with Aberdeen Angus beef freshly minced daily and a monthly-rotating special alongside the classic smash format.
Order: Classic smash burger with Aberdeen Angus beef minced daily and hand-cut fries.
Tip: Queue forms early at lunchtime on Fridays; the monthly special sells out mid-week.
Takashi Miyazaki's cash-only takeaway on Evergreen Street, running a tight Tuesday to Sunday lunchtime and evening service. The kitchen is tiny, the queue.
Order: Tonkatsu or ramen; both are prepared to a standard that would hold in Japan.
Tip: Cash only; no cards accepted. Open 13:00 to 15:30 and 17:00 to 21:00; closed Monday.
A converted riverside warehouse with over thirty-five food and drink vendors, running Korean street food, Venezuelan arepas, Brazilian churrasco, Italian.
Order: Korean fried chicken from the Korean stall; the heat level is honest and the portions are generous.
Tip: Go on a weekday lunchtime for a shorter queue at the most popular stalls.
A daytime room behind Brown Thomas on Caroline Street, winner of Best Brunch Destination at the Georgina Campbell Irish Food and Hospitality Awards 2025.
Order: Weekend brunch plate with house granola and seasonal fruit; Best Brunch Destination at the Georgina Campbell 2025 awards.
Tip: Book a table for weekend brunch; walk-in seats are rare from 10:30 on Saturdays.
A Cornmarket Street anchor with a serious whiskey list and a kitchen that runs from evening through late at night on weekdays and bottomless brunch weekends.
Order: Weekend bottomless brunch with Irish whiskey on the side; a Cork institution on its busiest days.
Tip: Bottomless brunch runs Saturday and Sunday noon to 16:00; book ahead.
Cork's long-running halal Indian on MacCurtain Street, open evenings from 17:00 with a late kitchen running to 01:00 or 03:15 at weekends. Since 1999.
Order: Lamb biryani; the kitchen's anchor dish for over two decades.
Tip: Closes early on Mondays and Tuesdays compared to weekend hours; call ahead for late-night visit.
