The Cornstore Restaurant

Bought a whiskey sour here and it was so watered down, wasn’t a fan of it that much! Service was a bit slow. Cozy place but wouldn’t recommend the cocktails.

We just had a lovely lunch at The Cornstore. Their wines by the glass were very nice and reasonably priced. I had the fishcakes which were tasty and they came with delicious homemade fries and a side salad. The staff was very attentive and the prices were great for what we got. No Complaints!

Great cocktails. I mean, really good. Decent, nicely priced wines-​by-​the-​glass list. The food was good but not amazing. In hindsight I would have had a second drink and gone somewhere else for dinner that was more unique and better executed.

This place came highly recommended while we were in Cork for a conference. It’s located in a nice part of downtown Cork. We walked there from our hotel. When we arrived we had to wait a few minutes for our table. We were seated at a booth in the back behind the bar. The waiter was very helpful and showed us some standout items on the menu. One item of note was the local buffalo mozzarella. Apparently it is made from the only herd of water buffalo in Ireland. I’m a huge cheese fan so I was very excited to try the mozzarella and tomato salad. What a nice treat and change from all of the Irish pub food I had been eating all week. Yum!

Stopped in for a drink based in sign advertising best cocktails in Cork. Liked the classy atmosphere and decided to stay for dinner. Very glad we did… The food and the cocktails were fantastic, not to mention the service was extremely friendly and welcoming. Shared the smoked chicken salad, fillet, flourless chocolate cake. and the best old fashion cocktail in cork!!!. All were fabulous and made for a fantastic evening out!

Right. Two visits here, and both went about the same.
Reasonable food. Not great food, reasonable. Better than a greasy spoon of course, but places like Electric and Market Lane blow the doors off this place.
Service both nights was appalling. First night it was three of us, and our waiter took a half hour to take our drinks orders. Wife had a vegetable stew that was basically bland grey gravy with some veg and barley lurking about. God forbid they season it. My duck was okay, to be fair, and our friend said his steak was so-​so. Said friend ordered a side of chips, and was informed that the complementary potatoes would be enough. We were still charged for them, mind you.
Second night was even worse. Went in there with a group for a birthday dinner, and once more the service was a mess. My wife had to flag someone down to order a drink, (20 minutes after sitting down) and rather than take the hint and ask the rest of the table if they wanted something, she just legged it. Said drink didn’t arrive until almost a half hour later, at which point — over three quarters of an hour in — the rest of us got to order as well. When pouring wine for one of the ladies in the party, one of the waiters refused to pour into her glass unless it was on the table and her hand away from it. When she didn’t hear what he was saying, he just snatched it out of her hand and slapped it down, glugging wine in. Sorry to be an inconvenience there.
Food was once more average at best. We were early enough so I ordered off the prix fixe menu, grabbing the wings, the ribeye, and the chocolate cake. Wings were quite good, but the steak I had was certainly not a ribeye, was instead three arse ends of sirloin, massively overcooked, and whacked on a bed of mash. I was told this place was famous for it’s dry-​aged steak, but this was awful. The chocolate cake I ordered never reared it’s head, just like the side of chips in the first visit. (And like the first visit, better believe we were charged for it.) I pointed it out when the bill arrived, and was informed that they did indeed bring it out, and someone else must have eaten it. There was just a couple of euro difference between the two and three course, so in the interests of just getting the hell out of there, I let it slide.
Won’t be back, and would suggest you stop into one of the many other fine establishments in Cork instead.

Very unwelcoming staff. We were better-​dressed than most guests, which usually gets staff attention. I had to ask, Do you serve food here? Was offered one table, asked for another: «No, they’re all reserved.» Most we’re still empty after we finished our three-​course…
Oh, the food. Was about average for the price range (€ 25 – 30 per seat). Slow to bring things out, and the steak was more-​done than the med-​rare requested. The flour less chocolate cake… You can get the same from a coffee shop or café (which is probably where it came from).
Not worth it. Will not return. Can not recommend.

Great food and great service at a reasonable price for what you get! The restaurant is in a really nice setting, the décor and ambiance are lovely. I was here on a Wednesday night and it was really busy, but the staff got a table for us quickly. I started with mussels which were very tasty and the serving was generous. For mains I had the steak which was cooked perfectly and absolutely gorgeous!!! A bottle of Malbec washed it down beautifully. Desert was a flour-​less chocolate cake and and espresso ;-)
So the bill, so four of us had three courses (mains were four steaks and four side dishes) and a bottle of wine for € 50 per head. For the quality of food and service we received I thought it was very reasonable.

We stopped by this restaurant while spending the weekend in Cork. This place came highly recommended and due to its very central location (a block or so off St Patricks street), it was an ideal place for dinner.
We arrived without a reservation and to complicate things, we had also an 18 month old with us as well and so needed a table for three with a high chair. At first they told us that there was no availability and we would need to wait nearly an hour. As we turned to leave the hostess kindly offered to seat us right away if we didn’t mind seating at this table which sat at the corner of the dining and bar area. This was not only a great option but meant great buggy storage for us as well as plenty of room for a high chair and absolutely no wait.
My wife and I split the Chateaubriand for two, which was delicious. It came with potatoes and veggies as well which was a decent two person sharing size. We also had a shrimp appetiser which was really good, although on the pricey side and not a great portion size for the price. We were impressed with the kids menu and the fact that the restaurant does caters to families with small children as well with an under 2 menu. Not only this, but the under 2 menu had two options which were completely free. I think it was some type of mashed sweet potato that my son had.
The place had a nice atmosphere and attracted both families as well as couples on romantic nights out. The service was very good and attentive to our needs.

We dined here our first night in Cork, Ireland. I really enjoyed the atmosphere. We were a party of eight with reservations.
Everyone enjoyed beer, wine and cider before ordering our delicious meals. I had the Pan Seared Salmon with New Crushed Potatoes, Sweet Pepperanatta, Pea and Bacon Buerre Blanc which was quite delicious and cooked perfectly.
Others at the table enjoyed Baked Cannelloni of Butternut Squash with goat’s cheese, pine nuts, spinach and figs with sundried tomato pesto; Gnocchi, and Chicken Breast, Mushroom Tart, Ginger Glazed Carrots with a Pea Bacon Burre Blanc. I can tell you that the Mushroom Tart was fabulous. The presentation, service and flavor of the food was much to my liking.
I would recommend Cornstore to anyone wishing to enjoy great atmosphere and delicious food.

A wonderful place to dine in downtown Cork. Great seafood and salads. Nice wine selections.
Not a good place for a quick meal. Continental pace. Which I enjoy when I’m looking for fine food.

Dinner tonight for my sisters birthday. I had (shared) the chateaubriand, it was amazing! And came with so many sides! Between that and the gorgeous goats cheese crostini, I nearly didn’t have room for possibly the nicest tiramisu I’ve ever tasted!

CORNSTORE 14.10.10
Renowned wine writer Mary Dowey was our guide for the evening of quality food and wine at the Cornstore last Thursday. The wine selection from the Gilbeys catalogue was all from France.
Mary, who started writing about wine in 1995, has a soft spot for French wines: «If you are serious about wine, you never stray too far from France and never turn your back on France for too long.»
Head chef Mike Ryan was the other star of the evening. His dishes for the high class six course meal were just brilliant. Indeed, all the staff at this popular city centre restaurant were in top form and all contributed to the fantastic wine and dine evening.
CORNSTORE
Walked into the Cornstore last evening for another € 25.00 Dine-​in-​Cork meal and was surprised to see the Cornmarket Street venue two thirds full at 6.45pm. Surprising because it was in the middle of a recession, early in the week, early in the evening, and also considering that the famous old street is under re-​construction at present and you have to find your way through the various safety barriers.
One of the staff said the Dine in Cork Week was proving successful but there must be more than that to it. We had passed another participating restaurant and it looked close to empty. The Cornstore has been gradually making its reputation and has come up regularly on the grapevine in recent times. In addition, it has won a couple of regional awards and is going for national honours in the current Restaurant Association of Ireland contest.
We were about to find out what the fuss was all about. We got a warm welcome and were soon seated. My Gravlax starter (home cured organic Donegal salmon with capers and a red onion salad) was excellent. The Duck Liver Pâté (with an apple and grape chutney and toasted sourdough bread) was of a high standard.
For the mains, I chose the Pork belly (with creamy mash, roast root vegetables with an apple purée and cider jus) and this was another five star plateful. There was a change to one or two items on the menu, including the cod. This was now served in a white bean (with tasty bacon bits and spring onion) cassoulet, quite a creamy one. Not quite on the same standard as the Pork belly but good nonetheless.
Sticky Toffee pudding wasn’t on the advertised menu but it was one of the best I’ve come across and the other dessert, much lighter, was a delightful lemon posset with a rhubarb compote, served in its own hinged jar. Nice touch, nice dessert.
Two happy customers finished off with the coffee and a little bar of Milka chocolate, adding the Cornstore to an ever expanding list of quality Cork restaurants. No shortage of staff and the service was excellent all through and we had a laugh or two with our friendly waitress.
The Cornstore probably has the longest list of wine available by the glass in Cork. I counted eleven in the red section. Tasted a few. The house white was the Chilean Los Tilos Sauvignon Blanc (€ 4.95). The first citrusy mouthful really got your attention: sharp tangy and dry. The house red was Los Tilos Cabernet Sauvignon, a lively easy drinking wine also at € 4.95.
If you are going to pay a bit more attention to the wine, maybe less to the conversation, then it would be worthwhile to pay a little extra. I enjoyed a glass of Spanish Bodega Muriel Tempranillo Rioja (€ 5.95) which was a better drink on all counts: deep red, fruity, great body and lingered well.

Food: 3 stars
Service: 2 stars
Went here on hunt for decent dinner while I had a 2hr wait for my train. Menu sounded great, decent prices. When I saw they had mulled wine, I was sold.
I had lots of time and was not in a hurry, but in the end everything took so long that I skipped the tempting dessert I had seen on the menu because I was afraid I would miss my train. Although to the restaurant’s defense, the hostess did tell me it was their busiest time (6pm), it shouldn’t have taken 15 minutes for them to bring my drink. I later waited over 20 minutes for the check. I sat in the bar area, not in the dining area. It was busy, but nothing crazy.
The mulled wine was very nice, as were the mussels. The mussels were brothed in a light white wine, cream and fresh herb sauce — very yummy and fresh tasting. For a starter portion, the size was very generous. Probably about 40 mussels. € 9.95 for mussels, € 6.50 for mulled wine.
They also have a location in Limerick, which I have not tried.

bad for veggies, lovely venue, shame about the food…