Visiting Cork? Visit Cafe Paradiso
Irish Vegetarian Restaurant Serves Affordable World-Class Cuisine
Cafe Paradiso's vegetarian cuisine pleases lovers of good food, wines, atmosphere and value, affirming the high reputation of chef and cookbook author Denis Cotter.
Never was a restaurant more aptly named than Cafe Paradiso. It's a restaurant, it's a cafe, it’s a little bit of paradise. Not a faux-cafe at restaurant prices with flashy decor, irritating waiters and lots of rules and implicit codes, this is a real cafe with all the luxurious freedom that implies and superlative cuisine. Why shouldn't it be so? Why indeed; it’s easy enough to say but so hard to achieve. Many proprietors have tried in vain to offer fine cuisine in a simple no-rules, no-formality format like a bistro or brasserie, and many too have foundered on the rocks of clients’ expectations and local custom.
Superlative cuisine at cafe prices
A picky review could serve no useful purpose, but the simple truth is the preparation, presentation and service of food and drink left no corner for carping or qualification. They were simply flawless in every respect. The presentation of the dishes was in fact quite simple. And nothing could have been more appropriate in light of the quality of the ingredients, especially the fresh vegetables, evidently obtained from the finest possible seasonal sources. A dish of varied green beans and peas priced at just a few Euro had the flavor and texture of vegetables plucked right from the garden, popped straight into one’s mouth. A clever presentation could only weaken the exquisite illusion, detract from the extraordinary experience.
No meat or fish are served, but who would miss them when the vegetables, pulses, fungi, grains and pastas, occasionally accompanied by cheese or a creamy sauce, provide a palette more than sufficiently ample to please any palate?
Sophisticated wines in half-bottle carafe
Wines well chosen for interest, suitability and value were available by the glass in many cases. We chose a quite interesting half-a-bottle, not a half-bottle mind you, and we were thus able to sample a superb Barbera d’Alba from a prestigious producer in Piedmont at a very reasonable price. Not sure which wine to choose? No problem, try a small taste. So simple.
Denis Cotter gives Ireland lessons in value
We must not fail to commend owner Denis Cotter for his contribution to the Irish economy. A price spiral feeding off taxes, greed, incompetence and indifference has given rise to the local term "rip-off Ireland". Denis Cotter shows how good value can be delivered anywhere with serious application and commitment since his dishes and meals served in one of Europe’s most expensive countries would be judged a good value anywhere in the world. Cork is a charming place without all the fuss, well worth the visit, and so is cafe Paradiso.
Cafe Paradiso, 16 Lancaster Quay, Cork, near charming, historic University College Cork and the English Market. Website Tel.: +353 +21 4277 939. E-mail Lunchtime dishes around €4-10, main courses €10-16. Dinners: starters €13, mains €24-25. Wines €6-11 per glass, €20-100 per bottle, half bottles and half-bottle carafes from €10. B&B suites for 2 available at €160 including breakfast and complementary mini-fridge snacks and drinks except alcohol. Two highly acclaimed cookbooks are available at 25€ and 40€: Cafe Paradiso Cookbook, and Cafe Paradiso Seasons.
See related review of Sol y Sombra tapas restaurant in Killoglin, Co. Kerry.
