Favourite Delicious Dishes 2025. A collection of the best over the past year (and a guide to 2026).

Favourite Delicious Dishes 2025. 

 

An enjoyable and varied collection of dishes,  appetising plates that keep me returning.

Another year is done and dusted and time to look back over its dining delights. For much of the year, Ballycotton's Sea Church was the only establishment to have a contender in all three main categories. At the last moment, Da Mirco's came up with a hat trick of its own, also impressing with starter, mains and desert! Thanks to all the restaurants and cafes I visited this year and hope to see you all in 2026. A Peaceful New Year to you all!

Mains  - Meat & Poultry 

51 Cornmarket (free-range pork chop)

Amicus (Medium curry)

Bar One, Castlebar. Bacon Chop

O'Mahony's Watergrasshill. Glenbrook Farm Pork Ragout

ORSO (Lamb shank)

Poachers, Ballina. Steak

Thompsons (steak)

Sea Church, Ballycotton. (Boeuf Bourguignon)

Jim Edwards Kinsale (Duck)

Nua Asador (Picanha)

Cornstore (Beef cheek)

CUSH Midleton, Beef Cheek

Monk's Lane Timoleague (African-style lamb)

Da Mirco (Lasagna Gratinata Goccia D'Oro) 

Sea Bass at Sea Church

Mains - Fish

Canopy at Castlemartyr Resort (Salmon with butternut risotto)

CUSH, Midleton  (Grilled Hake)

Farmgate Café (Pan Fried Cod with Peperonata, etc)

House of Plates, Castlebar. Halibut

Market Lane (Sardinian Seafood Pasta)

Salty Dog, Ballycotton (John Dory)

Sea Church, Ballycotton. (Sea Bass on bone)

K. O'Connell Fishmongers at Dunne's Stores Patrick St (Salmon Arancini)

Arundel's by the Pier, Ahakista. Fish and Chips

Ferrit & Lee, Midleton (Featherblade, Chicken Liver Paté)

Fish Factory, Dingle. (Prawn & Thai Curry)

The Bosun, Monkstown (Prawn Cocktail)

Mains - others

Bella Napoli (Ragu Alla Genovese)

Good Hood (Diego Pizza)

Ichibanya (Bento Box)

Sullys (Tacos, Nachos)

The Wine Tavern St Luke's (Sharing Board, charcuterie & cheese)

Bakestone  (quiche)

The Lodge Myrtleville Curry

Izz Café (Palestinian cuisine)

Lifeboat Inn Courtmacsherry (aubergine bake)

The Malthouse Midleton (Szechuan chicken stir fry)

Lamb Shank at ORSO

Soups, Chowders, Starters

Azure Bistro, Cobh (Bouillabaisse)

Canopy at Castlemartyr Resort (Aloo Tikki)

Goldie (Oyster Paté)

Sea Church, Ballycotton. (Chowder)

The Lodge, Myrtleville (Bao Buns)

Half Door, Dingle (Lobster Bisque)

Da Mirco (Micro's Board) 

Sweet at Bakestone!

Sandwiches:

Food Club at Fota House, chicken sandwich

Pop Crowleys, Macroom (toasties)

Desserts

Izz Café Basbouseh

Bakestone  (pastries)

Le Bistro (Carrot Cake)

Maison Gourmet, Kenmare (Strawberry Tart)

Sea Church, Ballycotton. (Crème Brûlée)

The Lake Hotel, Killarney (Bread & Butter Pudding)

Thompsons (Swiss Roll)

Rí Fern at Louis Mulcahy’s Dingle peninsula (Peach Crumble)

Da Mirco (Panettone Nel Marsala E Pere) 

Full Irish at Granville (less some requested deductions!)

Tasting Menu

Glass Curtain

Sunday Lunch

The Cornstore

Breakfast

Granville Hotel Waterford (breakfast)

Schull Harbour Hotel, French Toast

Greenmount House, Dingle (Full Irish)

Carvery

The Elm Tree (carvery) 

December Delights at Da Mirco. Tuesday's dinner at one of the best 2025.

December Delights at Da Mirco

Osteria Da Mirco, one of the best and most authentic Italian restaurants in Cork City and County and beyond.

Tuesday evening's dinner at Da Mirco in Bridge Street was one of the best of the year.

Mirco is a great supporter of the best Irish producers and also sources produce from small producers in his home community of Valtellina in the north of Italy. The mountainy area is nearer St Moritz than Milan.

Tagliere da Mirco (Da Mirco’s board) comes with cured meats and cheeses from Valtellina served with giardiniera (mixed pickled vegetables), tomato jam and homemade focaccia. This was our shared starter the other night and is a regular feature here.  And, full of different flavours and textures, it is a superb introduction to the evening meal and a tasty indication of the authenticity of your plates here.

No pizzas at Da Mirco but a great variety of pasta dishes on the main courses. I was very tempted by the Homemade Tagliatelle served in a traditional venison ragu recipe (from Valtellina) cooked in a deep venison stock and winter spices. But opted for the Lasagna Gratinata Goccia D'Oro. 

Mirco, full of gusto and who you'll see doing front of house, is one of the most warm-hearted owners around, always game for a laugh. This dish is introduced as the "Traditional Christmas lasagna recipe of my childhood": layers of lasagna filled with sausages, prosciutto cotto, mushrooms, truffle paste and Casera cheese. Another exquisite taste of Valtellina. Just hope he has it on the menu for the rest of the winter.

Da Mirco have been serving this every year since their first winter (2010) in Bridge Street and you can see the man himself enthusing about it here. 

Lasagna, an amazing dish.

Having considered the dessert menu, we made another decision to share. And it wasn't the house Tiramisu. We were lucky enough to agree on the Panettone Nel Marsala E Pere i.e. Warm Panettone in ‘Bread & Butter Pudding style’ served with poached Pear in Marsala and vanilla cream.  "A Christmas classic, reimagined," says Mirco, "Comforting, nostalgic, and unapologetically festive. Mamma Miaaaaaaa!"

"Born" in Milan, Panettone was once a luxury treat, before becoming a Christmas staple thanks to iconic 20th-century bakers Motta and Alemagna. Today, it’s loved all over the world, but nothing beats enjoying it the Italian way. Have you ever seen Mirco doing his videos? You should! Check him out on their Instagram. Here's one.

Wine? Oh yes, we had wine! Da Mirco have a new system for house quality wine through a collaboration with WINELAB. "We use tap because wines stay fresher for longer time and is sustainable, reducing glass waste and carbon emissions". The white wine on tap is Friulano Vini Stocco while the red is Nerello Mascalese Domus Vini.

A few other wines are available by the glass in two sizes, one 175ml, the other 125. I very much enjoyed my velvety and fruity Primitivo Bocca Della Verita Salento but CL's pick was even better. This was the Antica Enotria Bianco Tuccio Cerignola, imported by Le Caveau. A blend of indigenous grapes (Falanghina and Fiano in perfect harmony) it is light and fresh, packed with elegant fruit and finishing long and refreshing. Absolutely super and well priced also. Cheers. Enjoy the Christmas.

Dessert. Pic via Da Mirco

Irish producers that are supported here include:

O’Mahony’s The Market Butcher, English Market - Cork

O’Sullivan’s Poultry & Eggs, English Market - Cork

Skeaghanore Duck - Ballydehob - Cork

Ballycotton Seafood, English Market - Cork

Glenmar Shellfish, Union Hall - Co.Cork

Terre Ignis, English Market - Cork

Kilbrack Farm, Donerail - Co.Cork

Cork Rooftop Farm, Cork City - Co.Cork

Real Olive Company, English Market - Cork

Pana Artisan Bread, Midleton - Co.Cork

Tipi & Co., Cosio Valtellino Lombardia - Italia

Sala Cereali, Sondrio Lombardia - Italia

Storico Ribelle ‘Presidio Slow Food’, Gerola Alta Lombardia - Italia

Sysco Food - Cork

La Rousse Fine Foods, - Dublin

Boots Italian Specialities, - Cork

Cordelia Foods, - Dublin

Scupa Gelato, - Wexford

Morso Napoletano Cafe - Carrigaline Co.Cork

WINES, BEERS & DRINKS

Quintessential Wines, Drogheda - Co. Louth

A Taste of Italy - Co. Wexford

Grape Circus - Dublin

WineLab - Co. Kildare

Wines Direct Mullingar - Co. Westmeath

Le Caveau Wines - Kilkenny

Classic Drinks - Little Island Co. Cork

Italicatessen Italian Specialities, - Dublin

KC Norton Italian Specialities, - Dublin 

A Bold Blend of Japanese and Indian Flavours For Kinsale

Inspired by The Silk Road - A Bold Blend of Japanese and Indian Flavours For Kinsale

Rare at The Blue Haven in Kinsale and Ichigo Ichie in Cork city — are joining forces for an exclusive one-night-only collaboration on Sunday, January 25th.

Michelin Guide-recognised chefs Takashi Miyazaki (left, above) and Meeran Manzoor will come together to create a seven-course tasting menu with a unique focus on the fusion of Japanese and Indian flavours, designed to showcase the very best of Cork’s food producers and local suppliers. 

Meeran Manzoor, the Executive Head Chef at Rare at Blue Haven, said, “We are very excited to announce this special evening with Chef Takashi Miyazaki. The experience will be a culinary journey bridging India and Japan, inspired by the historical Silk Road, a network that connected cultures, ideas, and flavours across continents. The collaboration is a modern culinary “echo” of that connection, where tradition meets innovation and East Asian flavours.”

The concept positions the dinner as more than a meal. The evening promises to be an immersive storytelling experience, where each dish represents a stop along a journey, a whisper of cultural memory, and a fusion of culinary philosophies.

Ichigo Ichie is a bistro and natural wine bar in Cork city, serving exquisite dishes featuring Japanese culinary craft and art by Takashi. Rare, meanwhile, has become known for Meeran’s signature blend of South Indian heritage and French culinary techniques, producing hyper-local, ingredient-driven dishes.

Takashi Miyazaki of Ichigo Ichie said, “When Chef Meeran approached me about collaborating on a fusion of Indian and Japanese tasting menu, I knew we had the opportunity to create something truly special. I love sharing Japanese food culture in Ireland, and I can’t wait to head to Kinsale via The Silk Road for this event.” 

Meeran and Takashi will create a seven-course tasting menu that celebrates a dynamic fusion of cultures, ideas, and flavours. The experience begins with an amuse bouche of Corn Kakiage with caviar — a delicate Japanese-inspired tempura-style fritter — alongside a rich Beef Tartare. Guests will then explore main courses such as Venison paired with Koshihikari biryani and a silky Japone sauce, or Swordfish served with daikon and yuzumiso dashi - a rich, savoury dashi with miso. The journey concludes with a Gubbeen smoked cheesecake, cardamom ice cream, and petit fours.

Guests will enjoy an exclusive seven-course tasting menu priced at €150 per person, with optional wine pairings available. Sittings are at 5 pm and 8 pm, with bookings made online at www.rare1784.ie or by calling 021 4772 209.

For those wishing to make a weekend of it, accommodation packages are available at both The Blue Haven and Old Bank Townhouse. Packages start from €216 per person sharing, including the tasting menu, overnight stay, and breakfast the following morning. Book the Blue Haven package at www.bluehavenkinsale.com, and the Old Bank Townhouse package at www.oldbankhousekinsale.com. 

Rare at The Blue Haven is located in The Blue Haven Collection, Pearse Street, Kinsale, Co Cork,

P17 NA72. Keep up to date with the latest news by following Rare on social at @rarekinsale