Heron's Cove. Goleen. Splendidly Situated. Excellent Food.

Heron's Cove. Goleen. 
Splendidly Situated. Excellent Food.

Can be messy!

Easy crab

Many of us drive through Goleen on the way to Crookhaven, Barley Cove, Three Castle Head and, of course, Mizen Head. It is worth a stop you. Take a left turn on the main street and a surprise awaits.Fish and shellfish feature very strongly on the menu here and we indulge. I pick the aforesaid Mizen Head claws (10.50) and find the hammering and the messy fingers well worthwhile as the flavour is intense, the crabs as fresh as can be.

Beer and a view

Not such a surprise to the customers of Heron’s Cove though. The restaurant - they also do B&B - overlooks the little harbour here and diners can enjoy the views. The cove has a narrow neck and here the resident heron waits, and waits. It is all peace and calm on the water as we arrive on a late August evening.

Not as quite inside. There is a guy hammering at one table, a lady doing the same at another. But don’t worry. The crab claws they serve here are in their shells so you get a hammer and base to do the necessary. It is beyond some of us, bits and pieces flying across the table, so a little help is called for and rescue is close at hand.

Sole

CL meanwhile has taken the easier route, ordering the Devilled Crab, spicy brown crab meat, crackers, mixed salad (7.95), another delicious dish with no hard labour required.

They have a full restaurant licence here so no shortage of drinks. There is a wine rack as well. I didn’t quite have the patience for that but was thinking of a beer or a cider in any case. Both of us enjoyed the Dungarvan Helvick Gold Blonde Ale.

Monkfish

The mains soon arrived, service is friendly and efficient here. I had a lovely plateful of Pan Fried Lemon Sole (22.75). It was also available with a wine and cream sauce but I thought that might have been too much for the delicate and delicious fish. 

The batter on CL’s Monkfish Tempura (26.75) wasn’t quite as light and crisp as the menu promised but the fish itself was cooked perfectly. We got some of the best potatoes of the year so far in the accompanying side dishes.

They do have a signature dessert here, a baked chocolate and vanilla cheesecake called the Russian Cheesecake (7.25). We shared that, though not equally!

Aside from the A la Carte menu, they also do a three course offering here for €32.50 and that includes quite a few of the A La Carte dishes.

Heron’s Cove 

Harbour Road

Goleen

Co. Cork

Email: info@heronscove.com 

Tel: 028 35225

Also on this trip:
A Walk in Gougane Barra
The Amazing Ewe Experience