Hotel Reviews Ireland

Cork is the county that is recognised as being home to some of the best food and restaurants in the whole island, and I have had the pleasure of sampling many great examples of that.

Recently I was told about somewhere that has become very popular in the city, Liberty Grill, so I decided I had better check it out. Together with serious 'foodie' Nessa, we arrived for lunch on a Monday thinking it might be quiet. It was lucky that we arrived at 12.30, because by 1 the place was packed and there would have been no chance at all of getting a table. Obviously popular with the locals, there were office types, couples, small family groups and bunches of friends. The place had a real hum about it, and as we enjoyed a table by the window, we knew straight away that this was going to be a good experience.

Liberty Grill is full of light, blue is the dominant colour and there is an open feel about it. It has a very clear and honest sense about it from the open kitchen to the small bar, the pleasant staff and the absolutely gorgeous food. The real difficulty is in making a choice from the tempting menu.

Brunch is available all day until 5, as is lunch – how civilized – breakfast is served till lunch, and there is a delicious dinner menu that I will definitely return to sample. Each day there are specials, and you just know that everything is going to be fresh, as was my fish dish of the day, simply prepared and very generously portioned. But the star was the New England Seafood Chowder – we shared one portion (Nessa being a Chowder Specialist), and it really was one of the best we have ever tasted. It was honestly and authentically prepared with prawns and salmon, potatoes, carrots and celery, lots of fresh dill and not too creamy. Full marks for the chowder.

The menu is divided into Salads, Sandwiches, Burgers and From the Sea – and those titles do not do justice to what lies within. We greedily spied the dishes coming to the tables around us as we sipped a cool glass of white wine to whetour appetites. The sandwiches come on sourdough or seeded bread, the salads and burgers come with freshest tuna and crab as well as nut or lamb or falafel or halloumi and the chips are just divine. We settled on a steak sandwich for our other choice, but not just any steak sandwich. This was chargrilled strips of vodka and chilli marinated steak with balsamic onions served with sautéed potatoes and aioli, with two huge slices of toasted sourdough bread and a bowl of those wonderful chips. All for less than €10, incredible value.

Desserts – if you were to have room after all that delicious food – are all made in Liberty Grill and not bought in like so many places these days. Key Lime Pie, NY Cheesecake; Warm Chocolate Brownie; Pancakes are all there. In the interest of research, we decided to share the homemade ice-cream with a shot of espresso (comes in a little jug on the side) and some biscotti. It was a fabulous meal, there really was nothing to fault at all. Menus, food, service, ambiance, décor, the whole package works so well and while it has a modern New York feel about it, it is just right for contemporary Cork. I would consider moving to Cork just to eat there every day, but perhaps it is not a good idea to overdo a good thing.

However, we will be back for dinner, and possibly breakfast too.

www.libertygrill.ie