Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [216]
Man Friday ( 021-477 2260; www.man-friday.net; cnr River & High Rds, Scilly; mains €21-30; 6.30-10pm) Around the harbour walk in relaxing Scilly, this veteran seafood restaurant has outdoor seating with views back across the harbour to Kinsale. Book if you want a terrace table on balmy evenings. Just the walk down to the entrance is magical.
SELF-CATERING
Kinsale has a SuperValu (Pearse St; 8.30am-9pm Mon-Sat, 10am-9pm Sun) and the Quay Food Co ( 021-477 4000; www.quayfood.com; Market Quay; sandwiches €4-6; 9am-6pm daily Apr-Sep, 9.30am-5.30pm Mon-Sat Oct-Mar) for local produce and little luxuries. Also good for picnickers is Market Garden ( 021-477 574; The Glen; 9am-7pm Mon-Sat), a low-ceilinged warren of organic and local fruit and veg. Window displays at Tom’s Artisan Bakery ( 021-477 3561; 46 Main St; 8am-5pm Mon-Sat) are suitably artful.
Drinking & Entertainment
Harbour Bar ( 021-477 2528; Scilly; from 6pm) Romping home in Kinsale’s ‘most unusual bar’ stakes, this is like being in someone’s front room. Battered old sofas, a fire stoked in the hearth, characters in every corner and benches with water views in the garden are all part of the charm.
Spaniard Bar & Restaurant ( 021-477 2436; www.thespaniard.ie; Scilly; ) The food is good Click here, but the real appeal of this old pub (it feels like it dates back to the Armada) lies in the quiet corners, where you can smell the peat fire and catch fragments of hushed conversations that could be about smuggling but are likely to be about sport.
Acton’s Hotel ( 021-477 2135; www.actonshotelkinsale.com; Pier Rd) The modern hotel is charm-challenged, but its Waterfront Bar stages terrific Sunday lunchtime jazz sessions (April to October) featuring the famous Cork City Jazz Band.
De Teac ( 021-477 4602; 1 Main St) The pub menu has gone a hair upmarket, but this is still a rollicking local boozer, where locals prance in and out as if it were their living room (actually it is) and the regulars all their family.
Also recommended:
An Seanachai ( 021-477 7077; 6 Market St) This cavernous, barnlike pub has trad music sessions most nights.
Bulman ( 021-477 2131; Summercove) Always worth the stroll, the pub matches the restaurant (left) in salt-tinged allure.
Shopping
There is no shortage of places ready to reel in the browser.
Giles Norman Gallery ( 021-477 4373; 45 Main St) There’s a big selection of evocative black-and-white imagery of Ireland here, from a master of the genre. Prints start at €30/45 (unframed/framed).
Granny’s Bottom Drawer ( 021-477 4839; 53 Main St) A great range of exquisite Irish linen, damask and vintage-style homewares is sold at this cheerful shop with the perfect name.
Kinsale Crystal ( 021-477 4493; Market St) Sells exquisite work by an ex-Waterford craftsman who stands by the traditional ‘deep-cutting, high-angle style’. A million tiny sparkles greet you as you enter.
Getting There & Away
Bus Éireann ( 021-450 8188) services connect Kinsale with Cork (€7, 50 minutes, 14 daily Monday to Friday, 11 Saturday and five Sunday) via Cork airport. The bus stops on Pier Rd, near the tourist office.
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DETOUR: KINSALE & CLONAKILTY
The coastal road (R600) between Kinsale and Clonakilty is a much preferable route to the no-nonsense N71. During your meander, you’ll encounter a lot of seaside scenery, the Michael Collins Centre and two excellent restaurants. If you enjoy good Irish food, plan to make a detour. Further along you’ll come to a fine old pub that’s at the centre of a good walking area.
Casino House ( 023-884 9944; www.casinohouse.ie; Kilbrittain; mains €19-27; dinner Thu-Mon, closed Jan–mid-Mar) The bright, simply decorated farmhouse overlooking the sparkling bay is the perfect setting for the modern Irish cuisine of Casino House. Local produce is used in every dish; we are already planning our next visit for lobster risotto.