Messy-Chef

Ireland 3 - New Zealand 22 was the final score as the All Blacks removed our rugby self-belief in an awesome display. We took solace in having a table for five at The Cornstore. A few beers and a nice dinner and sure it will all be forgotten about.

The Cornstore is a newish, buzzing restaurant on Cork’s Coal Quay (opposite TK MAXX). It certainly looks lovely, the imposing limestone outside gives way via velvet curtained doors to an atmospheric cocktail/wine bar. I was informed by Mrs Messy the Cosmopolitans were very quaffable at €9.50 each, luckily the rugby fans weren’t too late and we were seated before the girls could down more than one each.

The upstairs is big and airy and on a Saturday night pretty noisy with the chatter of other diners echoing off the walls and hardwood floors. The dining tables are simple, reminding me slightly of something from my school days. The kitchen is at the back and done in a “Hell’s Kitchen” style where you can see right in and watch at how busy the chefs are as the plates are delivered quick and fast to the staff at the pass. Impressive stuff, watching the clatter in the kitchen and the staff come and go added to the sense of hustle and bustle and how busy the place was. However this did take away from the intimacy and gave the impression of a grill more than a restaurant, nothing wrong with that I guess, maybe that is the intention but with Lobster an option at €50 a plate I wonder.

Service was efficient. Drinks orders were filled while we looked at the menu and the starters arrived pretty quickly. Deep Fried Brie, Duck Liver Pate and Prawn Cocktail gave the menu a bit of a retro feel, the Brie was pretty nice, three large chunks with some tasty salad and a dash of Cumberland sauce. Duck Liver Pate was nicely served but the Goat’s Cheese Crostini looked a little basic with an upturned round of Goat’s Cheese looking rather intimidating.

Mains followed quickly. Crisp Duck Confit Leg for me which was excellent although the bed of pak choi and butternut squash had a bit too much of a garlic hum to it, a couple of Sirloin steaks and two pasta dishes completed the set. All were well received with no complaints. The maitre’d stopped by half way to make sure we were happy which is always welcome and sadly neglected many restaurants. The only let down came at the end where we had to wait for dessert. After 20minutes of no show we inquired where they may be, the waiter came back to report the fondant had not cooked properly and needed to be redone. Another 20minutes passed while we waited. During this time the place became extremely busy with the changeover from early to late diners but this is no excuse for a 40minute wait. When it finally arrived our diner was disappointed with the fondant, maybe the expectation had been too much. A couple of coffees to finish and off we went.

The bill came to €215 (excluding service) for five starters, five mains, two desserts, two coffees, four beers and two bottles of Pinot Grigio. Excluding the wait for desserts it was an enjoyable experience in a pretty nice setting, those who prefer a more intimate dining experience should request a table downstairs.

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Cornstore, Rating=3, Review