10 of Cork’s finest art and literary eateries
Good Day Deli, at Nano Nagle Place, Cork City.
SIPPING a latte and nibbling on a croissant in a café is one of life’s simple pleasures, but it’s even better when a much-needed pause comes surrounded with art to appreciate or books to thumb through.
Cork loves its art and literature, so it is no surprise there is a wealth of wonderful cafes embracing it, as though it becomes part of the menu itself, consuming art and words like we consume coffee and cake.
Nash19, Princes Street, Cork City
Claire Nash opened the Sternview Gallery at Nash19 because of her passion for art, but the Gallery is not in some faraway place from the hustle and bustle of a busy city centre café. Rather, it is in the very heart of it, surrounding the daily ebb and flow of diners.
Claire personally oversees and approves everything in Nash19, that includes menus celebrating the best of Irish food, training each member of the Nash 19 team, the art on the walls, and the sculptures on plinths.
While not everyone is in the market for one-of-a-kind pieces of original art, the Nash19 boutique is where anyone can pick up an edible creation, or a piece of makers’ craft – hand-woven blankets, candles, books, cards and more. You could say, at Nash19 you can eat the scenery!
Cloud 10 at St Peter’s Cork, North Main Street, Cork city
Tucked away inside one of our most unique venue spaces is Cloud 10 café. An ever-evolving programme of events and exhibitions at St Peter’s celebrate the culture and history of Cork and its people. There had been a church on this site since 1270, until 1949 when it was deconsecrated and transformed into a visitors’ centre.
But despite its long history, this old building is bright with double height space, mezzanines and a flexible exhibition and gallery space that mixes up the city’s fascinating history with modernist takes on the everyday life of Corkonians.
The café is the perfect opportunity to soak up the atmosphere and delight in the freshly baked cakes, a sustaining toastie, a perfectly prepared coffee or a glass of wine curated by Le Caveau Wine Merchants.
Alchemy, Barrack Street, Cork city
Don’t be fooled by its petit looks, Alchemy is a giant among the coffee houses of Cork. Pouring 3fe coffee and serving up delicious pastries, including those sausage rolls, Alchemy has the kind of well-loved, worn-in feel of your favourite pair of most comfortable shoes.
Feel at ease amongst the books for sale and for borrow; time stands still as pages are turned, coffee is sipped, and the world rushes by outside the window.
Art, ceramics, music and more all pepper the Alchemy space with extra frisson as the mood takes. The café is dog-friendly too, which, as far as this writer is concerned, is a euphemism for human-friendly!
www.instagram.com/alchemycoffeecork
Rebel Reads, Marina Commercial Park, Cork
A second-hand bookshop and event space for the community-minded and resourceful, is the ethos behind Rebel Reads. Not technically a café, although there are always tea, coffee and vegan treats on hand, with an honesty box to drop a few coins into, but it also has the good fortune to be located adjacent to Marina Market Cork.
Books are received by donation, and any funds are recycled into local community projects that deliver on their mission for “organising, educating and community building, cultural activity and campaigning in Cork city.”
It’s a bold but necessary mission for Cork, and when located next to the production kitchens of My Goodness and HQ for CUSP (Cork Urban Soil Project), it completes a triumvirate of community-minded projects all doing seriously great things.
On The Pig’s Back, Douglas
The sun always seems to be shining whenever I visit On The Pig’s Back, the 80-seater café in Douglas village; a cathedral of cheese, terrines, pates, charcuterie, wines, breads and patisseries, plus all the necessary accoutrements for a rare aul night around the dining table.
In the café, diners feast on plates of generous breakfasts and lunches; all the while the walls are adorned with the latest exhibition by local artists: paintings, ceramics, sculptures. Evening events and soirees are back in action too, and you just know the sips and nibbles will always be amazing! www.onthepigsback.ie
The Flying Poet, Kinsale
Aviation, books and coffee are not three things you might instantly put together for your regular café recipe, but in Kinsale it’s really taken off (*cough*).
The owner is a retired airline pilot who also founded Hi-Flyerz Aviation Bar in Johannesburg.
Now, in Kinsale, The Flying Poet café is a must-visit for all aviation fans to view its collection of aviation memorabilia.
The café is also a book exchange and most books for sale are under a fiver. The café is known as a great spot for breakfast where many dishes also carry an aviation theme: Flying Poet, Gliding Poet, or Healthy Pilot for breakfast, or a range of toasties (including vegan and vegetarian options) for lunch with a glass of wine, or uncomplicated enjoyment of coffee and cake.
The Flying Poet is pet-friendly too, offering your best mate their very own barista-made Puppuccinos. But, most of all, take the time to explore and enjoy the peculiarity of this little nook.
Grey Heron West Cork, Bandon
The bright, modern space of Grey Heron is home to a collection and curation of beautifully made home décor and lifestyle trinkets to gift yourself or others. In 2019, a gallery space was created in store, holding exhibitions of works by local artists throughout the year, complete with launch events.
It was exhibitions and events that prompted the owners to embrace an opportunity to draw in a fellow Bandon entrepreneur to open a brew bar in store.
Tony Speight, founder of West Cork Coffee, one of Cork’s original premier independent coffee roasters, took up the challenge and opened WCC Brew Bar. Every day, two different coffees are in the hoppers, and the expert baristas can brew you a fresh hot one to your exact specifications.
Tony also holds barista classes at WCC Brew Bar too most weekends, as well as retailing coffee, Luke Sisk hand made coffee cups, and all the equipment you need for your at-home barista set up. Daily fresh treats are supplied by local makers Pie Patch Bakery, Wazzy Woo, and Wildflour. Grey Heron West Cork.
www.greyheronwestcork.ie
WCC Brew Bar on Instagram @wcc_brew_bar
Antiquity Vegan Café and Bookshop, Skibbereen
If you’re a fan of rare books, (who isn’t?), spend many happy hours in the cosy confines of Antiquity in Skibbereen. Deeply delicious and wholesome, fresh, made-from-scratch food and vegan treats are just the start of the experience here. Owner and founder, Nicky Smyth, is as passionate about books as she is good food.
Spark a conversation about a much-loved book, a favourite chapter, quote or author, or shoot the breeze over the best way to make a vegan stew.
Peruse the shelves of beautiful old books, file through the library of old vinyl, and enjoy the dulcet tones of jazz, easy listening, or something classical as music winds its way through the store.
If ever there was a place worthwhile spending all your pocket money, Antiquity is it; and before you leave pick up some well-sourced larder staples so you can put Nicky’s wholesome cookery advice into action, too.
Coffee Shop at Uillinn, Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen
Located adjacent to the striking modernist architecture of The Uillinn in Skibbereen, the coffee shop shares a covered courtyard space as well as an interior café space that is every bit as stark yet beguiling as its neighbour.
Large picture windows and polished concrete floors ensure this is a light-filled space with a counter always stacked with freshly made pastries, quiches, rolls and salads, cakes and bakes too.
It makes a great staging post for a few hours enjoying the exhibitions that run simultaneously at Uillinn, where art is explored through all mediums: painting, sculpture, dance, spoken word, installations and mixed media. There are workshops for kids and adults alike, too, making for an interesting programme of exhibition and outreach all year long.
The current operators of the Coffee Shop at Uillinn are making their contribution to this little artsy quarter of “Dear Old Skibbereen” by hosting musical concerts in the courtyard.
A mix of classical, contemporary, folk, and jazz are billed with a particular emphasis on local musical talent, and the shape of the courtyard means acoustics are accidentally brilliant, too!
www.facebook.com/Uillinnskib
Good Day Deli, Nano Nagle Place, Cork City
A pure oasis in the middle of the bustling city, the stark minimalistic design of the Garden Café, operated by Good Day Deli in the grounds of Nano Nagle Place, is a piece of art in and of itself. It’s the perfect antidote to city living among museum and exhibition spaces, gardens and historical buildings.
From time to time, Good Day Deli showcases work of local artists in line with their mission to support local, sustainable and ethical enterprises.
As if to blend in completely with their surroundings, food served up at Good Day Deli is every bit as picturesque, like miniature works of art on a plate. Ingredients are carefully sourced from local producers, and care is taken to use up everything and to minimise waste. Food is largely vegetarian here, except for Kai Moana’s Fish Tacos which, were they ever to be removed from the menu, would surely cause an uprising from the Cork faithful.
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