A great new opening in Cork

Having been disappointed in recent times by the lack of new restaurant openings in Cork city, Lucinda O’Sullivan was off like a shot, when she got word of chef Brian Murray’s new restaurant on MacCurtain Street

The Rebel County has been patting itself on the back somewhat with the awarding of three Michelin stars for 2019, topped up by a fourth for 2020. Three of these shining stars are in west Cork the now-departed Mews in Baltimore; Chestnut in Ballydehob; Bastion in Kinsale; with one in Cork city, the Japanese ichigo ichie restaurant on Fenn’s Quay. However, apart from street food and take-out places, and Goldie, the seafood restaurant on Oliver Plunkett Street, very few other new restaurants have opened in Cork city. Rachel Allen opened a big eponymous brasserie a couple of years back, which I thought was excellent and would become a Cork institution, but unfortunately, even with its provenance, it didn’t fly.

On the other hand, Cask, a fabulous big gastrobar, part of Isaacs Hotel and Greenes Restaurant, which opened on MacCurtain Street at around the same time, with cocktails and great small plates by chef Bryan McCarthy, really took off.

So, when I heard that a hot new hipster-style fire and fusion restaurant, serving what is now deemed to be ‘new Irish cuisine’, was opening in Cork, I was in the car like a shot and down the M8.

The Glass Curtain is set in the old Thompson’s Bakery also on MacCurtain Street, where a mile of their famous Swiss roll used to be produced every single day. This area, which is full of small quirky shops, bars and take-outs, is now known as Cork’s Victorian Quarter it seems all of our cities have ‘quarters’ now, although the ‘Grafton Quarter’ moniker didn’t appeal to many Dubs before Christmas.

Many of you will have driven through MacCurtain Street, on the one-way system when leaving Cork by car, or heading for the beautiful Kent Station, without perhaps taking in all of its amazing buildings which housed the businesses of yore.

East Cork native Brian Murray is the young man behind this venture, having started his career in the former Raymond’s in Midleton, which is now the excellent Ferrit & Lee beside the Jameson Distillery. Subsequently travelling and working abroad, he has now brought his experience and talent to the centre stage, serving food that is smack on the nose of today’s dining, in an effortlessly cool, contemporary setting that feels relaxed and inviting.

Behind The Glass Curtain

Murray operates with a huge Japanese Robata grill at the top of the room, serving small plates (€3-€10.50) and large plates (€22-€26.50), such as grilled lamb neck with braised baby carrots, pearl barley, spinach and lamb jus; pork collar is served with tamarind, grilled winter cabbage and peanut rayu; or grilled calamari, which comes with broccoli and ink dressing. There’s also a 36-day dry-aged grilled beef chop on the bone, for sharing, at €62.

Seated in the window, looking across at the elaborately splendid Metropole Hotel building, we remarked on the good value of the Saturday lunchtime menu (€6-€15). A rich, intense spiced pumpkin soup (€6) with coconut and coriander hit the spot for Brendan, while I was tempted by pumpkin gnocchi with black kale, hazelnut brown butter and smoked cheese, but instead was lured in by the salt-cod croquettes (€12.50). These were big round chaps with crisp outsides and silky centres, and were accompanied by a herby green sauce and micro salad.

Brendan went beefy with a deep, tender

“Smack on the nose of today’s dining, in an effortlessly cool, contemporary setting that feels relaxed and inviting”

24-hour cooked short rib with biltong spice and smoked potatoes (€15.50), pictured below left, which was delicious and so satisfying. Meanwhile, I stayed fishy with spatchcocked grilled red mullet (€14), which was doused in olive oil and capers, and served with crushed Kilbrack Farm potatoes, and baby leeks on the side.

Desserts included a ‘Bounty’ dark chocolate, coconut and lime number, along with a lovely honey tart (€6.50), which we shared, and, with a glass of Coke (€2.20), a non-alcoholic cocktail of Seedlip Spice 94 and Fever Tree Ginger beer (€7), our bill, including service, came to €70.

They’ve an excellent wine list, with a dozen available by the glass the normal restaurant-size pour of 175ml as well as 350ml carafes, or by the bottle; plus Edenvale non-alcoholic Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon; Heineken and Stonewell 0.0 beers.

I half expected to see Swiss roll on the dessert menu I bet it’d go down a treat!