County Cork has always enjoyed a reputation for serving the best food in Ireland. Buoyed by great local producers such as Ballycotton Seafood and the Jameson whiskey distillery, along with the city’s English market, its modern culinary scene started in the 1960s when Myrtle Allen pioneered field-to-fork dining at Ballymaloe House. In the 1970s, Arbutus Lodge in Cork city became the first Michelin-starred restaurant in Ireland. Over the years, the city’s food scene, influenced by an influx of international chefs, has evolved impressively, mixing traditional Irish food with something more innovative.
