Christopher B.

The Elbow Lane is a smaller restaurant that you will need to book in advance for. Generally they don't have walk ins available. The T Bone steak was delicious, it was cooked perfectly. The meat had a little more fat than I expected and a better steak knife would have been useful. The service was excellent, they explained the local brews made in house and the special items on the menu. We tried a few of their drinks and they were excellent. Price wise it's the most expensive place I ate in Cork, though it was the best steak I had as well. I'd definitely come again.

Trace V.

#1 restaurant in Cork according to Trip Advisor and they may not be wrong! Their sister place Goldie across the street may give them a run for the money. Book in advance as this is a fairly small place and seems to be always full. That wood burning grill is the star here -- as it seems most of dishes have a nice char and smoke to them. I went for the big one -- T-Bone steak with filet next to the bone and smoked butter on top! Tender and delicous with a smoky flavor. The whole fish of the day was mackerel and was cleaned to the bone (see photo). Forgot -- we started with a lovely carrot starter with lots of additions and SOFT -- not hard like many place serve roast carrots. Presentation, service, and food quality was outstanding -- so was their home brewed beer! I would've tried almost everything on the menu but we'll have to come back next time. Thank you Elbow Lane!

Jim S.

Excellent food in a cozy setting with great staff. My wife had the sea bass special and I had the lamb. All was great. The mushroom side with chorizo was amazing as well. Beers were very good and my wife's cocktail was really wonderful. No room for dessert, but it looked great coming out for other tables also. Would absolutely go back next time we're in cork. For the review complaining about them finding a seat for a single, we were there on a Monday, couldn't get a reservation until 9, and it was packed the entire time. If you want to eat here, make a reservation. It's well worth it.

Mark S.

My favorite restaurant in Cork! Great food, great service, and a fun atmosphere. Highly recommended!

Dan M.

This review is for the beers only. I ate next door at their sister property Market Lane and this is how j viewed their beers as of May 2016. Glad to see some craft brewers hitting the Irish beer market. The beers overall had a good mouth feel with solid ingredients. I think these guys know how to brew craft beer right. Arrow Weiss - solid for the style. I'm not a Weiss fan but it did well Elbow Lager - perfect lager and compares favorably against the European lagers I've tried. Jawbone Ale - good flavored. I enjoyed this one pretty well and would have a full pint when I return Angel Stout - now this is winner winner chicken dinner. This was a fabulous stout and totally pint worthy. Good chocolatey flavors but not overly. And easy drinking. Bravo guys. NOTE/Warning: As of May 2016, they cannot sell you beer without food (a licensing issue). So if you want to try their beers come hungry or try with food next door at the Market Lane

Nick C.

If you are a foodie this is a must visit. The food is ridiculously perfect, imaginative and flavorful on a scale that competes with some of the best restaurants I have dined at. And yes I have dined at Michelin Stat restaurants, it is damn good. There are no reservations, and a 2-3 hour wait. Here's a tip for you, wait, or dine at the bar it is the beat anyways. I have nearly tried everything on the menu. Check my pictures. The beer is amazing, the food is amazing, the atmosphere is amazing and the people are amazing. This is a must visit. I cannot emphasize this enough. Give them a shot!

Courtney L.

I can't say enough great things about my dining experience here. Our concierge had recommended Elbow Lane to us, and it did not disappoint! This small spot is right next store to it's larger sister restaurant, Market Lane. The lighting was dark but suiting, and there were no more than 15 tables inside. Because we decided on an early (5 pm) dinner, we had no wait to be seated. We sat right by the open kitchen and enjoyed watching them cook up some amazing food next to us. I ordered the fish special which was probably the best meal I enjoyed during my 9 day trip in Ireland. To accompany my fish, I got the 4 beer sampler, which were locally brewed Elbow Lane brews. The service was wonderful! Everyone who helped us, from the host to the server and food runners, was kind and provided excellent recommendations. The host even provided us with local bars to check out after dinner. If I could come back here regularly, I would! Unfortunately I am 4,000 miles away. Thank you Elbow Lane, not just for a delicious meal but a memorable experience!

James B.

It's a little ridiculous they can't find a seat for 1 person for TWO HOURS. Seemed overpriced anyway. Walking to White Rabbit instead since I know their prices are reasonable and their food is great!

Nnenna I.

Cork has definitely changed since the last time I visited a couple of years ago. 3 of us got to elbow lane on a Wednesday evening and we were doubtful of getting a spot as there was a queue of diners waiting. Odd number made it easy to get seats at the bar. I settled on stonewll cider, steak special of the day with grilled asparagus. The food was really good, but I was disappointed with 5 asparagus for what 7 quid. The desert of dark chocolate with toasted marshmallows was tasty. Staff were very hip and friendly. Dinner for three including a drink each was just over €90 which was really good.

Karen C.

Our dinner here was fantastic. It was a Monday night and was completely packed, so I can't imagine trying to get in on the weekend without a reservation. The only table left was a table outside, so we had to huddle under the heat lamps once the sun went down but it was worth it! We tried a number of dishes between us, starting with the smoked pork neck and brisket roll. Both were really good but special mention goes to the pork neck - the soft poached egg was perfect with all the flavours. In fact, it was one of the highlights of the entire meal. Their fish that day was a hake served with samphire and lentils in a light broth. The finesse of these dishes really exceed the quality you'd expect from a place that claims to be a "brew and smokehouse"... however, it is a smokehouse after all, so of course we had to get the ribs and a steak. For a bit of vegetable variety, we also ordered the king oysters mushrooms and grilled asparagus with parmesan cheese. I sampled their beers, which are quite nice, but wasn't really in the beer mood. Luckily, they also have an excellent wine selection, so we shared a bottle of red (is there anything they don't do?). I wish I lived closer to make this a regular spot!

Mark D.

A cosy, hip joint to munch a perfectly cooked steak. This place knows who to prepare a savagely tasty slab of meat. I highly recommend this spot.