Isaac's Restaurant — Restaurant in Cork

The restaurant looks lovely, we were seated near the interior waterfall. Nice selection of good wines. I ordered the prime rib which was one slice, 3 bits attached by gristle between them. Difficult to cut and had to work around the fibrous material. It was also over salted. I brought this to the attention of our waiter, who just kept smiling, his English was basic at best. Service was really bad, but there was a large table and those people were very demanding and kept him running. Asked to speak to manager and we got the smiling waiter again, he finally ran off to get the manager. After explaining our problem with the dinner he just said how the restaurant gets glowing reviews, the best in Cork (nope, Gallagher's down the street has amazing food at reasonable prices), did not even try to deal with what I was saying. He did finally go to the chef who admitted he had oversalted. I did explain to the manager that the service was lacking due to the fact our waiter was also dealing with a large demanding table. At the point we were offered a free cocktail at the bar. That was the best part...

We'd only just arrived in Cork when we decided to have dinner here; however we hand't made a reservation so we were prepared to go elsewhere if necessary. The woman who greeted us said she'd check if we could have a table, as they had several reservations and they were preparing for a massive group of teachers to arrive (celebrating the end of the school year). She walked around the entire restaurant with her seating chart, counting and calculating. We were thrilled she was able to seat us, and even with such a huge group coming, our service wasn't affected in the least. We felt very taken care of and our meal was delicious. Once those teachers did arrive, though, the decibel level rose incredibly. With brick walls, high ceilings and open areas, there's nothing to really absorb the sound. So when it's packed with an enthusiastic very large group, it can get loud. But overall I'd say it was a very pleasant dining experience, we truly appreciated getting seated without a reservation, and our meal was great. I'd go again in...

For my father-in-law’s milestone celebration, he decided to visit his hometown in Ireland, and our first dinner happened to be at Isaac’s restaurant right in the heart of Cork.

The ambiance is cozy with a touch of sophistication, yet it is casual. We were seated right away, and we started with several appetizers to share, such as seafood chowder with garlic croutons and crispy fried Brie with chili jam and mixed leaves, together with a nice bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.

For the main entrée, my eyes caught the attention of mild Madras lamb curry served with basmati rice, poppadoms, and side dishes. I found it flavorful, and the lamb was tender and went well with the basmati rice and the red wine.

We had a great time here. The service was efficient, the staff are friendly, helpful, and patient, even if we stayed past the closing time. If you happen to be in Cork, this place is...