Thompsons Cork — Restaurant in Cork

I came in with no expectations, and left feeling severely ripped off and disappointed with the quality of food. Especially for the price. I ordered the tartare, the shrimp, the roasted miso cabbage (the only thing that was decent), the wagyu burger, and the Wild Atlantic Mist cocktail. Where do i start? The cocktail came out first and there was nothing special about it. I drank it right away and still thought it tasted too watered down. Next came the tarare, the shrimp, and the cabbage. The cabbage was actually decent, but how hard is it to roast cabbage in miso and breadcrumbs? I feel I must express my disappointment in the shrimp next. They tasted mushy and had that horrible flavor and smell which old frozen shrimp have. I could replicate this dish better by throwing some frozen shrimp into store brand chili-garlic oil and microwaving it. Horrible for them to deceive people into thinking these are fresh shrimp (and if they really are fresh, not frozen, WHAT are you doing to them to make them so unpalatable?!). The tartare? I couldn't tell you. Their supposedly amazing day-aged beef was masked with sauce, greens, toast and parmesan cheese. None of the texture work with, or highlight, the meat. I wouldn't have even known there was meat in it if it weren't for digging through the greens and reading the menu. Finally, the wagyu burger. What a monstrosity. It was so incredibly dry, thick, and overcooked. I honestly couldn't tell if they added a binder or just compressed the daylight out of dry lean beef, and cooked it for 10 minutes too long. Now, I know wagyu burgers are mostly a gimmick, but you expect a steak restaurant to make them at least juicy and showcase the meat. I couldn't finish it. Not because I was full, but because it was horrible. Not juicy or succulent - just a compact brick of overcooked, compressed ground beef. No water provided by the staff even though most tables had water (and I was polite the entire time, saying please and thank you for every interaction). For the price I paid and the food I received, I felt so horribly ripped off. I felt used and dirty that an establishment can charge those prices for that quality. I had to cool off before writing the review, clear my head of bias, and I still couldn't find...

I had the "Chicken Supreme" dish. The Lyonnaise onions were truly excellent—flavorful and perfectly baked. The French beans were cooked to perfection, just the right texture. However, the chicken was so dry and overcooked that it felt like eating straw. The mashed potatoes were worse than store-bought instant ones—bland and completely unsalted. As for the carrot purée, I don’t even know what to compare it to. Store-bought ready meals offer a better version. This purée reminded me of baby food. Considering how easy it is to make proper carrot purée, I suspect more effort went into making this disappointing version than a standard one. I also don’t understand why it was served in a deep plate—perhaps an attempt at fancy presentation?

For dessert, I had the Poached Pear. I showed a photo of the dish to a few people, and all of them asked me what it was supposed to be. While I’d love to describe how it looked (I can provide a photo), I’ll refrain out of politeness. That said, the sorbet was one of the best I’ve ever had—perfect texture with a sublime balance of citrusy sour and bitter notes. Absolute perfection! If they offered it on its own, I’d go back daily just for that. However, I’m not sure why it’s called “strawberry-pineapple sorbet”—perhaps because of its pinkish color? The shortbread crumbs, unfortunately, tasted like burnt sawdust and ruined the sorbet experience if eaten together. As for the honeycomb… I honestly couldn’t figure out what it was meant to be.

A colleague ordered the steak, and I watched them struggle with it. That was far from what a steak should be. I did try their fries, though, and they were outstanding—a truly perfect preparation with a genuine potato flavor. It’s been a while since I’ve tasted fries that good. I could easily eat those every day, ideally paired with the sorbet.

To summarize: if you’re looking for a place to experience a true desecration of food, accompanied by high prices and small portions, this is the...

Ate here for mothers day. Couldnt get a reservation anywhere else in the city. Arrived and place was maybe 50% capacity at 2pm, so that tells you something.

Atmosphere is dead inside, tho the decor is lovely. Despite not being too busy I found the staff not that attentive, we were never asked how our food was and waited a considerable time to grab the waiter's attention so we could pay. €12.50 for kids meal was a bit pricey for what it was(frozen goujons & chips, scoop of ice cream) more suitable for a 10 year old than a 3,5 & 7 year old who only ate half of the food. Food quality was inconsistent. Both my wife and I ordered the sunday roast beef. The vegetables and mash were fantastic, however the beef was not pleasant, didn't taste great and wife didnt finish the beef either, I just about finished mine as we had no breakfast. The jus that came with the roast was over sweetened and threw off the whole dinner, lacked depth of flavour. Despite having extra jus, because otherwise it would be a dry plate of food, it wasnt nice? Just about palatable tbf. Was also surprised how the roast beef with "all the trimmings" didnt come with a yorkshire pudding, for me that seems a must have as do many restaurants provide. Anyway for 3 kids and 2 adults we spent over €100 for sunday lunch, did not see any value for money, dont see myself coming...