The ageless Farmgate Café, Cork City
THE FACT IS THAT FARMGATE FOOD IS AGELESS … GREAT STAFF, GREAT VALUE*
Cod & Peperonata
The Farmgate Café, located on the balcony of the bustling English Market, has become a favourite in Cork over the past 31 years due to several key elements: exceptional local produce on the plate and in the glass, consistently high standards in the kitchen, and friendly, efficient service.
The Farmgate name was established in 1984 by Maróg O’Brien when she opened her restaurant and country store in Midleton (now relocated to Lismore). A decade later, Maróg’s sister Kay joined her, and together they created the café in the English Market in the heart of Cork city.
Orange cake and juicy cherries
Farmgate, from day one, embraced much of what is unique and traditional to Cork and still does; anyone for Tripe & Onions, with Drisheen, with Ladysbridge potatoes. Those potatoes (balls of flour) still come from Ladysbridge in East Cork and feature across the menu, including in the superb Lamb Stew.
While Farmgate has its roots in the past, it embraces the new influences present in the dynamic multicultural food market of this port city. For instance, last week, I tried the Pan Roast Cod, which was served with broccoli, mashed potatoes, and peperonata. I doubt that Peperonata made many appearances on Cork menus back in 1994.
By the way, I had a general idea of what Peperonata was, but I looked it up to confirm. It is an Italian vegetable stew made from red bell peppers, tomatoes, and garlic. Peperonata can be used as a sauce for pasta or served as a side dish to meat and fish. It may also be included in a ragù. The key to preparing Peperonata is slow-cooking the ingredients, which allows the flavours to blend, creating a rich, savoury taste with a slightly sweet undertone from the peppers. It certainly complemented the beautifully cooked piece of cod.
The cod was one of the day’s specials; others were Eoin O’Mahony Sausages (from the market) and a Tomato and Basil Soup with goat’s feta. They start serving lunch at 12.15, though some of the more substantial dishes aren't available until 12.30 pm
Across the table, my colleague enjoyed their Free-range Supreme of Chicken, Fennel and Lemon Sauce, Boozy Fig. This is on the regular menu, while the cod was one of the day’s specials. Again, the chicken was very well cooked, full of flavour and ensured that two well-satisfied customers exited the market.
But not before sharing a dessert, the beautiful Orange Cake with poached cherries and Yogurt. A super combination - loved those juicy cherries - and Very Highly Recommended. I’ll have to go back again to try the more traditional Bread and Butter Pudding (with custard) and also the Apple Tart with Cream! Aside from the lunch offering, it’s also a great spot for grabbing a cuppa and a pastry if you want something less substantial.
Chicken
The Farmgate’s drink lists include local craft beer (Eight Degrees and 9 White Deer) and ciders (including specialities by Killahora and Nohoval and also the superb non-alcoholic Stonewell Cider). No Irish wines yet, but they still keep it close to home with carefully chosen European wines.
While dining, you might notice some frames on one wall displaying what looks like handwriting—perhaps poems? Indeed, this unique feature is the “Poetry Wall”. The initiative, created by Gerry Murphy, a poet, and Kay Harte, showcases a distinctive collection of poems from Cork, Irish, and international poets. The Café commissioned these works in 2005 to celebrate Cork's designation as the European Capital of Culture.
Info on menus, opening times and more here
* Sunday Times 100 Best Restaurants 2020
