Behind the Glass Curtain lies the holy grail! Flavour is our holy grail.

Behind the Glass Curtain lies the holy grail!

"Flavour is our holy grail"

Flavour is our holy grail* is the motto at MacCurtain Street’s Glass Curtain. Here, experienced  and dedicated Chef Patron Brian Murray, aided by equally dedicated acolytes, harnesses the essence of each season and fresh local ingredients to craft refined dishes, meals fit kings and gods. The pinnacle is consistently realised, the customers regally dined and wined.

The quality is evident on each and every plate. The local elements include fish and meat but also “minor” foraged items such as Sea Spaghetti and Blackberry. And these Irish blackberries, especially the smaller varieties, are full of flavour, unlike those tasteless giants from Central America that you occasionally see used as decoration on desserts. 

Tasting Menu 23.10.2025

Those blackberries featured twice on the meal that we enjoyed for a birthday occasion recently. We splashed the cash and went for the 5-course Tasting Menu. That delicious journey ended with a three part dessert and the blackberry combined with almond to good effect in one of them. Earlier, it was a welcome element in the venison which was perhaps the star course of the evening. The five courses didn’t, by the way, count an excellent Amuse Bouche at the beginning nor the petit four at the end.

Beaujolais by Morel

The first course was a duo of snacks, a Crudo (raw fish) with blackened citrus and a Sea Spaghetti fried Watercress (this latter an illustration of the Glass Curtain’s fondness of foraging)

Now we were on to the fish course (monkfish) and here the scallop XO sauce was a shining star. XO was developed in Hong Kong in the 1980s and the name is borrowed from cognac terminology to signify its high quality. Perhaps Brian came across this during his extensive travels as a chef. He learned it well and the umami flavour here on MacCurtain Street was striking.

Monkfish, scallop XO

Cultured butter (with the Focaccia)

"Half-time" was marked by the Glazed Beetroot course. Enjoyed that too but we were looking forward to the venison as we sipped from glasses of Dominique Morel, Beaujolais-Villages, France, 2023, also available by the carafe and bottle (imported by Liberty Wines). Morel himself is proud of this one and rightly so. It is full of fresh red berry fruit, elegant with good acidity, and is a great example of Beaujolais-Villages. 
 

The venison came in two dishes, done two ways: Venison, blackberry, charcuterie sauce and Quince braised venison under a potato foam and onion crisps. The meat was a perfect combination of juiciness, tenderness and flavour.  Even here blackberries played a noticeable and delicious role. The braised version was even more tender, so thumbs up on all counts.

Starters

When we first read the dessert listing we were thinking one plate and were surprised when three were served. On one, we had the Kilbrack Apple, on another the Muscovado Ice Cream and then a slice of blackberry and almond tart, all delicious although the humble locally grown apple was perhaps the standout.

Desserts x3, with the Kilbrack apple to the fore.

Bushmills 14

• Chef Murray, a native of East Cork, returned home after working in kitchens around the world, including on yachts and in Dubai, to open his own restaurant here in 2019. It is based in the old Thompsons Bakery. More on the Glass Curtain here.

• Tea Cakes, crumpet, slim and griddle cakes, rich and plain cakes (all of “superior quality”) and Swiss Rolls of course, were made here when Thompsons operated their bakery from 1826 to 1984 (when a liquidator was appointed).

* From Old French graal, from medieval Latin gradalis ‘dish’

Glass Curtain Kitchen Team in Sparkling Form. "Cooked with grá" A little flame also!

Glass Curtain Kitchen Team in Sparkling Form At The Weekend

 "Cooked with grá".  And a little flame!

Red mullet, cuttlefish, broth.

"Both the name and the large photo on the back wall pay homage to this building’s former life as the iconic Thompson’s Bakery; now a compact brasserie. Monochrome décor, exposed pipework and a charming team set the scene. Modern dishes have a personal touch and are cooked with grá (Gaelic for ‘love’)." 

That is the verdict delivered by the Michelin Guide when they awarded Cork's Glass Curtain with a Michelin Bib.

It is indeed, as you'd expect, an accurate description of the busy venue where Chef Brian Murray has been setting a very high standard since he opened here in MacCurtain Street in the autumn of 2020. Brian's travels around the world have given him a finely tuned international experience yet in this lively spot, it is the flavour of local ingredients that star on the menus, both A La Carte and Tasting.

Beef is one hundred per cent Irish and local producers supported include the likes of Cais na Tire and Hegarty's cheese, Skeaghanmore Duck, and Ballymakenny potatoes. 

Snacks

No shortage of drink choices. There's a tempting Cocktail List that includes three non-alcoholic options. Quite a wine offering here.  You can taste your way through different styles, countries and grape varieties through white, red and the increasingly popular orange (check out that Ageno from the lovely Elena Pantaleoni of Italy's La Stoppa). 

Local producers like the Cotton Ball and 9 White Deer Breweries get a chance to shine in the drinks section as does the Stonewell Cidery from Novohal. As you'd expect, there are many Irish spirits available or why not enjoy the very special ice wine from Killarhora Orchards in Glounthaune, one of my favourite ways to finish a meal.

Lamb

The tasting menu costs €75.00 per person and a wine option will add another €45 to that. With an early 5.00pm* start, we decided against the wine option and instead picked the Dirk Niepoort, Vinho Verde, Portugal 2021 Alvarinho. This aromatic and well-balanced Alvarinho (Albarino in Spain) by the famous port company worked out well for us even if it had to be parked when the lamb came around!

 * That 5.00pm start was all that was available when we booked two weeks in advance. It is a busy place so make your reservations early!

Dessert

Tasting Menu

Crudo, Cashew, Blood Orange, Puffed Barley, Shiso, with Prawn heads. 

“Jambon”, Dill pickle, Lardo

 Aged rump of beef tartare, pear and endive

A bit unusual to see Prawn Heads in one of the three snacks but we were assured they were edible and got stuck in and enjoyed the "careful" crunch. Actually, that particular snack was very flavoursome in any case. We enjoyed it and the other two as well.

***

Glazed beets, House ricotta hazelnut brown butter 

Focaccia, Roast Onion Butter

On to this pair then, served together. An unexpected highlight here was the Roast Onion Butter and the Focaccia. In fairness, the other "starter" was also excellent.

***

Grilled Red Mullet, Cuttlefish, Turbot roe taramasalata, fish broth, 

The fish course starred the Red Mullet and the broth. Not overly keen on the cuttlefish (who belong to a class that includes squid and octopus) and hadn't expected too much from it in any case. But that Mullet was something else and such a pity we don't see it on that many menus in Ireland.

***

Rack of Lamb, crushed artichoke, pistachio, glazed lamb belly and celeriac.

This was the piece de resistance. Lamb came two ways, the fat and flavoursome rack was a delight to dispatch while the belly (it came in a separate dish with celeriac) was also quite a treat.

***

Time then to cleanse the palate and the Rhubarb Sorbet, Almond, and Rose Jelly did it well.  The dessert of Orange Polenta Cake, Ricotta ice cream, sheep yoghurt, rhubarb wasn't at all bad but I had been expecting a bit more from it. Still time for another sweet bit as the petit fours arrived to send two happy customers off into the night.

Lamb, two ways.

Glass Curtain reveals its Cork on a Fork Fest Menu. Tried and tested last evening.

 Glass Curtain Reveals Its Cork on a Fork Fest Menu

The Glass Curtain was packed last evening as the popular Cork restaurant revealed its menu for the Cork on a Fork Fest that continues from today until Sunday with over 100 events scheduled. The good news is for the lucky punters who have booked as they will sample the Glass Curtain menu every evening with a booking between 5.00 and 6.00pm while the bad news for others is that the event has been booked out for every day.

The menu costs €38.00 for three courses (starter, main and dessert) but you can also treat yourself to a snack and also a special cocktail (both extra). And of course they have quite a wine list here also and I noted the Cotton Ball beers were going down well last evening. The restaurant supports local and that can also be seen in the menus.

Our starters last night were Skeaghanore duck terrine, house pickles, rhubarb relish (top) and Sticky beets, pistachio cream, Sobhriste cheese. The beets and cheese were probably my dish of the night. The cheese is a crumbly, younger, milled-curd style, like a Caerphilly/Lancashire. Sobhriste, meaning fragile or delicate, is aged for roughly 6 weeks. It has a subtle, slightly lactic flavour, with a crumbly texture and biscuity rind. Delicious. And the terrine was excellent also!

 

The Grilled mackerel, spicy padron broth, nasturtium was the third starter choice.

I was on a dry night, but that was no bother as I was able
 to enjoy a couple of bottles of Stonewell Non-Alcoholic
Cider. I reckon this is one of the best non-alcoholic drinks,
if not the best, in Ireland.

On to the mains now and CL was impressed with the BBQ cod, San Marzano tomato, courgette, and bouillabaisse sauce while I enjoyed my Lost Valley Dairy rare breed pork, grilled beans, rowan berry jus, cauliflower (especially the pork belly). Sides (optional) included Potato Terrine (pictured with pork), Summer Salad, and Greens.

The third choice in this section was the Grilled Peri Peri courgette, tempura courgette flower, pumpkin seeds, courgette.

Delighted to see the fabulous fruit of West Cork Bushbys featuring not once but twice in the desserts and that made the choosing easy. CL picked the Bushby's strawberry, ricotta ice cream, oat biscuit while my choice was the Milk chocolate crémeux, chocolate sablé, Bushby's raspberries, and yoghurt sorbet. No regrets there! Though I'm sure the Carraignamuc farmhouse cheese, honeycomb, and cheese biscuits would have been delicious as well.

A sweet end to a lovely buzzy evening of terrific food and service. 

  

Bibendum and La Rousse . Portfolio Tastings in Cork

 Bibendum and La Rousse 

Portfolio Tastings in Cork

Choices galore last Monday: Sauvignon Blanc from Le Rousse and Chardonnay from Bibendum

Very seldom indeed that you get two wine companies doing their portfolio tastings in Cork on the same day but that was the case last Monday when Bibendum and La Rousse came to town. 

For me, the more impressive wines came from Portugal and South Africa at the well-attended Bibendum event at Hotel Montenotte while a Telmo Rodriguez quartet and a couple of Slovenians alerted the tastebuds in the Glass Curtain where La Rousse displayed their excellent range.

Bibendum

The Glasshouse, an excellent venue

Bibendum were very happy indeed with the impressive Glasshouse in Montenotte, a very bright and colourful room, with views over the city and ideal for this and similar events.

I had been hoping to taste a share of Portuguese wines here and at The Glass Curtain. But, with a combined total of close to 200 wines for tasting, there were just two. Both of these were Bibendum’s and each was excellent.

One was the Conde Villar Alvarinho Vinho Verde (DOC). In an unusual tall bottle (right), it was engaging from first contact, floral aromas, fresh and elegant, rich and full bodied, memorable. It is 100% Alvarinho, the same grape that grows across the border in Spain’s Rias Baixas. Really excellent and worth looking out for.

The second was from the Alentejo, the red Tapada de Villar, and this too was excellent. It is a blend of Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional, Aragonez and Trincadeira. Intense aromatics, ripe red fruit flavours in the mouth, soft and elegant. Another to note.

Tom Hanson-Smith of Journey's End

Next up was a rewarding stop at the Journey’s End table where Tom Hanson-Smith was showing three of the wines from their Stellenbosch vineyard (the second wine farm in SA to be solar powered).  The Haystack Chardonnay had a great balance of oak and fruit and gets a major thumbs up.

And I went on to complete the hat-trick with two super reds, the Huntsman (a blend of Shiraz, Mourvèdre and Grenache) and Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2017. The Single Vineyard was premier class but I would be reluctant to leave the Huntsman behind.

There was one other wine that I wasn’t leaving without tasting. It was at the Fine Wine Table. Here, I rebuffed a whole lot of temptation, treating myself only to the Chateau Kirwan Margaux 3eme Cru Classé. No Irish connection there now but, for old times sake, I sipped sinfully before saying au revoir to Mark Redmond and the lovely and helpful Bibendum crew.

La Rousse

Thompson ladies. Le Rousse wine.

A refreshing stroll down the hill then to the Glass Curtain and a lovely warm welcome from Vera O’Grady of La Rousse. She gave me a few helpful tips before I made a start in this excellent Cork restaurant.

I enjoy white Mediterranean grapes and they came up trumps in whites such as Eric Texier’s Roussane, JL Chaves Hermitage Marsanne, Le Soula white blend and Gilles Troullier’s Macabeu. More excellent stuff from Italy, the Monte Tondo Soave Classico and the Mora e Memo Tino Vermentino (left).

And right at the end of that line came Telmo Rodriquez. I met him last in Ballymaloe about nine years ago. He could have had comfortably slotted into the family winery Remelluri but, after an intensive wine education in France, he eventually headed off on his own, to the most unlikely places. Barren hillsides where vineyards had been abandoned. Sometimes a few survived with practices dating back five hundred years, including “beautiful bush vines”. 

Telmo (left) and yours truly. Ballymaloe 2013

He still makes wines all over Spain and his smooth and excellent Basa (Verdejo, Viura) from Rueda is one to note as is the Branco de Santa Cruz (Bierzo), an gorgeous blend of Godello, Treixadura, Dona Alana.

Next for me was an orange wine from Slovenia. The Guerilla Retro Selection (Pinela, Zelen, Rebula and Malvazija) was just beautiful. And they also had an excellent 2020 Barbera. This, also marked by Vera, was different class, quite amazing.

Slovenia impressed

Last, but by no means least, was Telmo again, with two beauties. First top was the young 2021 LZ, a bright and delightfully easy-drinking un-oaked (aged in concrete) Rioja. It comes from the village of Lanciego and is organic, same blend as the Lanzaga below.

The Lanzaga (a field bland of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Graciano) is oaked, organic, elegant, full of dark fruits and a smokey finalé.

Quite a finalé then for me at the Glass Curtain. Time to say goodbye to Vera and head for the hills.

What a double to finish on!

Umami Unanimously At The Glass Curtain: Making New Delicious Memories And Recalling Some Old Ones.

Umami Unanimously At The Glass Curtain.

Making New Delicious Memories And Recalling Some Old Ones. 

It was not just the taste buds that were triggered during last week’s fantastic Tasting Menu in The Glass Curtain in MacCurtain Street’s Thompson House. The old memory bank also had a few re-awakenings and it wasn’t just of the Thompson bread vans roaming the streets and roads of Cork. Beef Heart, Cabbage Stumps and a Frogs Attack all came vividly racing back.

The Tasting Menu here is usually detailed as of five courses but, within that, there are some courses with more than one part. That applies to the opening one where no less than three treats appear simultaneously: "Jambon" - Templegall & Lardo, pickled fennel. Beef heart toast; Langoustine tartar, spiced cauliflower velouté. 

Monkfish

Really enjoyed that little nibble of Beef Heart. I’m pretty sure I’d have heard it called Cows Heart and remember it as a treat, beefy for sure and tender and apparently good for you. But it and lambs heart (another favourite back in the day) seemed to have gone out of favour in Ireland just like most offal. 

In any case this trio was an outstanding way to get the meal off on the right foot. Our next dish was the Focaccia, salsa verde, n’duja butter. Quite a chunk of their own delicious bread and that butter, not at all overly spicy, fitted in very nicely indeed. Quite a pleasant match.

Opening trio, beef heart top right

Since the friendly and efficient staff had kindly left the long menu on the table, we knew that BBQ pointed cabbage, Pork belly, Whey caramel, Black garlic, was next on the agenda. What we didn’t know was that the cabbage would be as much a star as the Pork Belly on this intriguing and superb plate. Don’t get me wrong, that pork was high quality, full of flavour but so too was the cabbage and both were lifted higher by the black garlic.

The tasty cabbage had a little bit of the stump on it and for old times sake, I tried that and of course, even if it wasn’t quite as tender, it matched the rest for flavour. Back in the day, before I was a teenager, I’d stand with my mother as she prepared dinner. Cabbage was often on the menu and regularly she pared down the stump, about where it joined the head, and handed it out as a treat. And it was a treat! Now a memory.

Now it was time for fish at The Glass Curtain. Soon, we had a splendid bowl of Monkfish, saffron and mussel sauce and lobster curry foam in front of us. Lots of foam and hard to make out the shapes, though we could spot those plump little mussels. The monkfish itself was white and seductive beneath the teasing cover of the foam and soon I was enjoying that pearly white fish. All together, it was umami unanimously.

The main event was next. Rack of Lamb (from Murphy’s Butchers in Midleton) was accompanied by confit carrot, labneh, black olive tapenade and date purée. Possibilities of delicious duets on this plate and all good though I think the match with the sweet date was the prime pairing. The lamb of course,  flesh and fat, was perfect!

Something sweet? Of course, knowing there were two to come! Dessert was Chocolate and coffee cremeux, crème fraiche ice-cream, and blood orange. A well judged balance of light and heavy and just so at the end of this lovely multi-course meal. There was a little more to come, a generous petit fours called Hazelnut Ice-cream Sandwich, a fitting finalé.

We had been studying the impressive wine list, even before we came in and, after a bit of humming and hawing, decided to go with a bottle of a favourite wine: the Classique Morgan by Beaujolais organic pioneer Jean Foillard, a beautiful expression of the Gamay and also quite versatile at the table.

And that Morgan too brought back happy memories, though much more recent. In 2018, The Frogs Attack, being two pioneering natural winemakers (Jean Foillard and Thierry Puzelat), a guerrilla chef (Antony Cointre) and a comedian (Sebastien Barrier), cornered their willing victims in a packed Latitude 51. 

They came. They saw. They conquered. Cork’s leading wine bar was the ideal venue for the French influenced evening. Beverley and her staff caught the informal spirit of the occasion perfectly and we wined and dined, and laughed a lot too.

More details here.

Pic via Glass Curtain

Spice 'n Sweet and Sixties Beats. The Glass Curtain Rocks The Kitchen

Spice 'n Sweet and Sixties Beats

The Glass Curtain Rocks the Kitchen 

Three hotties: Corn Salsa(left), Pico de Gallo (bottom right), and Chipotle Aioli 

We had a little Latino-Irish Fiesta on the table at the weekend, thanks to the talented crew in The Glass Curtain. While the popular MacCurtain Street restaurant itself is out of action for a few weeks (you know the culprit), they are offering an At Home with different meals available on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. (Keep an eye on their social media for updates as things keep changing. Just heard, they'll be doing at home for the next two weeks. Updated menus will appear here).

Viva Mexico. (via Pixabay)

Our pick this time was the Friday offering of Panko breaded cod, pico de gallo, sweetcorn salsa, shredded cabbage, flour tortillas, bravas potatoes with lime chipotle aioli. And a dessert of Chocolate custard, blood orange jelly, spiced churro pieces.

Instructions come with the box which you collect at a specified time. There is a little work but there is also The Glass Curtain playlist. Check it out on Spotify and your cooking will be lifted even higher with Jackie Wilson. The likes of me though may have to Knock on Wood (more than once).

Patatas Bravas

The music went down well, though I got a nasty look when I played You Keep Me Hanging On. And the dog’s begging routine was interrupted briefly when Rufus Thomas started belting out Walking the Dog. As you may have gathered, the songs and singers are mainly from the 60s though, remarkably, Bing Crosby had a hit with Try a Little Tenderness in 1933!

Getting messy!

Anyhow, music or no music, the At Home work takes about 15 minutes, the time it takes the Patatas Bravas to heat and crisp up in the oven. In the meantime, the Tortilla dough has been rolled out and cooked in a dry pan. And the cod goujons (or Sweet Potato and Halloumi if you’re on on the veggie option) take 4-5 minutes.

Dessert

The Official Blog Chef’s coordination is as impressive as ever and it all came good and soon we were south of the border, spooning the shredded cabbage (white), pico de gallo, and chipotle aioli to assemble the Taco. The spicy stuff wakes you up, something different on the table to enliven a dreary wet and cold evening. Also took the opportunity to try out a few of those Chilli & Lime White Corn Tortilla Chips from Clonmel’s Blanco Niño.

Chilli & Lime White Corn Tortilla Chips

Portions are generous here and a “gap” was organised before dessert was tackled. The churros has to be heated (a couple of minutes) and coated in the chilli sugar before they met the delicious chocolate custard and the even more delicious Blood Orange Jelly. The remarkable sweetness added to the already feel good factor and I just got more and more comfortable in the soft chair. Time to switch up the recliner.

Menus Available Last Weekend

• Friday 45 for 2 sharing

Panko breaded cod, pico de gallo, sweetcorn salsa, shredded cabbage, flour tortillas, bravas potatoes with lime chipotle aioli,

Chocolate custard, blood orange jelly, spiced churro pieces

• Saturday 40 for 2 sharing

BBQ brisket, house slaw, jalapeño cornbread, mac n’cheese

Chocolate chip cookies salted caramel sauce

• Sunday 50 for 2 sharing

18oz dry aged Angus striploin, home fries, whiskey pepper sauce, chargrilled baby leeks, roasted cauliflower

Classic tiramisu

• Veggie all weekend 35 for 2 sharing

Panko breaded halloumi and sweet potatoes, pico de gallo, sweetcorn salsa, shredded cabbage, flour tortillas, bravas potatoes with lime chipotle aioli

Served with desert of the evening