Irish Examiner Eats: Magical 'after hours' dining at iconic Farmgate Café
The Irish Examiner Eats Club kicked off its summer season with a truly unique offering, an exclusive 'after hours' evening dinner in Cork's iconic English Market.
Exclusive to Irish Examiner subscribers, a special menu awaited diners at the Farmgate Café, after the historic market had shut up shop for the day.
Following the roaring success of last year's IE Eats Club dinners, in Goldie and Good Day Deli, anticipation was high for this first event of 2025, and delighted diners were rewarded with a luxury Farmgate menu served up in the restaurant, as the evening sunlight filtered through the market's soaring rafters high above.
Irish Examiner food editor, Jillian Bolger officially welcomes the guests to the event in the Farmgate Café. Picture: Chani Anderson
The Farmgate Café was originally opened by Máróg O'Brien and her sister, Kay Harte, in 1994, with Kay then taking over the reins and it is now operated by Kay's daughter, Rebecca Harte.
Over the years, it has become a local favourite and a national institution, and is very firmly on the map for international tourists and visitors seeking the finest Irish food, sourced locally, much of it from the market below, and delivering menus of traditional Irish dishes with a contemporary twist.
Under head chef Pamela Kelly and front of house manager Tricia Cronin, IE Eats Club diners were first greeted with a welcome drink and then served up a fabulous four course menu which was rapturously received.
Beginning with canapés (Arancini with Toonsbridge scamorza, and corned beef and caper turnover), it was then followed by a first course of mackerel, soused beets, remoulade, before moving on to the main course of lamb cutlets, barley, and vegetable broth, colcannon potato, and then finishing with dessert of buttermilk Panna cotta, served with Bushby's strawberries, from Rosscarbery, in West Cork.
Deirdre and Denis O'Mahony clink glasses in the Farmgate cafe. Picture: Chani Anderson
Exclusive tickets to IE Eats Club events can only be purchased by Irish Examiner subscribers and before the wonderful night was out, excitement was already building in anticipation of the next such event in August, as part of the Cork on a Fork food festival, and with details to be announced in the very near future.
The Irish Examiner food writing team also dined, with food editor Jillian Bolger introducing the dinner and the team, with wine writer Leslie Williams introducing the wines, before the curtain was drawn on yet another magical night out of wining and dining for the Irish Examiner Eats Club.
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